Page 231 of Safe Word

Vinnie was notorious for this, a man who turned everything into a game. Yet it grated that I couldn’t tell if he was playing now or if something real lurked behind the teasing.

‘And here I thought you just liked running my errands,’ I said, aiming for lightness, putting a bit of distance between us.

He grinned, letting me have the space as if he wanted me to take it – as if it were a part of the game.

‘Like I said,’ he drawled, ‘I live to serve.’

I shook my head, pretending not to notice the hitch in his gaze – that razor-thin shift from playful to something sharper, something more calculated.

My instincts stirred. This was Vinnie, always pushing, always toeing the line just to see it move.

But it wasn’t going to move.

‘I’m with Cain,’ I said, clipped, determined. I added a firm smile, let my gaze linger on his for a breath too long – enough to drive it home.

Vinnie let out a low whistle, shaking his head. ‘Damn. Not even a little hesitation, woman.’

I gave him a pointed look. ‘You expected hesitation?’

He sighed dramatically, hand over his heart. ‘A guy can dream.’

I rolled my eyes, but my chest remained tight. Vinnie was too easy-going, too comfortable steering this conversation into murky waters. He was testing something. Not expecting to win.

But the thing about Vinnie? He never played a game he didn’t think he could win eventually. That was why he’d been so good with people and his work.

And that was what stuck with me.

Then, just as I thought we were letting the moment slide, he drew a deep, measured breath. The kind he always took before launching into a sales pitch, before delivering something he knew could change the direction of a conversation.

‘Can I be honest with you, Honey Buns?’

I stopped walking, turned to him slowly, and gave him a look so flat it could have levelled a mountain. ‘Vinnie, call me Honey Buns one more time…’

My voice was light, but the words came out through gritted teeth.

He chuckled, the sound deep and full, utterly unbothered – and far too pleased with himself.

‘I love poking the devil, you know me.’

No. But I was beginning to.

I swept my gaze up the road, spotting the familiar line of pine trees. My uncle’s housing area was just up ahead, the path narrowing into quieter streets.

‘But anyway,’ Vinnie continued, his smirk weakening just slightly, just enough to make me wonder if it was ever real to begin with. He had the kind of face that always looked on the verge of a smile. ‘If I were to be honest…’

Something in the way he said it made me turn fully towards him.

‘I didn’t think Cain would be into you this much.’

He said it offhandedly, almost lazily, but there was something loaded in the notes.

That had my brows arching. I held his gaze, trying to read his face, searching for some sign that he was messing with me. But there was nothing – just plain and unguarded honesty.

That, more than anything, made me wary.

He didn’t say anything else, and suddenly, I needed to know more.

‘Go on,’ I prompted, keeping my voice light, even as something heavier settled in my chest.