18. June #2
The soft melody plays. A beautifully tragic song about heartbreak and loss. One of the many tunes that we had danced to on the rooftop of a pizza shop a lifetime ago.
“Yeah. I guess I’m a bit nostalgic.” He extends his hand, but I hold mine out and stop him. “I can change it if you’d like.”
“No. It’s nice.” I shouldn’t allow it to play. Shouldn’t let the notes weave their way in and tighten the noose around my heart. Maybe I’m yearning for the past, too. One track won’t do any harm.
Coen puts the car into reverse and backs out of the space. He shifts it to first, his foot pushing on the clutch as he makes his way through the gears.
I focus out the window and ignore his hand gripping the gearstick. Something I didn't realize could be a turn-on until he was next to me doing such a mundane task. I pull out my phone and send Cora a quick text to let her know I'm on my way.
Cora: Already here, two drinks in. Can’t wait to see your ass!
I’m only one behind her, but knowing Cora, she’s already feeling a bit saucy.
The car ride isn’t long, except once we hit the outskirts of the Haven, traffic slows to a crawl.
People gawk at Coen’s car, mostly guys and the occasional girl.
The windows are tinted enough that they can barely see inside, probably an added safety feature to attempt to protect their identity.
Although with a car that sticks out like a sore thumb, I assume it’s difficult not to be noticed.
I wouldn’t put it past him to have bulletproof glass just in case something happened.
We pull up in front of our destination and Coen pulls the parking brake and rests his palm across my thigh.
“I’ll get the door.” He jumps out and walks around the front of the car, tossing his keys to the valet and slipping him some cash. Running his fingers through his hair, he approaches my side and tugs on the handle, opening it up and offering me his hand again.
I step out of the car and adjust my dress from where it’s riding up my thigh. “Do I look okay?” I’m not sure why I inquire, but the familiarity of him has me asking his advice anyway.
Coen sighs and holds out his elbow. “Yes, J. You’re a masterpiece.”
I weave myself around him. “You clean up pretty well, too, Co.”
He glances down at me, his blue eyes peering into my soul.
“I won’t bother you tonight, but make sure you stay where I can see you.
Don’t take drinks from anyone you don’t know.
Actually, scratch that, only get them directly from the bartender, and under no circumstance do you leave with anyone other than me. ”
And just like that, the mood is ruined. Coen goes back to controlling bodyguard mode, a switch that he so easily flips, reminding me that all I am to him is a job. A target to ensure their safety.
A bouncer opens the door for us, and we step through into the noisy place.
I pull away from him. “Got it.” I take a few strides and scan the crowd for the beautiful blonde I’m looking for, not the one I came with.
She waves her hand at me to catch my attention, a grin spreads across her face.
I continue toward her, already feeling lighter at putting some space in between me and Coen.
“Dude, when you said dress up you really meant it, didn’t you?” Cora holds me at an arm’s length and studies my outfit. “You’re like, super-hot, J.”
I laugh. “Thanks. I’d be a lesbian for you, too.”
“This is so pretty.” She skims the necklaces laying on my chest. “Are those diamond earrings?
" Her eyes go wide. "Did you hit the lottery and forget to tell me?
" Cora's finger runs next to my face to move my hair out of the way to get a better look.
Her touch floats against the makeup-covered mark on my chin.
"What's that?" The bubbly vibe fades. “What happened?”
I tuck the clutch under my arm. “It’s no biggie. I’m fine.” I gesture toward the bar. “You want to get a drink? I’m buying.”
“Okay, seriously. What the hell is going on?” She follows me over to the busy counter.
The bartender immediately walks over, something I’m not quite used to. She places two glasses filled with a golden liquid in front of us.
“I didn’t order those,” I tell her.
She throws a thumb in a general direction. “Pretty boy did. Said your tab was on him. Can I get you anything else?”
I glance where she had pointed and spot Coen standing there, his glass tipped in the air at me. I glare at him and he grins.
“Pretty is an understatement,” Cora says. She raises her arm and signals for him to join us.
“No, wait.” But it’s too late, he’s already on his way.
Coen stands close behind me, his fingers resting on the small of my back. “Is there a problem, ladies?”
“Not at all,” Cora speaks up. “But it’s tradition for us to start the night with a shot. I thought maybe you’d want to join us.” She turns to the bartender. “Three of your cheapest tequila’s, please.”
