Chapter Eleven #2
He looked at me for a long moment, something raw and honest in his eyes that made my breath catch.
"I saw you at that Valentine's Ball and couldn't look away.
Couldn't stop thinking about you. That night we spent together?
None of that had anything to do with Vittorio or the Copperheads or any of this shit.
That was about you and me." His hand twitched like he wanted to reach for me again but thought better of it.
"I told myself it couldn't go anywhere, that it would only complicate things. But I couldn't stay away."
"How fucking romantic." I looked away from him, the words burning my throat straight to my heart. "So what happens now?"
"Now? I go back to the Copperheads. I finish what I started. And when it's over maybe then we can figure out if there's anything left to salvage between us."
I thought about Ghost, about my promise not to go looking for Rocky.
About how hurt and betrayed I felt. But I also thought about those girls Rocky mentioned.
Thirteen years old. Not much younger than I'd been when I ran away from my piece-of-shit father, when Ghost found me and gave me a real home.
"How do I know you're not feeding me a line of bullshit to get me to trust you again?"
"Call Vittorio. He'll confirm everything."
"And if he doesn't?"
Rocky shrugged. "Then you can help Ghost put a bullet in my head yourself."
His casual mention of his own death twisted something in my gut, but I managed to snap back at him. "Don't tempt me."
He almost smiled at that, a brief flicker that vanished as quickly as it came. Then his body stiffened, eyes focusing on something over my shoulder. I started to turn but his hand shot out, gripping my wrist.
"Don't look," he murmured. "Guy in the blue hoodie by the entrance. Copperhead prospect. Zero. Been with them about six months."
My heart jumped to my throat. "Is he following you?"
"Maybe. Or maybe it's coincidence." Rocky's grip on my wrist tightened. "Either way, we need a cover story for why we're talking."
"What kind of cover story?"
Rocky's eyes met mine, dark and intense. "The simplest one."
Before I could process what he meant, he pulled me toward him. His free hand came up to cup my face, and then his mouth descended on mine.
The kiss hit like lightning, hot and sudden and electric.
My body responded before my brain could catch up, my lips parting, my hands grabbing fistfuls of his shirt.
His beard scraped against my skin as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.
One hand slid into my hair, cradling the back of my head with surprising gentleness for such an urgent moment.
I knew I should push him away. Knew this only complicated an already fucked-up situation. But my body had other ideas, melting against him like we hadn't spent the last three days apart, like I hadn't spent those days hating him.
When he finally pulled back, we both breathed hard. His eyes looked darker than before, pupils blown wide with something that had nothing to do with our potential audience.
"Sorry," he murmured, not sounding sorry at all. "Needed to make it convincing."
"Fuck you," I whispered back, my voice lacking any real anger.
Rocky glanced over my shoulder again. "He's still watching. We need to keep this up a little longer."
I should have told him to go to hell. Should have slapped him and walked away.
Instead, I nodded slightly. Should have at least looked to confirm he wasn’t playing me again.
But I didn’t do any of those things. "Fine," I said, forcing a small smile like we shared some private joke.
"So this plan of yours... what exactly does it involve? "
His thumb traced small circles on the inside of my wrist where he still held me. "Saturday night. Warehouse on the edge of town. The girls arrive by truck, get 'processed' and moved to buyers within hours."
"And Vittorio plans to stop it?"
"That's the plan." Rocky's fingers intertwined with mine, a gesture that looked intimate to anyone watching but also kept me from pulling away. "His men will move in once the shipment arrives, catch everyone red-handed."
"Why tell me this? What do you expect me to do with this information?"
He studied my face. "Nothing. Stay away. Stay safe. That's all I want."
"Bullshit. You didn't risk coming here just to warn me off."
A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Maybe I just wanted to see you again. In case things go sideways."
"That's manipulative as fuck, you know that?"
"Yeah." His thumb brushed across my knuckles. "Is it working?"
I narrowed my eyes. "You think you can kiss me and suddenly everything's forgiven?"
