I feel himself pull away.
Yeah, Andy. Exactly the thing to discuss with the man who just had his cock in you.
Mateo shifts, putting a hand on my shoulder. I feel him roll me onto my back slightly. But this time, there’s no sign that he’s planning yet another round of sex games. His expression is dead serious. He brushes my hair from my face and then his palm cups my cheek.
“Andy. I need to ask you something.”
Chapter 8
Mateo Ricci
I’ve learned that her hazel eyes go green when she’s in the grip of strong emotion. Or when she’s orgasming. Right now, it’s clearly the first of the two.
“What?” she asks. The delicate skin of her throat moves as she swallows.
Jesus. How do I say this?
“What if we could prove Kyle didn’t kill himself?” I dive straight into the hard questions. She cocks her head.
“I’ve been kinda sure of that all along, Mateo,” she says, lifting herself up against the pillows slightly.
“I know.” It’s true. We’ve both danced around the topic a few times. I’ve always been too afraid to pry too much. This is dangerous territory.
“I just don’t understand why he would.” She rubs the little space between her eyebrows, as if just thinking about it is making her head ache.
“I know. So, what if there was something else going on?”
“What could there be? He was our golden boy. Everyone loved him. His world was his oyster.”
God. I’m certain that the information I have is going to bring that all crashing down.
“Maybe he wasn’t who you thought he was.” I say the words in a rush, waiting for the look of disbelief. I’m not disappointed. Her eyes widen and then narrow.
“What do you mean ‘not who I thought he was’?” She’s half-sitting now.
“I mean…everyone has secrets, right?” Fuck, I’m such a coward. I should be telling her what I know…how her brother had been up to his neck in their father’s dirty dealings. But I can’t. The picture she’s painted of the kid is so rosy. If I’m the one to shatter the image, she’s going to hate me. And I can’t have that. I’ve opened my heart to this woman. Told her how I feel about her.
It's made me weak.
“Of course everyone has secrets, Mateo.” She’s still eyeing me suspiciously. “Are you saying that’s what killed him?”
“I’m just saying that there could have been more in his world than you were aware of, okay? You were just a kid. You couldn’t have known everything about him.”
She’s shaking her head. “No. He was my best friend. We told each other everything!”
I nod when I feel her growing increasingly agitated.
“I’m just trying to think outside the box, Andy.” I stroke my fingertips down her cheek, then brush a kiss over her forehead. “I need you to know that I’m not letting this thing go. I’m going to get to the bottom of it.” Relief surges as I feel the tension leave her. She sinks back onto the pillows.
“I know that. Thank you. I know it’s not your fight.” She stretches, and then gives a sheepish smile. “God, I ache in so many places I didn’t know I had.”
“Good. Then my work here is done.” I smile, pulling her up against me again, hoping the words ring true. “Now get some rest. I think I may need to convince you some more in a while.” She shakes her head and chuckles, but within moments, I feel her breathing begin to grow deeper. And watching her sleep, I feel that surge of guilt building up again.
How the hell do I tell her what I know about Kyle Carter? That the brother she loved so much was deeply mired in mob business? Worst of all is that if she accepts it, I’ll always be the fucker who defiled his memory.
It feels like hours that I lie there watching her, agonizing over what to do next. Until sleep finally takes me too.
Chapter 9
