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“Fair enough.”
He walks back around to his desk and opens a drawer, returning with an envelope, a phone, and a key fob. “Signing bonus, your phone, and your SUV, parked outside the back door.”
Peeking into the thick envelope with stacks of hundreds, I stick it, along with my phone and key, in my purse. “Thanks,” I say, walking to the door.
“Katerina,” he calls, and I stop. “If I offered you my heart, what would you do with it?”
“I only play in games with real stakes; not pussy hypotheticals.” I spin on my heel and walk out.
Chapter
Thirty-One
Fabio
Returning home from the dock sting that was a bust, I take a nap before getting up and checking in on Katerina. She’s not in her bedroom, and I switch security feeds, finding her seated cross legged on the bathroom floor, her head between her arms. Realizing she’s crying, my fist pounds a hole in the freshly patched wall.
I only play in games with real stakes; not pussy hypotheticals.
The dock sting was a bust because Katerina’s clean, and my idiot ass has fucked up the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m a pussy; nothing hypothetical about it.
I work out some of my frustration in my home gym before showering and tailing Katerina to Newark.
Parking, I slink to the tree line, watching Katerina push Iris in a swing. Katerina’s so damn beautiful even when she’s not trying to be; maybe more so because she’s not trying to be. She’s wearing those leggings that drive me crazy, along with a tank top that hints at just a peek of her stomach; her curls barely contained beneath a baseball cap.
Time ticks by, and Lily should be back by now; I know because I have a clone of Katerina’s phone and have her schedule memorized. My phone rings, and I answer. “Sam.”
“I’m helping Darius move some equipment for his home gym.” Meaning a body, and unrelated to family business. “Darius asks if you can pick up Kat and Iris at the park and take the girls back to your house for the night. Not sure how long we’re going to be here.”
“Tell him not a problem,” I say, hanging up.
Walking to the playground and straight to Katerina, I don’t waste time with pleasantries. “Let’s go. You and Iris are coming to my house.”
“Uh, no we’re not,” she sasses.
“Iris, come here!” I call.
“Uncle Fabio!” She runs over, and I pick her up. “Your mom and Darius are busy, and so you and Katerina are sleeping over at my house.”
“Yes! Can we watch a movie and eat popcorn and stay up late?” she asks in a rush.
“Yes to all those things,” I promise, and Iris squeals in delight.
Katerina looks less than enthused. “Fabio, could I talk to you for just a sec?”
“Uh-oh. That means you’re in trouble,” Iris tells me as I place her on the ground.
“Just a little chat with Uncle Fabio,” Katerina says with a forced smile, yanking me by the hand and pulling me out of earshot. “What the hell is going on?”
“I don’t know, other than what I’ve already said. If we need to know more, I’m sure Darius and Lily will tell us.”
“Are you concerned?” she worries.
“No,” I answer honestly. If Darius killed someone, the fucker had it coming. Period.
“I’m calling Lily to double-check.” She grabs her phone from her purse and makes the call; I can hear Lily’s voicemail, and Katerina hangs up. “I don’t like this,” she says.
“You can not like this on the drive to my house,” I tell her, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.
