Page 98 of Always: A Legacy Novel

“Eat shit, Cross.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about where I’m at this weekend, either,” Cross said, yanking open the pizza joint’s door. “Just keep your mouth shut.”

Zeke scowled as he walked inside the business. “I don’t even know how you haven’t already gotten yourself killed yet.”

“Yeah, me either.”

Cross wasn’t even joking.

“There better not be one single scratch on my car when you bring it back. You get caught by the cops, you say you stole it,” Zeke said under his breath at the sight of his father. “Because that’s what I’m telling Dad and Calisto when they ask where you went. Plausible deniability for me.”

Cross didn’t mind that. It wasn’t like it was out of character for him.

“Deal.”

Catherine opened the backdoor to the Marcello home with a sly grin. Cross slipped inside, dropped a kiss to her forehead, and kicked the door closed behind him.

“Hey,” she whispered.

“Hey, Catty,” he murmured against her skin.

“God, you’re never going to drop that nickname, are you?”

“Nope.”

She shook her head. “You know they call my mom by Cat, right? I’ve managed to avoid being her little shadow for this long, and you’re going to ruin it once one person in my family hears you use that nickname.”

“I’ll be careful with it, then.”

Catherine didn’t look like she believed him. “You hungry?”

“I could eat.”

Wolf didn’t stay at the restaurant long enough for Cross to eat. He got stuck with Wolf and Zeke until damn near supper time before he had been able to grab the keys for the Camaro and head out when their backs were turned. He was positive Wolf was pissed, considering his phone hadn’t stopped ringing. He knew for sure his step-father was pissed because most of the calls came from Calisto.

Cross sent out a text that he was fine; it was all he would do.

“Want pizza?” Catherine asked.

“Depends on where you’re ordering from,” he said honestly. “Not everybody can make a good pizza.”

Catherine scowled. “I’m cooking it, actually.”

“Like dough and all?”

“From scratch,” she confirmed.

Cross kissed her again. “Even better.”

“Smooth save. Come on, I just put it in.” Catherine hooked her pinky finger around Cross’s, and tugged him along until they entered the large kitchen. She only let go of him to check the stove, and then she was right back in front of him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him properly. “For the record, the only acceptable response when you eat my pizza is that it’s very, very good. Understood?”

He smiled against her mouth. “Got it.”

Catherine winked, and headed for the island that was dusted with flour. He didn’t even see the cloud of flour she blew his way until it was too late. Her laugh echoed in the quiet kitchen as she dodged out of his grasp when he lunged for her.

“You have flour in your hair,” she crowed.

Cross’s gaze narrowed when Catherine continued to avoid him. Instead of just grabbing a bit of flour from the island like she had, he pulled out a handful from the opened bag on the counter. Catherine tried to dodge the white cloud, and failed miserably. The flour covered her hair, face, and all down the front of her dress.