Chapter 6
Wes
This is the day from hell.
It was barely noon, and I was already being subjected to my third round of torture.
The first had been another braless morning at home.
This time, the camisole was white, and I could clearly make out Juliette’s areolas as she pranced around making a damn smoothie.
Thankfully, she’d changed before going to yoga, and the new outfit wasn’t see-through.
But watching her stick her ass in the air during an hour-long class was definitely torture round two—and the gift that kept on giving.
Because now that I knew how limber her body was, I couldn’t stop imagining all the positions I could bend her into.
Still, this third round of punishment was the worst of them all—watching her eat lunch with Jett.
I’d known the guy would take a renewed interest in Juliette the moment he saw me with her.
The way he’d sized me up the other day told me he was one of those guys who liked to keep his options open and only paid attention when he felt threatened.
So I wasn’t surprised when Juliette’s phone rang as we were walking into the house after yoga.
What pissed me off was that she immediately rearranged her whole day to accommodate him. Still, even that irritation didn’t compare to what I was feeling now as I sat in my car, watching the jerk check out another woman’s ass while Juliette was busy looking at the menu.
I sat, stewing and watching Juliette toss her hair around and laugh for almost an hour. Then, because apparently my shitty day could only get worse, my phone buzzed. Vince. Great. Just fucking great.
I took a deep breath and answered. “Hello?”
“I hear it’s going to be hot out there today.”
Vince Ginocassi did not call anyone to shoot the shit about the weather, so he had to be referring to something else—something I didn’t like the sound of. I sat up straighter and kept my eyes on Juliette as we spoke. “Oh yeah. How hot?”
“Blistering. You should stay indoors.”
“How long is this heat wave supposed to last?”
“How the hell would I know? I’m not a fucking weatherman. Just stay inside until the UV rays come down. Until then, I’m gonna ship you another gallon or two of sunscreen.”
“I got it covered. I don’t need more sunscreen.”
He raised his voice. “You need what I tell you that you fucking need.”
Blood pumped through my veins. It was insulting he thought I couldn’t handle protecting his daughter, especially if we were on freaking lockdown. Yet I swallowed the urge to argue. “Have you told our mutual friend?”
“That’s your job.”
Great. I had to give the news to Juliette.
“The line sounds staticky,” Vince said. “Maybe you should get a new phone. When you do, text Frankie Knuckles the number. Make it soon.”
“Got it.”
“Good.”
The line went dead without so much as a goodbye.
I glanced around the street. Juliette wasn’t exactly safe sitting at an outside table on Hollywood Boulevard, but with people and cars everywhere, they’d have to be idiots to take a shot at her here.
Then again, these guys weren’t the brightest. As I watched, the waiter walked over to their table and handed her lunch date what I assumed was the check.
I figured I’d let her finish up and then break the good news about lockdown at home.
Ten minutes later, Juliette walked down the block to where I was parked behind her. That asshole Jett didn’t even walk her to her car.
I turned on the ignition and rolled down my window. “I need to make a quick stop before we head home.”
She smiled. “Okay.”
Great, she’s in a good mood for a change, and I get to ruin it. “Follow me.”
I made a pit stop at a 7-Eleven, keeping a hawk’s eye on Juliette’s car in the parking lot while I paid for a burner phone.
When I walked out and she saw what I’d purchased, she rolled down her window. “What’s wrong?”
“Let’s talk when we get home.”
She frowned, and I climbed into my car and fired off a text to Frankie with my new number before following her home. When we walked in, I asked her to wait just inside the door.
“Why?”
“Just give me a minute, please.” I did a quick sweep, then nodded. “We’re good.”
She huffed. “Can you tell me what’s going on now?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but the burner rang in my pocket. I held up a finger. “Give me another minute.”
Juliette rolled her eyes. “Like I have a choice…”
I brought the phone into the bathroom for privacy. “What’s up?”
“Blue Ford Mustang GT. Consider it the only car that’s safe until you hear otherwise,” Frankie said. “Eddie G and Tommy just picked it up as a rental. They’ll park on the block and be your extra set of eyes. I’ll text you their numbers after we hang up so you can reach them, if you need to.”
“What’s going on?”
“Direct threat to the boss’s family. Juliette was specifically mentioned. We got intel that Sonny Altieri is on the move, searching for her. Look him up so you know his face. His mug shots shouldn’t be hard to find.”
