I took out my phone and checked my messages. None.
Achilles: How are you settling in, fiancée?
Tierney: Stop calling me that. I’m not your fiancée.
Achilles: Yet*.
Tierney: Ever*.
Tierney: I’m at your apartment. You don’t have any Diet Coke.
My lips quirked deviously. My little flame thought I was one of those amateur stalkers who didn’t know the job.
Achilles: The Diet Coke is in the cooler in your room, next to the fancy ice machine I got for you.
Achilles: But if you don’t feel like walking that far, I put one in the fridge behind your baby carrots and soy milk, JIC.
Achilles: <3 <3 <3
Tierney: Stop with the heart emojis. It’s annoying.
She was looking for reasons to get annoyed with me. I refused to give her any.
Tierney: Actually, I feel like a whole wheat New York water bagel with ham and cheese.
Achilles: You only eat ham once a year. You think pigs are too smart and call it semi-cannibalism.
Tierney: Your point?
Achilles: No point. There’s a whole wheat New York water bagel in the bread box for you, plus ham and cheese from your favorite deli in the fridge.
I beamed at my phone with satisfaction, giving exactly minus twenty fucks about leaving Jer waiting.
Tierney: Fine. You win. I swooned. Happy?
Achilles: I’ll be happier when you fix the hard-on I’ve been walking around with since I saw you in that wet dress.
Before I could tuck my phone in my pocket, Tiernan’s name popped up with a message.
Tiernan: I see my sister is moving her things to your apartment. I want to remind you I know where you live. And I haven’t added a new skull to my collection in a while.
Achilles: YOU PUSHED A GUN INTO MY SISTER’S MOUTH ON YOUR WEDDING NIGHT.
Tiernan: Don’t change the subject.
Clicking my phone’s screen off, I finally threw a detached glare Jeremie’s way. “Oh. You’re still here.”
He stood in the same spot, unmoving. I knew the stubborn Russian would remain this way until I gave him what he came here for.
I groaned. “We’ll speak in the office.”
We went up to Vello’s office. He no longer occupied the space, too busy drooling on his shoulder ever since we’d mixed up his medicine. The decision to get rid of him was a joint, albeitspontaneous, one. Once Enzo and Luca caught Tiernan and me beating him into unconsciousness, we decided we’d be better off with him out of the picture.
It was obvious Vello’s next move would have been offing both of us.
And between Tiernan’s family with Lila, and Luca and Enzo’s loyalty to me, Vello had lost.
We still had time to sort out the don shit when he was officially dead, but I had agreed to withdraw my candidacy.
