Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
CONNOR
Her friend in Boston is the short, skinny, gay guy from the theater who propositioned me. I trust him to protect Zoe like I’d trust Bruno Mars to win a fight against Mike Tyson.
“Who wants avocado toast?” he chirps. “I know, I know, millennial cliché. But it’s good, right?” He takes a swig of lemon water and pushes a plate of toast covered in smashed avocado toward us.
“The security in this building seems decent,” I say, looking around the expensive loft.
“It is. Daddy’s got good taste.”
I don’t know if he means his actual father or a sugar daddy or daddy dom. I don’t ask. Every instinct has my hand itching to grab Zoe by the arm and haul her back to the C Crue stronghold.
Then she turns and smiles at me, and I’m tongue-tied for a second. I still don’t understand how she can have that effect on me.
“Thank you so much for bringing me, Connor. We’ll be really careful,” she whispers. “I’ll even text you updates, if you want?”
“Yeah, text,” I say.
Her friend tilts his head and smiles. “Aw, that’s so sweet. I love that!”
To him, I say soberly, “I’m leaving her with you. She’d better be safe here.”
He gasps and looks between us. “Wait, what? I thought this was just a fun little night out.”
“It is!” Zoe says to him. She lowers her voice when she speaks to me. “Do not freak us out. No one knows I’m here. I will keep it that way.”
“I’ll be at a downtown hotel tonight. Come and have dinner with me later.”
“C!” she exclaims. “How is this free time for me if you’re staying in Boston?”
“You said you wanted to stay with your friend. You’re staying with your friend. That’s all I promised you.” I look at the guy again. “Rico, seriously, keep her safe. We will not be good if something happens to her.”
The friend’s lemon water freezes halfway to his mouth.
Zoe scowls and shakes her head. “That is not okay, Connor.”
I shrug. “Best to warn people up front. Trust me on that.” I pull her to me and plant a possessive kiss on her lips. She lets me, but then pushes me away as I release her.
My heart is banging like a drumbeat as I leave the apartment. Zoe’s right. When it comes to the important things in life, I’m used to being in control. I know this thing between us is new, but I already feel like she’s mine. Turning her loose in the city alone doesn’t sit well.
She insisted on having her own car, which is a piece of crap, so that’s what she and I drove to Boston.
Trick and Anvil drove one of the C Crue Range Rovers, and it’s idling on the street when I leave Rico’s building.
When I open the passenger door, I find Anvil in the front passenger seat and the driver’s seat empty.
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He said he’d be back. Didn’t say when.”
I circle the truck and get behind the wheel. There are dungeons in Boston and New York that Trick likes to play in, but I doubt he’d head to one without at least inviting us along.
“Did he go in the building?”
“No. He cut across the parking lot.”
“I thought he already put a GPS tracker on Zoe’s car.”
He did.
I pull out my phone to text him when there’s a rap on the window. I turn and find Trick standing next to the car, eating a hot dog. I roll the window down and cock a brow.
“What’s on that?” I ask because it looks strange.
“Caramelized apple coleslaw and salted onion chips.”
I grimace.
“Want one?”
“Absolutely not. You coming?”
“No, I’m gonna tail your girl and do some other work.”
“Yeah? What other work?”
“You know her friend who wanted the van? I think I’m going to meet up with him here.”
Anvil’s head jerks up. Trick has our complete attention. We’ve been looking for Dennis Sanders for days. The guy’s been in the wind. If there was any doubt at first about his involvement in the van robbery, that died with his concerted effort to hide whenever he’s not at the Palermo house.
“I thought he was busy.”
“He is for most people. But there’s a girl he likes.”
I stare at him, my gut tightening. I know Trick would not suggest using Zoe as bait, so I don’t know what he’s planning.
“Yeah?” I ask. “How would he know to show up around here?”
He takes a bite of the dog and chews slowly. On purpose. Anvil lets out a string of curses in two languages.
“Killed two birds with one stone,” Trick says with a smirk.
I stare at him, waiting.
“I cloned her phone.” After a beat, he says, “Your sexting game is nonexistent, by the way. Would not have guessed that, C.”
“Why would I sext with her, Trick? I’ve been fucking her while she’s been living in my house.”
“Fair point.”
“Get back to the plan!” Anvil barks. “I want to hear when and where about the van guy.”
Trick finishes his hot dog before answering.
“Lots of texts from interested parties over the past few days. And by now, Big Daddy Frank and Denny Rob both know she’s in Boston.
