“Get some rest,” Abigail said. “And call me as soon as you take the test.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Okay. Love you.”
“Love you too, boo.” Abigail’s voice disappeared as the call ended.
Josh nudged me as soon as we hung up. “Alright, what do you want? Chick-fil-A? I know it’s your favorite. Or turkey and Swiss, no tomatoes?”
A small smile crept onto my face, and I squeezed his hand. “You really are a great friend, Josh.”
He covered our joined hands with his other, squeezing back. “I’m always here for you, Mel.”
I hesitated. “Do you mind going without me? I think I just need to rest.”
“Of course. You sleep—I’ll bring you back something good. What do you want?”
“Surprise me.”
Josh grinned. “You got it.”
I let myself sink into the couch as he grabbed his keys and left. My mind raced, exhaustion battling the anxious weight pressing down on my chest. I needed to take the test, and after that, I needed to call Nick.
52
NICK
Melanie had been gone for hours. No calls, no texts—nothing. She’d just vanished. Colt and Abigail were in Orlando, so she wasn’t with them. Maybe she found a hotel, but she didn’t even have a car. She’d run off on foot. The thought of her passed out somewhere from low blood sugar gnawed at me.
There was never a dull moment with that girl. She lived to stress me the fuck out. And my mom wasn’t helping—she kept asking where Melanie was. I threw together a lie, told her Melanie wasn’t feeling well and I gave her the night off. It was easier than the truth. If I so much as hinted that Melanie might be pregnant, my mom would unleash a storm I wasn’t ready to deal with. The sudden ring of my phone made me flinch. My heart slammed against my ribs as I snatched it up without checking the caller ID.
“Colt, I swear to G?—”
“Niccolo, how are you?”
My stomach dropped. My fingers clenched around the phone.
“What do you want, Diablo?”
A smooth chuckle slithered through the line. “Oh, just checking in. And reminding you to keep that money flowing. We’re halfway there, you know.”
“I told you I’ll have the rest. I just can’t give you an exact date. But you’ll get it. I haven’t been late, have I?”
“No.” He paused, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make my pulse stutter. “I’m glad you’re a smart man because I was this close to showing up at your restaurant tonight. You know, to demonstrate what happens when people fall behind on payments.”
A slow, crushing pressure coiled in my gut. My breath came short.
“It’s only fair to charge interest, isn’t it, Niccolo?”
I have more going on than worrying about paying you, you son of a bitch.
I swallowed down the words I wanted to spit out and said, “Is that all?
Another pause. Then his voice dropped, laced with something I didn’t like. “Solo tonight, huh? Trouble in paradise? I noticed your pretty wife wasn’t working. A shame. I only came in to see her. That nice ass of hers?—”
My jaw locked so tight my teeth ached. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I forced myself to stay quiet.
“My wife is none of your concern,” I said, my voice cold. “If you don’t want to talk business, I’m hanging up.”
I pulled the phone from my ear, thumb hovering over the end call button. Then his voice came again, soft but sharp as a blade.
