Chapter 6 #2
I’m miffed, though, because she got to touch him on his chest and I haven’t. It’s silly, I know, but these are the things that keep me up at night.
“She’s a newbie.”
I glance her way. She’s already chatting with JJ, who doesn’t mind one little bit when she places a hand on his chest. “She certainly is making the rounds I see.”
“Well, if you want to know, she’s not my type.”
I can’t imagine how a woman like Tia couldn’t be anyone’s type. She looks like a Californian Playboy bunny.
My eyes find him again. “And just what is your type?”
A small smile creeps on his face. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
I roll my eyes. “Is it our game yet?”
“Yeah, it is, but I need to talk to you about somethin’, not here, though.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, but it’s not somethin’ I wanna broadcast.”
“Let’s go in the back, Jas’s office is usually empty by now,” I say.
He rests the pool cue down and tells the boys behind him he’ll be back in a few minutes as they go to replenish their drinks.
I glance at Manny and the girls as I pass and mouth, ‘This isn’t what it looks like.’
They all give me varying looks of disbelief, but I keep walking.
As predicted, Jas isn’t at her desk at this time of night, and we move inside. “What’s up?” I ask as Sawyer kicks the door shut.
He lets out a shaky breath. “I did an intensive search on Bobby today.”
Okay, and I wasn’t expecting to hear that. “Oh, crap.”
“Yeah.” He palms the back of his head. “I wanted to be sure that he wasn’t in town, and the only way of doing that was to try to track him again.”
Again?
My heart races in my chest as I ignore what he just said. Instead I ask: “And did you?”
“Yeah. And you have nothin’ to worry about, sugar, he’s in jail.”
I stare at him blankly. “Jail?”
“Yeah. I learned he escaped us last time because he changed his name. He’s a slippery fuck, but he isn’t gettin’ out for another six months, so we have time to plan his demise.” He grins and I’m slightly startled by his admission.
I pale. That doesn’t seem very far away. “Six months?”
He pinches my chin. “Don’t worry. Your cousins know. We’ll deal with it.”
“Saw, I don’t know—”
“Shhh.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “It’ll be okay. Everyone has their day of deliverance. If not this life, then the afterlife, but I’m happy to say he’ll be getting his on release day. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
I swallow hard, relief flooding through me. “Okay, so I’m glad it wasn’t him but slightly alarmed I could be going crazy.”
He brushes my bangs out of my eyes. “I don’t like that he has you lookin’ over your shoulder like that. It’s not right. You can’t live like that forever.”
“Well, he told me if I ever left him he’d find me and chop me up into tiny pieces.”
He stares at me. “What a sadistic fuck. I’ll be sure to find out what he thinks of that idea when we greet him in six months time.”
“What was he in for?”
“Drug dealin’. We think he owes the mafia money, the boys are worried they’ll get to him in jail before we do.”
“I doubt it, wouldn’t they want their own revenge?”
“Exactly what I said.”
I try not to notice his pretty eyes, but they really are his best feature.
Okay, something I already know, but hearing him say that Tia wasn’t his type, and grinning when I said I suck his cock has me feeling it between my legs.
I know I need to stop this nonsense. I can’t be lusting after him like this.
It’s not normal. Friends are supposed to be just that, nothing more, but how can I help it when he does these kinds of things for me?
“So, we’re good for now?” I whisper.
“Better than good. But that still doesn’t mean you’re gonna go frequent shady bars with strangers.”
“I already got that part.” I bite my lip, looking down as I play with the bottom of his cut.
He tilts my chin back up. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
I sigh. “Don’t be weird, okay?”
He leans his head to the side. “Shoot, and make it snappy, they’ll think we’re fuckin’ back here.”
My eyes widen at the idea my cousins would find out. It’d only make Sawyer’s life more difficult, and I don’t want that. Innuendo is rife around here as it is. “Okay. I’ll admit, I didn’t like that chick putting her hands on you. I saw your back stiffen when she did it and that made me mad.”
He stares at me for a moment. “Is that the truth?”
“Y-yes, I’m not lying.”
“Nova.”
“What? I knew it made you uncomfortable!” I huff. Then I tip my head back. “Urgh! You’re infuriating, you know that? Maybe, just maybe, I got a little jealous. Are you happy now?”
He lets go of me. “Yep. I just wanted to hear you say it.”
I frown. “Why, for heaven’s sake?”
“Maybe I like that side of you, all feisty and tough.”
“I’m not that tough. I holler for help every chance I get.”
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
I tug on the lapels of his cut and he glances down. “Sawyer?”
“Out with it, Princess.”
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable the other day when I said we both have needs.”
The silence hangs between us. “I know, and you didn’t.”
I peek up at him. “So we’re okay?”
He smiles, his eyes crinkling in that way I love. “We’re okay.” He pecks me chastely. “Promise.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“The last one to the pool table is a rotten egg.” Before I can blink he takes off and I’m still plastered against the wall.
It’s official.
Unrequited. That’s what this is.
I’m into him way more than he’s into me. I’m officially friend-zoned.
It’s better this way. I tell myself.
I wish I could actually believe my own thoughts because my ego just got bopped down a peg or two.
We’ll only ever be friends, and I have to be okay with that.