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“It doesn’t work like that,” he says through gritted teeth, tugging out his phone.
“Dario, man, don’t—"
“All those nights she said she was out late with her girls, never posting it all over fuckin’ Instagram like she does every other fuckin’ moment of her life. All those days she came home and went right to bed, said she was fuckin’ tired.”
Ope, sounds like this affair has been going on some time. I widen my eyes and make an "eeek!" face at Candy, who fights a smile. She shakes her head in a, Girl, you are fuckin’ nuts and I want details later kind of look.
I feel like there is absolutely a conversation that Candy and I really need to have.
But right now, I need to keep my eyes on Dario, whose hand moves on his phone, pressing numbers. I also watch Tino who clearly knew about Kelsey and Paulie but didn’t share it with his brother as he wipes a hand down his face in frustration.
He knows exactly what’s about to happen.
“It’s me,” Dario’s voice says, an angry edge to it. There's a pause as he waits for an answer. “Your fuckin’ husband, Kelsey. Dario. Or did you think it was going to be Paulie? You’re apparently fucking him like he’s your husband.” The car fills with squawking, a woman shouting through the line, her tone a mix of angry and defensive.
Strange take but I mean, not my neck on the line.
“So it’s true?” Sounds like she ousted herself without my even having to show proof.
God, some people really don’t know how to play the game.
I think about how nothing on this earth could get me to admit I'm with Dante before we're ready without full-on torture. Meanwhile, Kelsey folded in seconds.
“Fuckin’ Paulie, Kelsey?!” The words fill the small car as they boom from Dario, and I can see a muscle in his neck twitching as they do.
I move wide eyes to Candy, hers reflecting mine before I smile a small, smug look, letting it disappear quickly. She gives me a, You knew this would happen? look, and I just smile and shrug.
“You have some explaining to do, babe,” she whispers under her breath, and I give her a tiny nod before Dario’s voice fills the car again.
“I’ll be there in ten fuckin’ minutes. You better be packing your fucking bags.” Dario puts the car into drive before he answers again, the phone tucked between his shoulder and his ear. “Who the fuck cares, Kels? Not me. Maybe try fucking Paulie. Maybe you can stay with him.”
There’s a pause before Dario throws his phone down, bouncing it on the console and landing it in the back seat where I can see he didn’t even bother to hang up. Kelsey’s tinny voice still comes through the speaker like a little mouse squeaking—no words actually audible, just noise. Then he moves, the car jerking as he drives off the shoulder and back onto the highway.
“Man, we’re on Lilah duty,” Tino says, looking around the car in a panic. From what I’ve come to understand, Tino was recruited by Paulie, but his trust lies with Dante and Dante was the one to assign my detail tonight.
Funny that I didn’t tell Dante my plan and he still played it so I could win.
“Paulie has been fucking my wife for a year. Someone else can cart his fiancée he treats like shit around. I’m going to make sure Kelsey doesn’t take anything that’s not fucking hers.” I bite my lips to fight a laugh as I watch Tino sigh and pull out his phone. “No offense, Lilah,” Dario says a bit softer, anger still in his voice though.
“None taken, Dario. I’m sorry you found out like this.”
And my night gets just a little bit better when I hear Tino speak into his phone.
“Marco? Yeah, Tino. We gotta problem.”
TWENTY-FIVE
-Lilah-
Thirty minutes later, a blacked-out Corvette pulls up outside Dario’s house and I fight the smile that is dying to come to my lips as it does.
Mission accomplished.
God, I love when a plan works out. There is screaming and crashing coming from the house even though the doors and windows are closed, and I just know that can’t be good for their marriage. Or Dario’s loyalty to Paulie.
A tall man with broad shoulders and familiar shoes steps out of the car as the door opens, and I don’t even need him to step into the streetlight to feel the cool darkness pouring from him. Power and confidence and danger.
He’s in Don mode.