Not from her. But your boy Nico Rico posted all over social media that his favorite Latina dancing queen is coming to town for a girl’s night, along with a picture of her performing at Langs and a selfie of the pair of them from backstage on opening night. ”
I can’t find the words.
Trick deadpans, “I’m looking forward to watching the live stream of them drinking mojitos later.”
I hold back a river of curses. I made her swear she wouldn’t post a word on social media about being in Boston. How could she not have warned the guy she’s staying with?
“Get it over with,” I say.
Trick smiles his golden boy smile. “No need to say I told you so.”
Anvil flings his door open and gets out. “What do you want to do, C? I can go up and get her. Or you can park, and we’ll all stay.”
“I’ll park the car,” I say. “Let’s see how this plays out.”
Trick’s grin widens. “Just so you know, C. We’re going to lose our G cards over this. Following a college girl and her friend around the city? By morning, we’ll have all the street cred of Dora the Explorer.”
I crack a smile because this is Trick in his element. When things may going sideways, he rolls like everything’s a joke.
“Dora the Explorer?” I say. “You hoping for that, Trick? Your own cartoon?”
“Wouldn’t say no,” he returns.
“Let’s get on,” I say and pull into traffic to park the goddamned Rover. Unlike Trick, I’m not entertained by this. I should be back in the Crue compound with a pretty Latina goddess tipped over my lap, her legs kicking while I paddle her pretty ass for recklessness.
When the night’s over, I vow to myself, Zoe and I will either be done for good or all in.
ZOE
“So? What’s he really like?” Rico asks, sitting at a small round bar table in a trendy bar.
I shrug, unable to keep from smiling. “You saw. Intense. Possessive. Gorgeous.”
“Yes, yum factor, ten. Ten times ten, really. And knows it,” Rico says with a little sniff. He sets a round of coconut rum shots with fresh pineapple shreds in front of us.
“Oh, my God. What are you trying to do?”
“Create a legendary night. So that when you’re famous, I’ll be like, oh, we had pina shots at a downtown bar and talked about her ‘gangster from the neighborhood’ boyfriend. Oh, yes, best of friends. Absolutely. Here, let’s grab a pic, all smiles for Insta.”
I jerk back from his phone. “No posting, Rico. I told you!”
“We’re not staying here. I won’t post until we’re onto the next place.”
“No posting tonight! You can post in a couple of days when I’m gone.”
“All right, gloomy bird. You’re as bad as Rachel Raven sometimes.”
I scowl at him. “Rachel’s had a rough time. You have no idea.”
“And I don’t want one. She’s never any fun. Emo much?”
“Back the hell up,” I say, my protectiveness of Rachel immediately rising to the surface. “For real, back it up,” I whisper.
He throws his arms in the air. “All right. Agree to disagree and silent forevermore on that score. Let’s not fight!”
I open my mouth, but the words vanish because I spot Frank Palermo, Dennis, and Frank’s bodyguard, Mangia, as they walk into the bar. I can’t move. Or breathe. “Did you—did you call someone?”
“Call someone?” Rico asks, confused. His head turns to follow my gaze, and his color drains to ash. “No, oh, my God, what?” He quickly covers his terror with a bright smile. “Oh, hi!” he chirps when Frank steps up to the small round table and kisses me on both cheeks.
“Zoe,” he says, taking my face in his hands. “My other little girl.”
Dennis moves to my side.
“She’s the prodigal daughter these days,” Dennis says before turning to Rico. He leans over and says something.
Rico hops off the stool. “I need to use the little boy’s room.” He darts through the crowd, not heading in the direction of the restrooms. I glance to the front door and watch him leave, stunned. Did he really just desert me?
Dennis sits on the stool, glancing at the empty shot glass. He sniffs it. “What’re you drinking, Zoe?”
“Coconut rum,” I murmur, my head buzzing, my heart pounding. I’m stunned, but I tell myself everything’s all right. It’s a crowded bar. They’re not here to hurt me.
I am worried about how I’ll face Connor after swearing I’d be careful on my night out. He’s going to be so angry when he finds out they tracked me down. It’s been less than two hours since he left me on my own.
“What are you doing here, Dennis? With Frank?” I ask.
“He’s working for me,” Frank says. “He said he’s a guy who gets things done.
And he wasn’t lying. I guess that’s why you were good together.
Our little Zoe has always been so ambitious.
Dancing, choreographing, designing. I keep hoping you’ll rub off on Rachel.
With her, it’s a thousand conversations to get her to do anything.
Four hundred thousand Instagram followers, and she doesn’t want her picture taken. Isn’t that crazy?”
“It is!” Dennis says. “She should be grateful. They both should. You’ve given them so much.”