“Dora the Explorer? You hoping for that, Trick? Your own cartoon?”
“Wouldn’t say no,” he returns.
“Let’s get on,” I say and pull into traffic to park the goddamned Rover. Unlike Trick, I’m not entertained by this. I should be back in the Crue compound with a pretty Latina goddess tipped over my lap, her legs kicking while I paddle her pretty ass for recklessness.
When the night’s over, I vow to myself, Zoe and I will either be done for good or all in.
* * *
Zoe
“So? What’s he really like?” Rico asks, sitting at a small round bar table in a trendy bar.
I shrug, unable to keep from smiling. “You saw. Intense. Possessive. Gorgeous.”
“Yes, yum factor, ten. Ten times ten, really. And knows it,” Rico says with a little sniff. He sets a round of coconut rum shots with fresh pineapple shreds in front of us.
“Oh, my God. What are you trying to do?”
“Create a legendary night. So that when you’re famous, I’ll be like, oh, we had piña shots at a downtown bar and talked about her ‘gangster from the neighborhood’ boyfriend. Oh, yes, best of friends. Absolutely. Here, let’s grab a pic, all smiles for Insta.”
I jerk back from his phone. “No posting, Rico. I told you!”
“We’re not staying here. I won’t post until we’re onto the next place.”
“No posting tonight! You can post in a couple of days when I’m gone.”
“All right, gloomy bird. You’re as bad as Rachel Raven sometimes.”
I scowl at him. “Rachel’s had a rough time. You have no idea.”
“And I don’t want one. She’s never any fun. Emo much?”
“Back up,” I say, my protectiveness of Rachel immediately rising to the surface. “For real, back it up,” I whisper.
He throws his arms in the air. “All right. Agree to disagree and silent forevermore on that score. Let’s not fight!”
I open my mouth, but the words vanish because I spot Frank Palermo, Dennis, and Frank’s bodyguard, Mangia, as they walk into the bar. I can’t move. Or breathe. “Did you—did you call someone?”
“Call someone?” Rico asks, confused. His head turns to follow my gaze, and his color drains to ash. “No, oh, my God, what?” He quickly covers his terror with a bright smile. “Oh, hi!” he chirps when Frank steps up to the small round table and kisses me on both cheeks.
“Zoe,” he says, taking my face in his hands. “My other little girl.”
Dennis moves to my side.
“She’s the prodigal daughter these days,” Dennis says before turning to Rico. He leans down and says something.
Rico hops off the stool. “I need to use the little boy’s room.” He darts through the crowd, not heading in the direction of the restrooms. I glance to the front door and watch him leave, stunned. Did he really just desert me?
Dennis sits on the stool, glancing at the empty shot glass. He sniffs it. “What’re you drinking, Zoe?”
“Coconut rum,” I murmur, my head buzzing, my heart pounding. I’m stunned, but I tell myself everything’s all right. It’s a crowded bar. They’re not here to hurt me. I am worried about how I’ll face Connor after swearing I’d be careful on my night out. He’s going to be so angry when he finds out they tracked me down. It’s been less than two hours since he left me on my own.
“What are you doing here, Dennis? With Frank?”
“He’s working for me,” Frank says. “He said he’s a guy who gets things done. And he wasn’t lying. I guess that’s why you were good together. Our little Zoe has always been so ambitious. Dancing, choreographing, designing. I keep hoping you’ll rub off on Rachel. With her, it’s a thousand conversations to get her to do anything. Four hundred thousand Instagram followers, and she doesn’t want her picture taken. Isn’t that crazy?”
“It is!” Dennis says. “She should be grateful. They both should. You’ve given them so much.”
