Page 33 of Worth Risking It

It amazed me how the two interacted. They were like one machine, always in sync, always on the same page.

Leaning against the sink, my arms crossed, I watched with fascination as they moved in unison. Elbows bent, fork scooped eggs, put it in their mouths, moved down, cut a piece of pancake, stabbed it, brought it to mouth. Pause for a sip of juice, their tongues licking their lips.

Giggling, I stood up and gathered some of the dishes I’d dirtied during the cooking. The elevator groaned through the walls and a second later, Milo could be heard through the thin kitchen door. Whomever he was talking to on the phone, he was arguing.

His fist knocked on the door to shove it open, a scowl on his face. Jutting his chin when I handed him the plate, he went to the far chair and plopped down.

“Well, that’s not my problem. You want to point fingers, look in the mirror, but don’t you dare make this Chazzy’s fault.”

I bristled, batting my lashes. Twisting my waist from the sink, I stared at him, wondering who he was talking to and about what. Did this have anything to do with what happened in New York last week? I thought things had smoothed over with the Russian and that deal was going through.

“No, that’s absurd. I’m not making a shipment to Russia for a measly million bucks, this isn’t my first time doing this. I’ve added a side contract to stop in Sydney for about two point three. Hey, Theodore!” he barked, stabbing his plate with his fork.

I glimpsed at the Shaw’s, watching them ignore Milo to keep eating.

“This is my job, you want to do it better, fine, you run all over the goddamn world every few weeks while I sit at home. Please, trade positions, I’d love to be with my fiancée more.”

He cut up the pancakes, not bothering with syrup. Tossing the bite in his mouth, he seemed to get angrier at whatever his father was saying.

“I’ve told you, we aren’t coming to your place for Christmas dinner.”

The forks of the Shaw cousins clanked, their spines stiffening at the same time. Though they didn’t look that much alike, they could be twins the way they moved so fluidly together.

“Well,” he grumbled around the food, cutting another piece. “When you learn to show my future wife respect, we’ll talk about family gatherings. Since you can’t seem to talk about her without being a smart ass, looks like it’s going to be a while.”

I folded my arms, catching Wyatt’s gaze darting to me out the corner of his eye.

“I’m marrying her, Dad. She is going to be your daughter in law, the mother of your grandkids.”

Wyatt broke away from his cousin and bowed his chin, pinching the bridge of his nose. Coughing, I returned my focus to the dishes, not wanting to think about that. The prospect of being a mother was both delightful and exciting, as well as depressing and sickening. When I had a baby, Wyatt would have one, as well.

Which meant he would be with another woman. What if he liked her more than me? After all, I was the exact opposite of the type he usually went for. What if when he found the woman to have a kid with, he remembered he didn’t like the extra weight?

Was I ready to let the affair go? It would be for the best. It was risky sneaking around with him under Milo’s nose. Was he really worth risking my life?

Craning my neck to peek at him, my heart fluttered. Definitely.

“I’m headed to the city now to make the final arrangements on the Australian shipment and talk with our vendors in Vegas for the vodka. When you’re ready to discuss my fiancée with some respect, let me know.”

He tapped the screen and tossed the phone to the counter. “Wyatt, who is that chick you used to bang from Sydney?”

I dropped a dish in the sink, splattering the soapy water on my shirt.

“Uh, ahem. N-Nancy.”

“Right. Her brother still have that connection to get guns and ammo?”

“Um, probably. If he hasn’t gotten himself killed since we talked.”

“Get in touch with him for me, I need a thousand AR’s by the end of the month.”

“Mm hm.”

“Hey,” Frank chimed in. “Since the boss and Chazz is gonna have a spawn soon, why don’t you hook back up with Nancy? That chick is smoking. She’ll make good babies.”

“I dunno, that lady was a bit crazy. You don’t want your kid having half-crazy genes.”

Would they just shut up and eat so they can leave and stop talking about Wyatt having a kid with another woman? I really didn’t need to hear this shit right now.