Page 36

Pop used to gossip and tell everyone’s else’s tales. Now she’s clammed up and listening. She’s peaceful, less fidgety, and she seems settled. I always thought she cooked because she needed something to do with her hands and extra energy. But it’s because she found a place to fit in. At our cores, we’re both misfits. I play the part well and can fuck up the world without a thought. But my heart has too much damn remorse. I’ve always wanted something else that never suited this life. Not really. I never fit anywhere until her.

She’s not the oldest, the tallest, the loudest, the shortest, brassiest, the most feminine, or the youngest of the collection of kids she grew up with. So she found her place in the kitchen because she never really had a role. She was always everyone’s little sister, yet no one’s little sister for real.

But to me, she’s everything. Her place is anywhere I am. This is all her world, and I’m lucky enough to fit myself into it. I think she’s finally owning the fact that everyone she meets falls under her spell. Knowing her caring, brave, singular nature soothes all my dark by simply being with her. Even hiding, depressed, pissed off, and pretending to be someone else, she charmed everyone she met. Boomer tells me all who entered the bar adored her despite her efforts to be aloof. She can’t help but spill her light all over people. And for some fucked up reason, she says she burns brighter when she’s with me.

Her cousin hasn’t let go of her hand. The stuck-up, precise, rule-following Becca is still there, but Brick gave her a place to open up and be whoever the fuck she wants to be now. And apparently, that’s a goddamned chatty Cathy because she hasn’t stopped gabbing at Poppy. I watch as my Gingersnap bites her bottom lip and then licks it. She should be riding me and screaming to the saints by now. I adjust my cock to try to hide it. But pretty soon, I’m going to need a tablecloth to cover up my engorged dick.

I sip my sub-par Scotch and lean to Brick. “Why did you bring her?” The music ends, and he moves his head near mine.

“With all due respect, you try stopping her.”

I laugh. “You think it’s the red hair? Or the Gelbert in them?”

“Alls I know is that all three Gelberts don’t do well with the word ‘no’. May I ask if Lou is um…”

I bristle a bit because I don’t know where Lou went. “He was with me. Last time I saw him, this morning before some associate on contract tried to take out Poppy, he was alive.”

“That’s a sticky piece of candy. Contract?” Brick asks.

I nod. “The man this morning won’t be making it to supper tonight.”

“What shifted?” Brick leans in for an answer.

“Wish I fucking knew. All I can figure out is my death no longer ensured her safety. But right now, they don’t know I pulled a Lazarus.”

I sip and sigh. He sits back in his seat, and we listen to the music all around us for a second. I tilt my head to his so he can hear me.

“Lou knew to come here should shit goes sideways. Just like you told me. There’s always a friend at Lucille’s.”

He slaps my back. “Thanks for trusting us with your trouble, you dirty motherfucker.” I laugh and then steel myself. “You jumped on my grenades and into my fucking mess. I’ll jump into yours.” He nods sharply at me.

“We’re like pigs in shit with this stuff.”

“With better libations and munitions.” The man entertains me and I nod at his joke.

The joint is emptying, and Lucille is long gone for the night. Skinny Pete, who turns out to be pretty damn sneaky, is resting his head on the bar.

I settle back into my chair to explain a bit more. “Let me unravel, my unlikely brother-in-law. I need to talk it out.” Brick crosses his arms in front of him. “You figured out where she was.”

“I didn’t look for her,” Brick says.

Poppy hears Brick. “And I thought you cared.” He grins.

“I did. But since Ms. Mel, the most efficient computer hacker genius we could ever know, couldn’t find you…” Poppy beams with pride and she should. I want Brick to confirm he found her the same way I did.

“…I watched Enzo instead. He wasn’t interested for a while, and that was good. Then he was.” Her face goes pale and then shoots in my direction.

“I was getting to that, Gingersnap.” I glance at Brick and groan. “The skylark?”

He nods, “The skylark. Then the vines and Syrah leaf you requested. And a poppy? Come on. It’s an awful specific request, Mrs. Pietro.”

My heart floods with warmth as I look at her eyes.

Brick continues, “I knew it was you and so did he.” Then he taps near the left side of his collarbone, placing his hand on his heart with his own emotional and telltale tattoos blazing in front of us.

She buries her head in her hands, and I lean over and pick her up to deposit her in my lap where she fucking belongs.

“Enzo found me through the tattoo shop, too?” She says resolutely.