Page 78 of Revenge on the Mafia

“You thought I was him, didn’t you?”

I avoided her gaze, picking up the bucket with shaking hands. “You just scared me.”

“Yeeeees,” she stretched. “I’m so spooky.” She grabbed the bucket from my hand.

“What’re you doing?”

She took the mop off me as well. “You have a visitor. Also, if he caught you cleaning, he’d fire me. And I kind of like my job. Hot boss and everything.”

I gritted my teeth. Why does everyone have to drool over him? I hadn’t missed the looks that had followed him around at the party.

“Anna.”

“Ugh?”

She nodded behind me. “Visitor. In the living room.”

Right. I frowned. Who was visiting me? ¡Joder! It wasn’t the IRS, was it? No, that was for taxes… what was the service when your visa expired? It didn’t matter, mine was still valid. Marrying my father’s murderer did all kinds of things to my sanity. “Who is it?”

She shrugged. “A hot guy.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Spanish.”

For some reason, that didn’t ease my mind. “How do you know?”

“He’s got the same accent as you. Also, unless you’re into ‘why choose’, can you pass this one my number?”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“What? Don’t tell me you’re into that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Forget it.” She waved me off. “Nico doesn’t look like the type to share nicely.”

I shook my head and made my way to the door.

“Also—”

“What now?”

“The sex is hot, right?”

She read it right off my face, which probably turned all kinds of shades. All of them red.

“Fucking hell.” She pumped on her feet. “I need some action. Give me some details, will you? Does he make noises when he comes? Did he go down on you? Fuck, he’s dominant in bed, isn’t he?”

“Later,” I muttered and rushed out of there. As in never.

Yes, yes, and kind of yes. We’d never made it to a bed.

When I walked into the living room, my stomach dropped. Joel stood with his back to me, facing the window. I stared at his frame, made of broad shoulders and a muscular body. Bitter memories churned in my stomach. I must have made a sound of disgust because he turned around. He looked different from eleven years ago. He’d outgrown his lankiness. I wondered if he’d outgrown his cowardliness as well.

“Anna.” He crossed the room, and before I could step back, took me in a massive hug.

My body froze. A sickening turmoil churning in the pit of my stomach. He was a nasty memory. One I didn’t want to relive. When he let me go, his smile melted away.