He drank some Coke.Why not.He was already marked.May as well quench his thirst.“As opposed to what’s happening now.”
Robert leaned over the table.“I told you.I hadnothingto do with that attack on you.”
A dot appeared on Robert’s chest.Flashing.Lance scowled and stared harder, doing his best to make out the message in morse code.
“We need to move.Now!”Tossing some bills, he thrust a hand forward.“Out the back, now!Move, move, move!”
Behind them, glass shattered, bullets sprayed, people screamed.
* * * *
Jasmine paced back and forth in front of the safehouse door.Part of her longed to rush in and visually confirm that he was fine.The rest of her wanted to rush in and throttle Robert for being the dumbass he was.
Aware of her hair trigger, she paced.And paced some more.Mark and Den had been advised to stay away, by her, given the unfolding situation.She didn’t trust Robert, not as far as she could throw him.She had been in the restaurant, had nearly gutted the woman for daring to lay a hand on Lance, but had controlled that new urge.
She’d been sequestered in a place allowing her a direct line of sight to Robert, where she could eliminate him if it became necessary.It’s always been necessary to wipe him from the face of the earth to me, but for whatever reason, Lance wants to trust him.
She’d not been lying when she’d said it was his choice.If he wanted to trust the man, that was on him.Not her.Even so, she’d not been able to leave him to his own devices when he’d gone to confront him.Nor warn them both when the hit squad rolled up.Someone must have though, she had an idea of who had, but no proof.
Now I have a man I can’t stop thinking about fucking on the other side of the door.And a man who I want to fuck up.
Shaking her head, she slipped down the steps, not ready to face anyone.She wove in and out of the crowd milling along the sidewalks.Cars zoomed by, people yelled back and forth to one another, dogs barked and a mingle of scents filled the air.Some good, many terrible, but all part of living in a city.About two miles away, she slowed before an ice cream parlor.Children laughed and squealed as they ingested far more sugar than they should.
With a smile, she walked through the mass of sticky faces and fingers to place an order.The harried woman behind the counter gave her a tired grin as she scooped up some Rocky Road and put it in a waffle bowl.
“Thank you.”Ice cream in hand, she retreated to the outside seating and enjoyed a few bites before she pulled a burner cell from her pocket.Spoon in her mouth, she took a deep breath and punched in the known numbers then held it to her ear.
And waited.
“Hello?”
Her heart clenched at the sound of her twin’s voice.
“Hello?Is someone there?”
Jasmine bit her lower lip and reined in her need to respond.
“Okay,” Caroline said.Her voice was soft and soothing, just another way they were opposites from each other.“Okay.In case you were wondering, we’re fine.He asks about you a lot.We miss you.Weloveyou.”A sharp breath.“Come home.Please.”
Jasmine jabbed her thumb on the button to end the call, the first traitorous tear leaking free.Hand wobbling, she set the phone on the dark gray wrought-iron tabletop.Two more tears dripped down and she jerked, knocking over her ice cream bowl.
“Of course.”
“Don’t cry, lady.You can get more ice cream.”
A small hand settled upon her jean-clad leg and she opened her eyes to find a pair of dark green eyes staring up at her.His blondish brown hair was an unruly mess but he was freaking adorable.Her ovaries exploded.
She gave him a small smile.“You’re right, I can.”Jasmine righted the bowl that had tipped and tucked the spoon inside as she reached for some napkins to clean up her mess.“Thank you.”
“I spill my ice cream all the time.I used to cry but Daddy said we can just get more.”
Eyes dashing around the area, she looked for someone who seemed to be in charge of this child.She found him, built like Lance with dark chocolate hair.The man was locked in on the boy and her.
Her insides purred.A dad and his kid, a weak spot for her.“Your daddy sounds like a very smart man.”
He took a long lick of his blue treat with the sprinkles and what looked to be cookie dough or cake bites in it.“He is.Even if he only likes boring ice cream.”Without being asked, he dragged over a chair and climbed up, mindful of his ice cream.“He likes chocolate.”Another lick.“He’s over there.”The boy jabbed a finger in the direction of the observing male.
She looked again and the man picked up something from the cashier in each hand then walked toward them.Her belly clenched.Who the fuck was this man and why were her lady bits going crazy?
