I should get used to it.” Yet another benefit of my dad’s homecoming.
“They’re trying to intimidate us,” Billy fumed. “Disrupting my business. I won’t have it.”
“Go ahead and tell them so,” I said, pulling the delivery cart toward the back room. “I’m sure they’ll listen.”
He followed me into the back room. “You gave him the papers?”
“Yeah. It was fine. But ...” I paused, trying to decide if I should tell him that Ekomov was targeting his employees. I couldn’t get those names on my own—the only information I had access to was what Billy gave me. I had to let him know. “He thinks he can recruit some of your guys.”
“Does he, now? And what was your answer?”
“I didn’t give him one. He said I should think about it.”
Billy smiled thinly. “He trusts you. We can use this, you know.”
“Use it how?” He was always looking for an angle, but I couldn’t imagine what this one would be.
“He’s not the only one who wants to know who they can trust.” He pushed open the door and barked, “Donnelly. Take her home.”
“I just got here.” I hated working at Morgan’s, but I still needed the tips. Whether I got into NYU or not, I needed to save as much cash as I could. I was determined not to rely on my family for money.
“You’ve done what was needed. We’ve business to discuss, and you’ll only be underfoot.” He shooed me out of the back room. “Off with you.”
My father glanced up. “Tell your mother I’ll be late for dinner.”
“Whatever,” I said, rebuttoning my coat. When we got into the truck, I twisted to face Colin. “Business. You know what he means.”
“Ease up a little,” he said.
It took a minute to get over my shock. “You’re taking his side?”
“No. But it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to cut your dad a little slack.”
“If he gets thrown back in prison, it will be the worst thing in the world. I can’t believe he’d do this to my mom again.”
“To her? Or to you?” He touched my hand, and I drew away.
“This is so not about me. I don’t want my mom to get her hopes up and think we’re going to be some happy family, and then he leaves again. That’s it. I don’t expect anything from him.”
Colin checked the mirrors instead of looking at me. “Good to know.”
“What did he say to you? Did he try to pull the overprotective dad act?”
“I don’t think it’s an act,” he said, and this time when he reached for me, I didn’t pull back. “He wants to know how you’re doing. For some reason, he thinks you’re not likely to open up. So he asked me about you.”
“And warned you off.”
He shrugged and laced his fingers with mine.
“He has no right to interfere. No right at all,” I said. “Let’s go back to your place.”
“Your mom’s expecting you.”
“Not till after work. She doesn’t know I left early. Besides, it’s not like I’m violating curfew or anything. I even have my bodyguard with me.”
We stopped for a light, and Colin tapped the wheel, considering. “My place?”
“Come on,” I wheedled. “My mom’s just going to nag me about school and my dad. And we haven’t had any time alone in ages.”
“We’re alone right now.”
“In a moving vehicle. That doesn’t count.” I paused, noting the way the corner of his mouth twitched, like he was biting back a smile. When I spoke again, my voice was innocent and mild as cream. “Unless you’re afraid to be alone with me.”
He kissed me, fast and hard. When I caught my breath again, I asked, “That’s a yes, I take it?”
“Yes and no. Yes, we can go to my place. No, I’m not afraid to be alone with you.”
I leaned into him, smiling as his arm wrapped around my shoulders. “Good.”
We didn’t talk much until we were back inside his apartment. The outer door was new, heavy steel with a reinforced frame. My uncle’s men had battered down the old one in the fall. Colin had installed this one as
“They’re trying to intimidate us,” Billy fumed. “Disrupting my business. I won’t have it.”
“Go ahead and tell them so,” I said, pulling the delivery cart toward the back room. “I’m sure they’ll listen.”
He followed me into the back room. “You gave him the papers?”
“Yeah. It was fine. But ...” I paused, trying to decide if I should tell him that Ekomov was targeting his employees. I couldn’t get those names on my own—the only information I had access to was what Billy gave me. I had to let him know. “He thinks he can recruit some of your guys.”
“Does he, now? And what was your answer?”
“I didn’t give him one. He said I should think about it.”
Billy smiled thinly. “He trusts you. We can use this, you know.”
“Use it how?” He was always looking for an angle, but I couldn’t imagine what this one would be.
“He’s not the only one who wants to know who they can trust.” He pushed open the door and barked, “Donnelly. Take her home.”
“I just got here.” I hated working at Morgan’s, but I still needed the tips. Whether I got into NYU or not, I needed to save as much cash as I could. I was determined not to rely on my family for money.
“You’ve done what was needed. We’ve business to discuss, and you’ll only be underfoot.” He shooed me out of the back room. “Off with you.”
My father glanced up. “Tell your mother I’ll be late for dinner.”
“Whatever,” I said, rebuttoning my coat. When we got into the truck, I twisted to face Colin. “Business. You know what he means.”
“Ease up a little,” he said.
It took a minute to get over my shock. “You’re taking his side?”
“No. But it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to cut your dad a little slack.”
“If he gets thrown back in prison, it will be the worst thing in the world. I can’t believe he’d do this to my mom again.”
“To her? Or to you?” He touched my hand, and I drew away.
“This is so not about me. I don’t want my mom to get her hopes up and think we’re going to be some happy family, and then he leaves again. That’s it. I don’t expect anything from him.”
Colin checked the mirrors instead of looking at me. “Good to know.”
“What did he say to you? Did he try to pull the overprotective dad act?”
“I don’t think it’s an act,” he said, and this time when he reached for me, I didn’t pull back. “He wants to know how you’re doing. For some reason, he thinks you’re not likely to open up. So he asked me about you.”
“And warned you off.”
He shrugged and laced his fingers with mine.
“He has no right to interfere. No right at all,” I said. “Let’s go back to your place.”
“Your mom’s expecting you.”
“Not till after work. She doesn’t know I left early. Besides, it’s not like I’m violating curfew or anything. I even have my bodyguard with me.”
We stopped for a light, and Colin tapped the wheel, considering. “My place?”
“Come on,” I wheedled. “My mom’s just going to nag me about school and my dad. And we haven’t had any time alone in ages.”
“We’re alone right now.”
“In a moving vehicle. That doesn’t count.” I paused, noting the way the corner of his mouth twitched, like he was biting back a smile. When I spoke again, my voice was innocent and mild as cream. “Unless you’re afraid to be alone with me.”
He kissed me, fast and hard. When I caught my breath again, I asked, “That’s a yes, I take it?”
“Yes and no. Yes, we can go to my place. No, I’m not afraid to be alone with you.”
I leaned into him, smiling as his arm wrapped around my shoulders. “Good.”
We didn’t talk much until we were back inside his apartment. The outer door was new, heavy steel with a reinforced frame. My uncle’s men had battered down the old one in the fall. Colin had installed this one as
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