Coen scrunches up his nose. “Come on now, we can do better than that.”
“Nope, the cheaper the better,” Cora corrects him.
I tilt my head toward him. “Can’t fuck with tradition, Co. It’s bad luck.”
Cora passes the shots out to each of us. “What are we cheersing?”
“How about nostalgia?” Coen offers.
The rope tugs tighter around my heart.
“I can get down with that.” Cora holds hers up in the air. “To nostalgia.”
I sigh and make eye contact with her then Co, clinking our glasses together at the same time. “To nostalgia.” I down the contents and bask in the warmth running down my chest, hoping it takes root soon and frees me from being so damn uptight.
“I’ll leave you two be.” Coen places his empty glass on the counter. “Have fun, but not too much.” He gives my waist a light squeeze and then disappears into the crowd.
“Okay, so.” Cora grabs the original two drinks we were given and leans into me. “Tell me everything.”
I follow her away from the bar and over to a dirty but deserted high-top table that gives us a little shelter from the roaring crowd.
She eyes the dance floor then me. “Spill.”
“Um, well, where do I start?” That I was kidnapped and tortured moments after I left here last week?
That I stabbed a man, escaped with my life, only to get fired and kicked out of my house the next day.
That a beautiful, knight in tattooed armor offered to let me live with him and his two housemates, all of which I have romantic feelings for in one way or another.
Past and present. And they’re all in the mafia, which means they can provide whatever I could possibly need or want, and that they seem to truly want to do that.
Oh, and I agreed to stay with them and accept their protection for the next three weeks in exchange for ten thousand dollars.
No big deal. They’re also currently in a war, if you wanted to add that, too.
“How about the hottie over there? He’s friends with Magnus, right? Wasn’t he at his house?” Cora wildly waits for me to give her any detail I’m willing to spare.
I sip my bourbon and scan the crowd for his stupidly handsome face. “Yep. They’re roomies.”
“That’s crazy. All three of them, under the same roof.”
“Four, actually,” I add.
She reaches out to grasp my forearm. “Wait, there’s another guy? This is getting good.”
I laugh. “No, I meant me.”
“You’re staying there, too?” Cora brings that same hand of hers to her chest. “You realize how fucking lucky you are, right? People write books about this shit.”
“What, no way?” I inadvertently avoid her question.
“Um, yes way. It’s called reverse harem, google it. Seriously. Best smut money can buy. Any genre, too. You want some alien love? They’ve got it. Vampires? Yep. How about a little werewolf action? It’s there. Obviously, there’s biker gangs and mafia, too.”
I hold my hand over my mouth to hold in the drink that I nearly spit out. I swallow down the liquid and cough a little. “Sorry, wrong pipe.”
“You okay?”
I nod, my eyes watering a bit.
“Pretty soon you’ll fall in love, someone will almost die, and then you’ll live happily ever after. Sprinkle in a little conflict to keep the readers turning the page.”
Great, I’m living in a mafia reverse harem book. Can I skip ahead and see how this one ends?
“You’re the worst.”
Cora rubs her chin. “I hope I’m not the one that bites it. I am the meaningless side character in the story.”
“Meaningless my ass.”
She smiles. “You’re right, I totally have main character energy. I’ll probably get a spin-off book of my own.”
“A girl can dream.”
“Wait, you changed the subject. Explain to me how you managed to move in with them since the last time I saw you?”
I want to confess everything. All the minor and major details that led to tonight, but a lot of them aren’t my secrets to tell and that would be unfair of me to be that careless with the sensitive specifics of their complicated lives.
“Well, if you recall, I was having money trouble.” I reach into the leather clutch.
“Speaking of.” I pull out a couple of the bills and slide them across the table.
“Here. I really appreciate you helping me when you did.”
“Hey, what are friends for?” Cora glances down at the money. “That’s more than you owe me, though.”
“Consider it interest, and my meager attempt at reimbursing you for all the booze you’ve provided lately.”
She laughs and holds up her glass. “Again, what are friends for?” Cora guzzles her drink and scrunches her face. “Back to your story.”
“Right, so. I had a rather weird day. Got fired from that pizza shop I was working at. Dude was a real prick.” To say the least. “I had run into Magnus by chance, and he offered to drive me home. And when I got there, Carter and Heather had thrown my shit on the little landing at the top of the stairs and changed the fucking locks.”
“Damn, J, that’s intense.” She circles her chin with her finger. “What happened there?”