I raked a hand through my hair. “All right.”
“I’ll call this phone when I have an update.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and Wes, the boss asked me to pass along one more message.”
“What’s that?”
“Lockdown is not an opportunity to become friendly with his daughter.”
I clenched my teeth. “Anything else?”
“Nope. Just do your job.” Click.
Was there anyone in that organization who knew how to end a conversation like a human? I shook my head and walked out of the bathroom.
Juliette was waiting with her arms crossed in the kitchen. “What’s going on?”
“We’re on lockdown.”
Her eyes flared. “What? For how long?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“This is ridiculous!” She flailed her arms, then smacked them down at her sides. “I have a date with Jett tomorrow night!”
At least there’s one good thing about this situation… I shrugged. “Looks like you’re going to have to cancel.”
“I am not canceling.” She dug into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “I’m calling my father.”
“Go right ahead. This wasn’t my decision. I’m just doing what I was told.”
Juliette tapped a few buttons on her phone, then held it to her ear, glaring at me the whole time.
When I heard a voice start talking, I figured she’d been sent to voicemail.
She growled and tried again—same result.
On her third attempt, her face turned bright red with frustration.
Without a word, she marched into her bedroom and slammed the door.
I didn’t hear from her for hours after that—not until she walked out to the living room with her hair blown out, a full face of makeup, and a little black one-shoulder dress that stirred something in me instantly.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
She lifted her chin into the air, marched to the table, and swiped up her purse. “Karaoke with Pam and a few friends. We go every other week.”
I shook my head. “Well, you’re not going this week.”
Ignoring me, Juliette strutted to the front door and grabbed her keys from the hook. I stepped in front of her, planting myself between her and the door. “I’m sorry you can’t go. But the only way you’re going out without me is by walking over my dead body.”
Juliette’s eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward. “If you insist…”
Her chest heaved up, and she looked about as pissed as a person could get—but damn, she smelled good. And that spark in her eye? It only made her sexier. Being this close was messing with my head. My body reacted and clouded every rational thought.
I had to take a step back, put some room between us before I did something stupid—like grab a fistful of her hair and kiss the living shit out of her. Oh boy. Make that two steps. I definitely needed two.
“You’re not leaving this house, Juliette.
If I have to tie you up to keep you inside, that’s what I’m going to do.
” Crap. Now I was picturing her with her arms spread wide, wrists tied to her headboard—so yeah, I needed a better strategy than restraining her.
That might be even more dangerous than letting her walk out the door.
“Fine…” She huffed. “I’m going to call all of my uncles, until someone puts me on the phone with my father, and he puts an end to this ridiculousness.” Turning around, she marched toward the back of the house, where her bedroom and bathroom were. “But first I need to pee.”
I waited a few minutes, expecting to hear her yell or maybe throw her phone, but it stayed quiet—too quiet. So I walked to the back and knocked on the closed bathroom door.
“Juliette?”
No answer.
“Juliette?”
Still no answer. I reached for the door handle, expecting it to be locked, but it turned. And Juliette wasn’t inside.
Fuck.
I ran to her room, but that was empty too. Goddammit!
She must’ve climbed out the bathroom window or slipped out the back door. Either way, I needed to find her. Now. I bolted out the front door in a panic and spotted her standing at the neighbor’s front door. I reached her just as it swung open.
Pam glanced between us and grinned. “Ooh. Hot stuff is coming too?”
Juliette opened her mouth to respond, but her words fell by the wayside as I wrapped a hand around her waist and pulled her close.
“I’m sorry, Pam,” I said softly. “I came to apologize for making your friend stay in with me. I just got her to agree a few minutes ago. I really want a night alone with her.”
Pam’s eyes widened. “A night alone?”
“She’s been so busy since I got here. You understand, right?”
A grin spread across Pam’s face. “Of course.”
“Thanks, Pam.”
“You two have a great time.” She winked at Juliette. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
We walked back to the house with my arm still tightly around Juliette. She hadn’t said a word, but I suspected I was in for an earful once we were alone.
Boy, was I right. The minute I shut the door behind us, she threw her purse at me. I caught it, which only pissed her off more.
“How dare you do that in front of my friend?” she hissed.
“You didn’t leave me any choice, sneaking out like that. What are you, twelve?”