“Oh shit, you pulled a gun on that guy. That was so badass. You and Rico looked made for each other. That was crazy,” Emilia says.
“I don’t know what I was thinking. I saw him going to pull the gun and I reacted.”
“Did you even know how to use it?” Al asks.
“No,” I whisper.
Aldo and Emilia burst into laughter. My cheeks heat and I feel so stupid for my actions. Here I go, still making bad decisions.
“Wait until I tell Rico this one,” Eduardo grumbles. “You don’t pull a gun unless you’re ready to use it.”
“I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I just didn’t want that guy to shoot Rico.”
“She’s definitely a ride or die,” Emilia sings.
“Crazy as he is for sure,” Ed mumbles and shakes his head.
“I like you. You just earned my respect,” Aldo says.
We get to the house and Eduardo parks the car. I climb out after Emilia and get ready to head inside and go to bed. However, I only make it a few steps before I’m grabbed around the waist and thrown over a shoulder.
The next thing I know, I’m being carried into the house as I bounce on said shoulder. I know it’s Rico because of his cologne and the gun holster on his shoulders. His suit jacket is gone now.
I grasp his dress shirt and hold on as he moves through the house. It’s all I can do to keep from falling onto my head. I’m starting to get a little queasy as we finally reach our destination.
He allows my body to slide down his front until I’m back on my feet. I look up at him as he steadies me with his hands on my waist.
“What were you thinking?” he whisper-yells.
“I … you. I reacted. He was going to shoot you,” I say as I look at him pleadingly.
In hindsight, I already feel stupid. I could have hurt someone or something, or worse. I could have gotten us hurt.
Instead of yelling at me, Rico cups my face and crushes my lips with his. I whimper into his mouth and lock my fingers into his hair. He groans and wraps his arms around me tightly.
“You’re making it hard for me not to—” He cuts off the words he was going to say against my lips.
I swallow hard and look into his eyes. In this moment, I feel like our connection deepens. If I wanted to turn away from him, I missed my last chance. This is it.
This is where I belong. There is no turning back. I can see it in his eyes. I’m his.
CHAPTER 12
Want You to Stay
Rico
My phone is goingcrazy in my pocket. I should check it, but the only thing that matters to me is Oni. I need to know she’s okay.
She pulled a gun to cover me. She pulled a fucking gun. I’m still trying to wrap my head around what happened tonight.
I was ready to blow that asshole’s head off for putting his hands on her. He was in my spot, touching my girl, and had the nerve to disrespect me. Me … Rico Gallo.
“I’m sorry,” Oni whispers, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.
I shake my head. “This was on me. I’ve been allowing too much slack around here. You’ve been opening my eyes to a lot since you took that truck.”
I run The Garden as an underground investment. I don’t run around announcing it belongs to me, but if you’re in the know, you know. That motherfucker knows.
