Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
“No emergencies,” Matteo spoke, looking back over his shoulder. “Things seem pretty quiet from where I’m standing.”
“Take us to that locker room of yours.” Cesare demanded. “And lock the door when we get there.”
My initial reaction was to complain. It was well after midnight, and I was at work. I knew they had a lot to say to me, most of which was bad. They could have waited until the next day. Calling security crossed my mind as well. Yet, I rejected that idea very fast indeed. Those three could—and probably would—overpower security guards. Quite soon, they would pick a fight and make some serious noise. This would be a nightmare. My colleagues would get curious. They would find out why the trio was making a fuss and blame me.
So, I decided to play along, in the hope that my explanations would prevent them from lashing out at me.
I closed my eyes and turned the key in the lock in that dressing room, afraid to face them.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Piper,” Cesare was the first one to speak up. “You played us. You played a bunch of three street guys. Not many people can do that.”
“I don’t think I played anyone,” I disagreed, finding the courage to turn around. “You’re friends; maybe I shouldn’t have fooled around with all of you, but play you? No. I never did that.”
“You expect us to believe that?” Leo banged his palm into a locker door behind him. “Cesare’s my fucking best friend! You should have told me you’d gone out with him!”
“Yeah, I should have,” I admitted with a. “That was my mistake and I have no problem owning up to it. But you can’t just stand there and accuse me of playing you. Cesare,” I paused and turned my attention over to him. “Did you call me after we’d slept together?”
He exhaled long and hard, averting his gaze from me. “No.”
“Matteo…” I called out his cousin’s name and took two steps closer to him. “You tried to seduce me. Honestly? I really liked our kiss. We could have gone all the way that day. Maybe not in the men’s room, but in my apartment or yours. You had my number, too. Did you use it to ask me on a date?”
“No.”
“Leo.” I finally shifted my gaze up to his. “We had some fun together, too. What happened afterwards? Because I don’t remember you contacting me in any way.”
“That’s true,” he said, lowering his voice.
“There you have it, then,” I stated, gesturing at Leo. “Casual fun. That’s it. Nothing exclusive. Nothing permanent. All three of you could have pursued something more with me. None of you did. So, take your insults and…”
“Don’t say it,” Matteo interrupted me. “You might regret it. You’re in a tough spot, sweet pea. We all are. We may deserve it, but you don’t.”
“Elaborate, please,” I urged, a throbbing pain in my head making me wince.
“There’s a hit out on you.”
Prior to hearing Leo’s theory, this information would have shocked me to my core. Still, although I hated it, I wasn’t really surprised. I had helped the wrong people. I had provided a helping hand to men who had been doing their best to provoke organized crime. This “hit” as they called it, would be my punishment…
“That’s what I get for doing my job,” I uttered in a somewhat shaky voice. “Why would I regret saying what I had in mind?”
“Look,” Matteo said, his tone calm. “Cesare told us tonight that he wanted to work with a bunch of mobsters. I’m not going to lie to you—I didn’t like that. But, seeing as you could get killed for just helping us out, I’m willing to do it. It wouldn’t be fair for you to pay for our mistakes, Piper.”
“I wanted to shoot those pricks; I really did,” Leo confessed, softening his tone. “But I’ll bite the bullet and work with them if that’s what it takes to keep you safe.”
“The same goes for me,” Cesare put some force in his voice, looking at me with a bright-eyed look. “Your safety was a big factor in my decision to work with a bunch of people that tried to take me and my boys out.”
“Oh, my god…” I whispered, waves of utter confusion smashing around me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I stared at them, one at a time, my mouth agape. They were going to shield me, for all my mistakes. I had made some—I couldn’t lie to myself. I hadn’t led them to believe we were exclusive, but I hadn’t exactly been honest with them, either.
“You look like you just saw Godzilla in the flesh,” Matteo remarked. “Say something.”
“Like what?” My heart fluttered in my chest. “Thank you? How could I ever thank you for what you want to do for me?”