Page 100 of Loyalty

“There’s nothing to listen to, Ma. Now if you don’t mind—”

The phone chimed again, but this time, with a new ringtone. Instantly, John pushed away from the counter, spun around, and grabbed the device before his mother could even look at the screen. He picked up the call, and put his back to Jordyn.

“Hey,” John said.

“Hey, you,” Siena replied on the other end.

Just like that, his day was better.

Just like that, he had something else to focus on.

“So, I am getting off early today because I finished up the details for this file, and it is getting sent off in like … five minutes,” Siena said.

“That so, babe?”

“Mmhmm.”

“What’s that mean for me?”

She worked too goddamn much.

He sometimes wanted to hide her away.

Life was a bitch like that.

“It means,” Siena drawled, “that if you come pick me up, we could go see that action movie you mentioned was showing this afternoon. I mean, if you want to.”

Hell yeah, he wanted to.

John didn’t even think about it. He knew he had work, and places to be, but whatever. Siena and her time was already scant, and he could get back to business another day.

All that shit would still be there.

“Where you at?” he asked.

Siena rattled off an address.

“I’ll be there in forty, love.”

“See you.”

John hung up the phone, and spun around to see his mother was watching him with curious, but guarded eyes.

“Got a date?” she asked.

John smirked, and pointed at the entryway. “I’m headed out, Ma. So, you can look around or whatever, but I won’t be here. I’m sure Dad and the rest of them might like an update on the Calabrese situation—or, the Calabrese woman, because fuck them, they can’t even use her name. Let them know I’m still good with what I’m doing, including her.”

Jordyn cleared her throat, and glanced away. John simply headed out of the kitchen, and didn’t bother looking over his shoulder to say goodbye.

He had fuck all left to say.

• • •

John brushed stray snowflakes from his leather jacket, and glanced up just in time to see Siena strolling out of the restaurant. Her grin bloomed into a full-blown smile at the sight of him waiting for her. He couldn’t stop his gaze from wandering over her—it was strange how every time he looked at her was like the first time.

He kept finding new things to admire.

The way her eyes darkened when she peeked at him. How her lips curved just before she kissed him. How her hips swayed when she walked.