Page 44 of Naz & Roz

Roz smiled even if it was faint. “Hey.”

Luca clapped Naz on the shoulder, and moved toward his waiting Camaro. “Tomorrow for work, then?”

“Tomorrow, man. Same as usual.”

“Let’s hope you don’t bruise.”

“Fuck you.”

Luca only laughed before slapping Naz on the cheek, and going on his way. Naz waited until his friend had pulled out of the drive, and was gone down the street before he turned back to face Roz again. She was still standing on the porch, and had her arms folded over her chest.

Now, this was where it became fucking funny.

Why?

Because he hadn’t been the slightest bit afraid of his friend’s anger when he first showed up, but he was fucking terrified of the way Roz looked in that moment.

Disappointed, and confused.

“I should have explained more before I took off,” he said quietly, moving toward her. She said nothing, and as he came to the bottom steps, Naz added, “Gave you a clearer picture of where I was going to be, and why I couldn’t call. I’m sorry I left you hanging all week.”

Roz chewed on her inner cheek before asking, “Are you going to explain now?”

“Do you want me to?”

Because if she did, then he would.

It was that simple.

Roz nodded. “I think I do. I know you’re … I know you do family business, Naz. I know that, okay. You don’t have to keep me in the dark.”

Naz smirked, and climbed the stairs until he was standing right in front of this beautiful, crazy girl who just because he could, he loved inexplicably. It was strange and scary and entirely wonderful.

“It’s more than family business, Roz,” he said quietly.

She looked up at him, although she didn’t have to stare very far to meet his gaze. “Oh?”

“Way more.”

“And sometimes that means you drop off the radar for a while, I take it.”

“Safety reasons,” he said, chuckling “Call it good fucking policy, yeah?”

“And how often—”

“Few times a year.”

Roz glanced away. “For what?”

“Guns. People buy them. I run them to the buyer.”

He didn’t miss the stiffening of her shoulders, or the way a knot formed between her brows like she was trying to figure that out.

“So, what does all that mean, Naz?”

“I guess that I’m far more than just a genius, Roz.”

A bad man who did bad things.