Page 92 of Pretty Lies

“Cory is fine,” Frankie said, every word measured. “I would let you know first, otherwise.”

“He’ll remain in his position, then?”

“Until told otherwise, Tommas,” Frankie agreed.

Tommas nodded. “Good. Let’s finish up business. For the sake of it.”

That was that.

Knowing he was really no longer needed with the conversation in the office—and if he was, it wasn’t like he would be going far without Della—Cory headed downstairs to check on Mace. He wasn’t at all surprised to find the dog was still happy and pleased in Chloe’s lap while the woman’s hand stroked the pup from head to tail.

“How long is he staying?” she asked when she noticed Cory in the entryway.

“Unfortunately, not much longer. I’m working—he needs to go back to his dog-sitter until everything is a little more stable day to day. I hate making him jump around from place to place. It confuses him and then I can’t really blame him when he acts out about it, you know?”

Chloe smiled. “Cory Rossi.”

He arched a brow. “What about it?”

“Growing up, young man, you gave your parents and the rest of us plenty of things to talk about, didn’t you?”

Some of it, he would never live down.

That was Cory, though.

He owned it.

“I’m happy to see you’ve finally grown up,” Chloe said, her gaze drifting back down to his pup. “Also, thank you.”

That had Cory confused.

“For what?” he asked.

Chloe lifted her shoulder under the blanket draped over them. “For looking after her like you’ve been doing … and for looking at her the way you do.”

Cory stilled.

Della’s mother exhaled shakily. “Bring him back to visit again? He made this awful day a little better.”

He nodded. “Soon. Absolutely, Mrs. Costello.”

“Call me Chloe. You always did when you were a boy, anyway. Just because the Outfit grew you up into this man in front of me doesn’t mean the rest of us forgot how you were before everything changed, Cory.”

He’d remember that.