Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Pialto pushed my head back down, his hand smoothing over my hair. “There’s big scary men watching it.”
“Wha—”
“He’s joking. Your cousin said he got a call and he’s covering for you. Ben and Taj are helping him run it tonight.”
I relaxed a little. That was my usual Saturday crew. My cousin wasn’t really my cousin. He was from one of my foster homes. Glen. I never worried about my kitchen staff. They always showed up. I was blessed in many ways.
I nodded a little and pushed up so I was sitting. “Thanks, you guys.”
Sophie grabbed a blanket from the couch behind her, handing it over to me.
I spread it over my legs, but stretched it to cover Pialto, who turned so he was mirroring me, sitting with his legs crossed. Sophie, too, and the blanket covered her legs as well. The three of us, still on the floor, half huddling together.
“So.” Pialto was staring at me, his big dark eyes not blinking and wide.
Sophie moved closer. “What happened?”
I frowned, wiping a tear away. “What happened with you guys?”
They shared a look before Pialto shrugged. “We got checked over at the hospital, got the clear to head home, so we did.”
“Did the cops talk to you?”
They shared another look.
“Some cops were there before we went to the hospital, and we gave them our statement, but that was it. Two detectives came in just as your ambulance was leaving, and when they found out you were in there, they took off. They didn’t stay or come back,” Sophie said.
“Did you guys go home after the hospital?”
“We went back to Easter Lanes. The cops were cleared out, so we started cleaning up, and then we went home. When we came to work today, two big guys were at the counter talking to Glen. Your cousin’s the one who told us we could go home, but we didn’t want to. We were worried about you.”
“How’d you know I was back?”
Sophie grinned, ducking her head a little. “I asked your neighbor Mrs. Tulip to let us know. As soon as you got back, she was blowing up our phones. Said you got out of a big black SUV and looked tired. She also said if you want, she can make some Vietnamese noodles and bring them over.”
Oh. That warmed me. My neighbor was nosy, but I liked her. I didn’t worry about my place knowing she was always on the lookout.
“Spill, girl. What happened on your end?”
Now I had to make a decision. Should I tell them about Ashton? That’d mean bringing them in on Mafia business, but then again, they were my employees, and most times we acted like we were family. So . . .
“Ashton Walden kidnapped me.”
Both sucked in their breaths, their eyes bulging out, and they leaned back almost as one person.
“No way.” Pialto.
“Oh good Lord.” Sophie.
“Wait. How? Like, for real? How are you here then?” Pialto was looking around.
“Yes, for real. He took me from the hospital, and then no because, well, I can’t get into it, but there’s things he wants from me and . . . I can’t tell you guys. Not yet, anyway. But we came to an understanding, and now I’m here.”
Sophie’s eyes went cold. “He wants things from you? Like what things?” She gave me a once-over.
“No! Not that.” Or I didn’t think so, but when he’d touched me, the literal tingle that went through my whole body—gah. Stop it. He was dangerous and an asshole. He was Mafia, for fuck’s sake. And cruel. And mean. And my body was weak. Weak, that was. Weak and pathetic. “Not that, but other stuff. My dad. Stuff like that.”
“Wait. Wait. We know your dad is involved with that family, and you’re friends with Jess Montell, and we all know who she’s involved with, but—” Pialto stopped talking, instead starting to gape at me.
I know.
It was a lot.
Maybe I shouldn’t have included them, but if I were working somewhere and it had Mafia ties in a whole new way than I’d originally thought—I’d want to know. I swallowed over a lump. “So.” I moved closer, huddling farther down. “I’d understand if you guys don’t want—”
“Oh my god!”
“Are you serious?!”
“Who do you think we are?!”
“For the love of Mrs. Tulip!”
They both exploded, talking at the same time, but I just started blinking back more tears. I couldn’t hold back my smile. My family. That’s who they were.
Pialto pressed his hand on my leg, leaning in and making sure I was looking right into his eyes when he said, “We’re not going anywhere.”
I got all choked up. “Thank you, guys.”
Pialto was blinking back some tears, patting my leg again. “No problem, Honey Bunny Molly. You know we’re here for you.”
I turned my hand under his, linking our fingers, and I squeezed his hand.