Reno knew it was his underlying insecurity that caused him to make such a blunder. It was black guys like this Javon, with his great looks and easy manner, the kind of man he knew Trina had always been attracted to, that made him feel less-than. Reno would never claim to be some great-looking pretty boy. That was not his persona and never would be. But it was those pretty boys that got to him the most. “How do you know my wife?”
Von was looking around as people walking past were beginning to view them as a spectacle. “Perhaps we can take this inside,” he said.
But Reno didn’t give a fuck about those nosey-ass people. “Perhaps you can answer my question. How do you know my wife?”
Von glanced at Trina. This was who a sophisticated sister like her settled for? This bombastic human being? Yeah, he knew he was super-rich, and he heard from other women around town how sexy he was and all of that bullshit, but why would she put up with this? There were plenty other rich fish in that sea for a woman like Trina. “We’ve known each other for a long time,” he said. “We’re friends.”
“With benefits?” Reno asked him point blank.
Trina was appalled. “Reno!”
But Reno was serious. And scared. “Are you friends with benefits motherfucker?” he asked him. Javon was a hotshot in Reno’s view. He’d love spilling the beans if there were beans to spill.
And sure enough, Von was about to do just that. But he looked over at Trina, and she was mortified. “We’re just friends,” he ultimately said.
Reno could tell that was a lie. A dirty lie. But he couldn’t bring himself to pursue it. He pointed his finger directly at the younger man’s handsome face. “You stay away from my wife,” he said to him, “or just as sure as I’m standing on this earth, you’ll be buried beneath it!”
Reno stared at him with such a chilling look that even always-confident Javon was suddenly not so confident. Reno Gabrini was Mafia. All those Gabrinis were. And they were related to Mick and Teddy Sinatra too? And Amelia Sinatra? What was he thinking! “I have no interest in your wife that way,” he felt a need to say.
But Reno wasn’t buying it. An attractive woman like Tree? That player couldn’t wait to jump her bones. If he hadn’t already! “Stay away from her,” Reno told him again in no uncertain terms.
Von gave a slight nod, glanced over at Trina, and then he walked away. He was glad he had parked around the corner. He couldn’t get away from Reno Gabrini fast enough.
Trina was relieved that at least a shitstorm was averted, but she knew Reno didn’t buy a word Von had said. And that was why, when Reno turned and looked at her, she began heading for her Bentley. “I’ve got to get to work,” she said.
But Reno grabbed her by the arm and turned her back to him. He was searching her eyes as if he could find the truth somewhere inside of them. “Is he your lover, Tree?”
“No!”
But Reno continued to search her eyes. And Trina felt bad for him because she knew, despite their problems, this man loved her. “We knew each other before I even met you, Reno. He’s not my lover or anything like that. He’s just an old friend.”
“With benefits?”
“Didn’t I just tell you no? No, Reno. No.”
“Not ever?”
Trina wasn’t going to lie about that. But she wasn’t going to admit it, either, because she knew Reno.
Her silence said it all to Reno. But her anguish spoke more. “Trina, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“How can I help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on with you?”
“Because there’s nothing to tell.” Then she exhaled. “I’m just tired, Reno. You’re supporting me like you did when I was a struggling waitress and we first got married. After all those years, you’re still supporting me. You’re paying my employees.You’re paying for all my inventory. You’re paying me! We aren’t anywhere near breaking even and if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t even still be in business. That’s a lot.”
“Is that why you were meeting withJavonat this diner?”
“He was in town, Reno, that’s all. Why do you keep bringing him up? I tell you my business is bleeding to death and you bring him up? This has nothing to do with him.”
If Reno didn’t trust Trina, he would track down that Javon and kick his ass. But he trusted Trina. That was why, when she kissed him on the mouth and headed for her Bentley, the Bentley, he reminded himself, that he brought for her, he let her go. He could see guys taking peeps at her as she walked by them. That went with the territory. But for her to meet with some ex-lover without so much as mentioning it to him didn’t go with the territory. That was out of the ordinary. And when it was out of the ordinary, in Reno’s world, it was a problem.
As Trina drove away, he made his way back to his Porsche, got inside, and called his security chief.
“I want a deep background on a Javon Douglas,” Reno ordered. He knew a bigger man would have let it go. But when it came to Trina, Reno left no stones unturned. There was nothing big about him. He was petty as hell.
CHAPTER NINE
