Man, he’s killing that suit. The blowout his hair is in looks sharp, as if he has a fresh cut. Which he could because I haven’t seen him since this morning.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Rico breathes as he pulls a hand down his face.
Rico
I can’t breathe.I mean, damn. My brain stops working for a moment.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I manage to say as I find some air.
I instantly regret the words. Oni drops her head and looks away from me. Feeling like a dick, I move into the room and stand in front of her. I reach beneath her hair to grasp her neck.
She lifts her gaze to mine, and I lean in to take her lips. I can’t help myself. I kiss her like it’s the first and last time I ever will.
It isn’t until she whimpers into my mouth that I release her and allow us both to catch our breath. I look down at her, searching her face. She’s so beautiful and has no idea how gorgeous she truly is.
“I didn’t think you could get more beautiful than you already were. It’s going to kill me not to be by your side tonight. Promise me, when this is all over, you’ll spend some time hanging out with me. Just me and you,” I say as I gather my thoughts.
We spend a lot of time together, but not enough time alone. My cousins or Pop are always around. I don’t think there’s been a time when we haven’t been surrounded. She hasn’t spent the night with me again since being totally embarrassed by my dad.
I want to change that. Some time just for us. A moment for her to get to know how much I’ve fallen for her in such a short time.
“Promise.”
“That’s enough, youse two. Oni, I want to finish our talk later. Remember, you have options.”
I look up at my father and give him a curious look. I had come in here to let him know the team is ready to go. I hadn’t expected to find Oni in here with him.
“Everyone is in place. Ed is going to ride with Oni. He has a cape for you to cover your dress and the burner phone. I’ll text when our targets arrive. You get the cars, get them into the truck, and Al will bring you to the party after. Any questions?”
“No, I think I’ve got it.”
“Good. If anything feels off or you’re not sure you can make a move without a problem, you walk. Don’t try to be a hero, baby. You are more important to me.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you at the party.”
I lean in and kiss her cheek. I’m regretting this more and more. I’m almost tempted to call it all off. When I pull away, she looks up at me and laughs.
“What?”
“You have lipstick all over your mouth.”
She reaches up to wipe it away. I grin and pull out a spare handkerchief to hand to her so she can clean her hand. Pop walks over and claps me on the back.
“Oni, why don’t you go find Eduardo. I need to have a few words with my son.”
“Yes, sir,” she says and turns to leave.
I reach to grab her arm to stop her. Swiftly, I lean in for one more kiss on her cheek. Then I lean into her ear to whisper.
“You’re gorgeous. Be safe, baby. I’ve got you. I always do.”
She looks up into my eyes and smiles, then gives me a nod. Releasing her, I allow her to leave and turn back to my pop.
“Are you sure about this? We can call it off,” he says once Oni has left the room.
“They’re waiting. Everything is set. The first half of the payment has been made. I think we’ve got this. I’m confident the team can pull this off. I trust everyone involved.”
“Do you trust yourself not to expose her? Oni must look like my assistant as I have been establishing her over the last week and a half. You can’t reveal how much she means to you, our organization, or this job. Are you ready for this?”