"No." His gaze dropped to my mouth briefly, then back up. "But I think you're still feeling something, same as I am. Otherwise, you'd have grabbed me by the balls, twisted until I was at the ground begging at your feet, then walked away."
Damn him for being right. I pulled my hand from his grasp, needing to break the physical connection to think clearly.
"I've spent three days thinking about how badly I want to hurt you for what you did," I said quietly. "Don't mistake physical attraction for forgiveness."
"Fair enough." He leaned back slightly, giving me space. "But will you at least consider what I've said?"
I studied his face, the weariness in his eyes, the tension in his jaw.
He looked like a man carrying a heavy weight.
Either the weight of his lies or the weight of his truth, I couldn't be certain which.
"I'll think about it," I conceded. Then, because I needed to know, "Why me, Rocky?
Out of all the people in this city, why pick me to get close to? "
Something soft and genuine flickered in his eyes.
"Vittorio said you'd know how to reach Ghost in an emergency, that you'd be loyal enough to make the connection even if you hated my guts.
" His voice dropped lower. "But I think the real reason is that from the moment I saw you across that fuckin’ bar, I couldn't look away. Everything else came second."
A shiver ran through me despite the warmth of the day. I hated how much I wanted to believe him. "Your friend's gone," I said, glancing toward the park entrance where the hooded figure had disappeared. "You can stop the act now."
Rocky nodded, but didn't move away immediately. "This isn't an act, Wren. Not anymore." He stood slowly, hands sliding into his pockets.
I looked up at him, squinting against the sunlight that haloed his broad shoulders. "Saturday night? What time?"
He frowned. "But you're not coming anywhere near that warehouse."
I shrugged, noncommittal. "Just wanted all the details. In case I need to send in the cavalry and all that shit."
His eyes narrowed, clearly not buying my casual tone. "Wren. Promise me you'll stay away."
"You're not really in a position to ask for promises, are you?"
He sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. "Fair point." He took a step back. "If you need to reach me, use the number I gave you. But only if it's an emergency."
“What time, Rocky.”
He hesitated and for several seconds I didn’t think he’d tell me. I saw the exact moment he gave in. “Midnight. But I mean it Wren,” he gave me a stern look. “Stay away. I do not want you there. Period.”
I shrugged. “Fine.”
I watched as he turned to leave, his back straight, shoulders set in a tense line. Something twisted in my gut, a complicated mix of anger, attraction, and uncertainty.
"Rocky," I called after him. He stopped, looking back over his shoulder. "If you're lying to me again, I'll help Ghost bury what's left of you after he's done."
The corner of his mouth quirked up. "I'd expect nothing less."
I watched him walk away, replaying our conversation in my mind. My lips still tingled from his kiss, my heart still raced from his proximity. Fuck. I'd played it cool, but inside, I felt anything but.
Two possibilities stretched before me. Either Rocky told the truth and he worked against the Copperheads, or he lied and used me yet again.
Ghost wanted me to stay away from Rocky and anything to do with the Copperheads.
But those girls... they were someone's daughters.
Someone's sisters. Someone’s friends. If what Rocky said was true, they needed all the help they could get.
I pulled out my phone, hesitating before opening my contacts. Not Ghost, not yet. I needed to verify Rocky's story first. My finger hovered over Honey's name. She'd help me navigate this mess. But even as I thought it, I knew what I'd do.
I'd play along with Rocky's story. Let him think I believed him, maybe even that I softened toward him. I'd extract every piece of information I could. And if he told the truth, I'd help save those girls. If he lied, I'd make sure he paid.
Either way, I'd find out Saturday night. At that warehouse. At midnight.
I tucked my phone away, decision made. Ghost would kill me if he knew what I planned. But some risks were worth taking, even if they broke promises.
I stood, taking one last look at the playground where kids still played, oblivious to the darkness that lurked at the edges of their world.
Somewhere in this city, girls not much older than them awaited a fate I couldn't ignore.
Whatever game Rocky played, whatever his true motives, I'd use him just as he'd used me.
This time, I'd be the one calling the shots.