had been burning from inside of him. We would use each other with a mutual understanding of not regretting being together in this way. I had to take Nicky Cain as he was. I had to know he belonged to me even though part of me knew his heart wasn’t completely involved. He had this innate need inside of him, and I wanted to be the one who quenched his desire. The thought that he’d turn to someone else if I wasn’t there…I couldn’t think about it. The jealousy would eat me alive. There was one thing I couldn’t push out of my mind as Nicky slowly stripped me of every ounce of clothing—tonight I wasn’t going to bed with Nicky Cain my savior. Tonight I was going to bed with Nicky Cain the demon.
FIVE
CAIN
I put the phone up to my ear. Lilah crawled off my chest and headed toward the bathroom. My eyes followed her until she shut the door behind her.
“Yeah?”
“Nicky, I just got a call.”
It was Remmy. “I’m listening.”
“From Bello.”
Shit.
“What’d he say?”
Remmy sighed into the phone. “He was wondering why we didn’t contact him directly about Carmine, why he had to find out through other connections.”
I closed my eyes for a moment before sitting up and walking out of the bedroom and into the hallway. “Were you able to cover?”
“I think so. He’s a wiry guy.”
“I know.” That’s what made me nervous about this particular deal. Wiry equaled unpredictability. I liked to know who I was dealing with and be two steps ahead of them. I pressed my left hand against the railing that overlooked the bottom floor of the house. I knew I was going to have to deal with Bello—the head of the African diamond deal—I just was hoping I could put it off for a bit longer. “Does he know about me?”
Remmy hesitated.
“Just fucking spit it out.”
“Yeah. I had to, Nicky. He was about ready to cut off ties without a leader. I had to reassure him,” Remmy rambled.
I snorted. “Like he was reassured by hearing my name.”
“He didn’t even know who you were at first. Then he remembered you.”
“Yeah, I made such a great first impression on him.”
“Listen, it’s fine. I think it’s going to be fine.”
“And now you’re trying to reassure me. Fucking great.” I laughed into the phone, but my nerves were on edge. The diamond deal was huge. It had been Carmine’s biggest move to date. It brought in a lot of money, and I didn’t want to lose it. I was depending on it—so were the other men. Losing it meant losing respect. I was working too hard right now to allow anything to slip between my fingers.
“I’m serious, Nicky,” Remmy continued. “I told him you were Carmine’s son. As shocked as he was, that actually gave him some confidence back. Now he wants to meet up.”
“Of course he does.”
“I told him I had to talk to you first.”
“Set it up,” I told him without hesitation. “It’s the only way to get this shit settled, so he can look me in the eye and find whatever the fuck it is he wants to find to make himself feel better.” I dug my fingernails into the wood of the railing before letting go of it completely. “See if he can meet today.”
“You sure about this? Don’t you want to meet with the rest of the guys and talk about what we should say to Bello?”
“And do what? Listen to Hagan go on about how he should’ve been the one on the job? No thanks. Set it up…today,” I emphasized. “Then get back to me. The Triplets need to come with us if he does want to meet. I’m not taking any chances with those fuckers.”
“Okay.” Remmy’s tone said something different though. He didn’t want to set it up, but he would. He had no choice.
I put the phone in my pocket and turned around to find Lilah putting earrings in and smelling sweet as she attempted to pass by me to get down the stairs.
“You look nice,” I told her, admiring the flowy top and short skirt ensemble that accentuated her gorgeous long
FIVE
CAIN
I put the phone up to my ear. Lilah crawled off my chest and headed toward the bathroom. My eyes followed her until she shut the door behind her.
“Yeah?”
“Nicky, I just got a call.”
It was Remmy. “I’m listening.”
“From Bello.”
Shit.
“What’d he say?”
Remmy sighed into the phone. “He was wondering why we didn’t contact him directly about Carmine, why he had to find out through other connections.”
I closed my eyes for a moment before sitting up and walking out of the bedroom and into the hallway. “Were you able to cover?”
“I think so. He’s a wiry guy.”
“I know.” That’s what made me nervous about this particular deal. Wiry equaled unpredictability. I liked to know who I was dealing with and be two steps ahead of them. I pressed my left hand against the railing that overlooked the bottom floor of the house. I knew I was going to have to deal with Bello—the head of the African diamond deal—I just was hoping I could put it off for a bit longer. “Does he know about me?”
Remmy hesitated.
“Just fucking spit it out.”
“Yeah. I had to, Nicky. He was about ready to cut off ties without a leader. I had to reassure him,” Remmy rambled.
I snorted. “Like he was reassured by hearing my name.”
“He didn’t even know who you were at first. Then he remembered you.”
“Yeah, I made such a great first impression on him.”
“Listen, it’s fine. I think it’s going to be fine.”
“And now you’re trying to reassure me. Fucking great.” I laughed into the phone, but my nerves were on edge. The diamond deal was huge. It had been Carmine’s biggest move to date. It brought in a lot of money, and I didn’t want to lose it. I was depending on it—so were the other men. Losing it meant losing respect. I was working too hard right now to allow anything to slip between my fingers.
“I’m serious, Nicky,” Remmy continued. “I told him you were Carmine’s son. As shocked as he was, that actually gave him some confidence back. Now he wants to meet up.”
“Of course he does.”
“I told him I had to talk to you first.”
“Set it up,” I told him without hesitation. “It’s the only way to get this shit settled, so he can look me in the eye and find whatever the fuck it is he wants to find to make himself feel better.” I dug my fingernails into the wood of the railing before letting go of it completely. “See if he can meet today.”
“You sure about this? Don’t you want to meet with the rest of the guys and talk about what we should say to Bello?”
“And do what? Listen to Hagan go on about how he should’ve been the one on the job? No thanks. Set it up…today,” I emphasized. “Then get back to me. The Triplets need to come with us if he does want to meet. I’m not taking any chances with those fuckers.”
“Okay.” Remmy’s tone said something different though. He didn’t want to set it up, but he would. He had no choice.
I put the phone in my pocket and turned around to find Lilah putting earrings in and smelling sweet as she attempted to pass by me to get down the stairs.
“You look nice,” I told her, admiring the flowy top and short skirt ensemble that accentuated her gorgeous long
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