Page 52 of Beni

At least, not yet.

Camilla sighed dramatically. “Yes, without me.”

“Lord.”

Her friend’s familiar laugh filtered through the phone speakers. “I mean, you know I’m kidding. If you want to get up and go for a day, then you can do that. But be safe, okay? Stuff in the city is a little … iffy right now.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

“Aug—”

“I’ll be safe.”

She wasn’t part of the Outfit. Her life wasn’t the mob life. She was barely even associated to the business that happened here on the illegal side of things, and her only real attachment to it was Camilla, and … well, Beni, in a way.

Yeah, she figured that out.

Between what he told her, and some questions she asked Camilla about him, and his family, it was pretty clear. August didn’t know how she felt about that, to be honest. She tried not to judge people based on surface things—life taught her to go deeper than that.

Although, truth be told, she was slightly worried about the current drama and dangers facing the Outfit. Not for her, really, but for the people she cared about.

At that moment, the girl behind the counter slid August’s order of coffee over with a wide smile. August snatched the to-go cup up, the warmth heating her hand instantly. “Here you are.”

“Thank you.” To her friend on the phone, she added, “Okay, I will be back … soonish. And don’t you have to work today, anyway?”

Camilla made a noise under her breath. “I guess so.”

“Come on, you know you love your job.”

“Fine, but I love you, too. Maybe more.”

“Only maybe?”

“Well, now you’re just asking for too much considering you’re the same person who wouldn’t wake me up to go out to breakfast with you.”

Jesus.

“You’re lucky I love you,” August said through her laughter.

She swore she could see Camilla’s grin in her mind when her friend replied, “I am easy to love, and we both know it.”

“Right, that’s what it is. Anyway, meet up later?”

“Sure, Aug. And please, be careful.”

“I will.”

August ended the call with a shake of her head and a smile. Even if she was keeping things from her friend—just until she figured stuff out for herself, because that was fair, right?—she knew, no matter what, she would always have Cam to count on. Forever watching her back, ride or die. Everybody needed a friend like Camilla.

“So, do we consider this a second date?”

That smile of hers grew wider at the voice behind her. That tone, unmistakably his with the dark tenor, and teasing nature seemed to caress her skin, and even had the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing up on end. The same way the heart in her chest picked up beats, hearing something it very much liked and wanted, and willing to race right out of her ribcage to get to it.

Strange, really.

And yet, she liked it.

Spinning around while taking a sip of the hot coffee, August came face to face with a smirking Beni. Damn, he looked good today. Gone were the dark wash jeans, leather jacket, and the Converse shoes. Oh, sure, she liked him in that, too, but today he had settled on something a bit more … classic, and fancy.