Page 67 of Made in Love and Blood

Big Mike tossed a standard, black smartphone Nico’s way. He caught it easily, barely giving it a glance before tucking it into his back pocket. Mike pointed his large finger Nico’s way but directed his next comment toward the phone only.

“Make sure that stays on. If you are doing business, it goes through that.”

“Understood.”

Big Mike gave him another once over before muttering, “Yeah, I think that’s about it.”

Nico hesitated on what the man meant. “You mean we’re done here, or...?”

“Unless you have something to tell me.”

“No, I just thought—”

“Use the shit you can get from people in the crew to make me money. That’s what I need from you. And if you need someone to hold your hand through getting it done, I think I underestimated what everybody says you can do.”

All he heard was everybody.

“You got people talking, kid,” Big Mike murmured, picking up on Nico’s sudden stillness and silence. “If I get to be the motherfucker who benefits from letting you show them why they should keep your name in their mouths, I don’t see the problem.”

“Unless I become one,” Nico replied.

Big Mike lifted one shoulder, shaking his head, too. “That’s right, but you know, I don’t think so. I’ve got a feeling about you.”

“Don’t worry,” Nico joked, “that’ll probably pass.”

He earned himself a laugh with that one.

“Get out of here,” Big Mike demanded, still chortling. “I’m sure you’ve got better things to do, anyway.”

Yeah, he did.

A tux to pick up and girl to take to prom.

•••

Nico parked the Mustang next to a freshly washed and waxed—as if it hadn’t just come off the lot two days earlier—Rolls Royce. The gleam of his vehicle reflected off the pink Rolls, and the cat sitting on the hood of the vehicle didn’t move a muscle as he exited the car.

“Stella kitty,” he practically cooed to the cat, “what’s her doing, beautiful girl? Can I pet her today?”

The cat pretended like she didn’t see him, but he had been working on this for a while. Sometimes she let him pet her, sometimes not. Sassy, the dog, wasn’t as difficult if he had treats. Seemed she was always on a diet of some sort.

The cat, on the other hand...

The end of Stella’s fluffy, white tail flicked against the hood of the car the closer Nico came to her spot. He knew she would allow him to pet her when she stood as he came up alongside and lifted her head to meet his extended palm. That was all he got, just the rub of her soft fur against his hand before she jumped down from the car.

As if she knew what was coming next.

“You get off that fucking car!” yelled Carina. From the front door, she spied Nico and told him, “Oh, good. You’ve already got the tux on. I’ll bring out the bowtie. The photographer is just getting done, and he’ll keep a distance to take some shots out here. Did you grab a boutonniere?”

He lifted the plastic containers for her to see. “I’m not totally incapable, sis.”

Even if he did need to make reminders on his phone for a lot of shit. Including the flowers. That couldn’t be helped.

Her lips pursed, but she said nothing else, instead disappearing back into the house.

Nico pulled out his phone to check the time. He heard the front door open at the same time he blacked out the screen. He had to blink to take in the sight coming across the paved driveway.

In a pink dress that draped similarly to a ballgown from the waist down, Frankie darted his way far faster than he thought was safe in heels like she wore. The tall stiletto, open-toed shoes peeked out from the high slit in the left side of the skirt and under the hem. Something pink glittered from her finger, around her throat, and dangling from her ears. The sweetheart cut of the structured top of the dress with thick straps at the shoulders allowed the jewelry she wore to be displayed. Her hair, tied back into a classic chignon, had his fingers itching to pull it all loose just to see how she looked with mussed hair in such an amazing dress.