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He almost laughed, recognizing the contradiction of her comment. Was she not in and of itself living a lie by concealing her true identity? That was the problem with lies—many times they were essential. If she only knew he was the biggest liar of all. “That’s a very…simplistic attitude.”
“What do you mean by that?” she asked, genuinely interested in his answer.
“Just that there may be instances when dishonesty is kinder or necessary. For example, when my mother would ask if I liked her new haircut or outfit, I’d always tell her what she wanted to hear and not that I liked her hair longer instead of the short style she’d opted for or that I liked her in casual clothes more than dresses and suits.”
“Did she eventually stop asking?”
He looked down at the sandwich still held in his hands. “She was killed when I was in my early twenties.”
He shouldn’t have used the term killed, but that was what had happened. How does one explain his mother had been killed by his father? He placed the burger back on his plate, no longer finding it as appealing.
Her hand touched his arm and it was like his skin would hold the imprint of her palm long after. “Oh, Luc, I’m so sorry. If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?”
“A drive-by shooting.” That’s what the cops recorded it as. He maybe could have accepted her death if that had been the reason. The truth was his father had made a shitty deal with the wrong people, which cost his mother her life as a fuck you by the family his father had wronged. Revenge in his line of work was a living, breathing way of life.
His father never should have gotten them involved in the trafficking business. Ever.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you by asking about your mom. You must have loved her dearly.”
Demonte fixed his face, surprised his neutral veneer had slipped. He needed to get his shit together. It was her. Janel was the problem—she made him want things he had no business even contemplating. If she knew who he really was, she’d never sit with him and enjoy a meal over shared conversation. “It was a long time ago and, yes, I did love my mother and my brother very much.”
They were both gone now and the man responsible would soon pay.
The door crashing open had his head jerking up and his hand reaching beneath his coat for his piece. When he saw the man who’d rushed in, he put his hands back on the table in clear view.
Walter stepped in from the kitchen, and Demonte wondered why it had taken Walter so long to call in the cavalry.
“Leave her alone, Luciano,” Dozer snarled, his hands loosely by his sides but ready should things go south in a hurry.
Confused, Janel turned in her seat to look at the man who’d like to shoot him on sight. She slid out of the booth and Demonte stood and buttoned his jacket. It would appear that their luncheon was over. He usually wouldn’t stand for anyone treating him like that, but with Janel, he could understand the concern.
With her hands on her hips and fire in her damn brown eyes, she was stunning. “Dozer, what is the meaning of this? Luc is a paying customer.”
Having caught him admiring her beauty, Dozer’s daring gaze never left his. “You have no idea who he is. We don’t want his kind here.”
Janel sputtered, “His kind? You mean nice? Hungry? You can’t come in here and dictate who we can and can’t serve and Luc has been nothing but kind and generous. I think it’s you who needs to leave.”
Seeing where this was going, he interrupted, “He’s right. I need to be going.”
He took another hundred from the clip in his pants pocket and tossed it on the table. With a smile, he took Janel’s hand and brought it to his lips. Dozer growled and he grinned. “Thank you for the delicious lunch and the charming conversation.”
Her eyes went to his barely touched food. “You didn’t finish your burger. Do you want me to bag it for you?”
“No, thank you, love. It’s best if I go. Goodbye, Jane.”
“Goodbye, Luc. Please come again.” The last was said with a direct glare in Dozer’s direction which made Demonte feel better about the interruption.
As he passed Dozer, the man reached out and took his upper arm in his grasp. He raised a brow and stared him down. Smartly, Dozer turned his arm loose. Under his breath, Dozer warned, “Leave her alone Demonte. She’s an innocent and doesn’t need your stink on her.”
His jaw tensed. The man hadn’t a clue. “You have nothing to worry about. She’s safe with me.”
Dozer shook his head. “You know that’s not true. Not with what I know you do to innocent young girls.”
His jaw flexed. “I’m not a danger to her and if you’d listen to what I’m saying, you’d realize we might be on the same side, wanting the same things.”
He laughed in Demonte’s face. “You’re still pissed off we burned you out of business.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Had I known where to find you, I would have thanked you.”
