“Let’s wander for a bit and then grab some food.”
When we step outside, too many people surround us. Horns honk, a guy shouts, and the traffic noise echoes off the skyscrapers.
“Jesus, this city is busy compared to Dublin.” I slide my arm into the crook of his. “Adjusting to life here will take a while.”
“I love it,” Connor replies. “This is what I needed. A fucking change of scenery.”
We walk a few blocks, stopping off to buy coffees and snacks with Viacava money, then find ourway to Central Park.
“In Dublin, I knew every street, every shortcut, every safe house,” I say, sitting down on a bench. “I feel lost here, and Da refuses to send me money.”
Connor sinks his teeth into a pastrami sandwich, chews, and wipes the mustard off his lips with a napkin. “He said Bronx made it clear to him he handles you now. And that includes finances.”
Of course he did. Control freak.
I take a sip of coffee and scan every face that walks past us. Something doesn’t feel right. There’s a guy walking a dog who was a few blocks back, and the woman wearing a baseball cap and white sneakers went past us a few minutes ago.
This city is too big for coincidences.
“I earned plenty of cash working for Da,” I say, still watching the crowd. “It’s stashed in my bedroom at the house. Bronx doesn’t need to bankroll me. I’ve been funding myself since I was a teenager.”
Another guy jogs past, and I’d swear he’s already looped us twice. He hasn’t even broken a sweat. My spine straightens and I do my best not to startle Connor. I might not know local patterns yet, but I can sure as hell recognize predatory behavior.
We’re being followed.
“Why not spend his money?” he says, oblivious to his surroundings. “Buy a car with it, or an apartment in Miami so we can disappear at the weekends.”
I glance over my shoulder where our security guys are lingering and try to catch their eye. Doing what they do best, they’re focused on the crowd; and one of them takes a step forward, his chin lifting a fraction. He’s catching on too.
“We should go back now.” I get to my feet and throw my half-empty coffee into the trash.
Connor frowns and wraps the rest of his sandwich up. “What’s wrong?”
The woman in the cap touches her ear as if she’s receiving instructions, and I’m instinctively reaching for a gun that’s not there anymore.
“There are too many people… Trust me,” I say with a firm tone. “It’s time to go back to the apartment.”
Knowing better than to argue, Connor walks with me and notices when I signal to a security guy who nods once.
“Guess that’s the end of our relaxing day together,” he grumbles.
We walk a block at a faster pace than before, and then a blacked-out SUV pulls up to the curb next to us. I look over my shoulder when our escorts move in to usher us into the back of it.
Inside the air-con is blasting and the city noise dies.
Connor sits deep in the leather seat and sighs. “It’s all fun and games until I get framed for murder and you marry into the Italian mafia.”
“Was it ever fun and games?” I stare out at the city as the car pulls out into the traffic.
“For you, yeah,” Connor says. “You were practically born with an AK in your hands, Tier. Da wouldn’t have pushed you so hard if you didn’t thrive on it. That’s why I was shocked you dated a bland guy who played life safe.”
I let my head fall back as he talks. “Now, Bronx, he’s your match. That man can handle you for who you really are. He knows what your skills are and there’s nothingto hide from him.”
“What my skills were, you mean,” I bite out. “Since I got married, I became a wife. A woman who sits around all day. I’m not me anymore, Con. I’m a fucking ghost of myself and I hate it.”
He goes quiet, and part of me regrets giving him a glimpse of how I really feel because we both know I’m in this situation for him. But I’d never throw that in his face.
Once we’re riding the elevator again, Connor kisses my cheek and gets off on his floor with one guy tailing him. I never thought I’d be happy to be back in Bronx’s bachelor pad, but when I wander through the open space, an overwhelming sense of relief washes over me.
