AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not to that particular place, but he could own other buildings in the area. That’s a good start.”
Liam drained me of every bit of Luca-related information. If it helped put an end to the man and his business for good, I’d give him details of our lackluster sex life. Whatever it took.
Bane and Elizabeth returned by the time we finished up. Liam snatched the remains of my boy shorts off the floor as Lizzie’s feet thundered down the hall. He stuffed them in his pocket, and didn’t give them back.
Bane and I headed downstairs. Tricky had homeschooling, and I personally couldn’t spend another second near Liam without jumping and tying him up, stealing a peek at what he denied me.
“Genny called earlier.”
Bane strolled at my side, handsome in a pair of jeans and a fitted black tee. My eyes kept drifting to him. The man was a young Jason Momoa without the hair but ten times the devilish grin. Standing this close to him reduced me to a giggling teenage girl who saw a cute boy for the first time.
“What did she say?”
The question brought me back to reality. “Vito will be at Cooper’s tonight. I’m going to see what he knows about the attacks on the Merchants.”
“Want me to come?”
“You can’t,” I said, pushing the button for the elevator. “He has to think I’m betraying the Merchants. Won’t work if one is waving at me from across the bar.”
“I can manage more subtlety than that,” he said with a chuckle. “Vito will never know I’m there. I’m not saying you can’t do this on your own. Just offering to be close by in case you have to prove yourself again—violently.”
Good point. Vito will be surrounded by a bunch of drunk bachelor partiers willing to jump in on a bar fight.
“If I do have to prove myself, you coming out to rescue me will blow my last chance to hell,” I replied. We went in and I hit the button for Sunny’s place. Bane pressed nine for his. “I want you there. Just promise me you won’t act unless he’s murdering me.”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.” He made the sign and flung it away. “But where are we on maiming? If he’s just cutting off an appendage, can I keep drinking my beer?”
“Go away.”
His cute, infectious laugh followed me onto the eleventh floor.
“Tonight at Cooper’s,” Bane confirmed. “And afterward, we’ll go out just the two of us.”
“Wait, what—”
“I’m thinking pastries and the walk in Harmony Park.”
“B-but you said—”
“Eh, let’s wait and see what we’re in the mood for.” Bane winked through the closing sliver. “Later, Kenzie.”
I gaped with my metallic reflection. “And there goes another doo-doo head.”
Eventually, I squashed the urge to chase him down and went inside. Heavenly smells wafted outside the kitchen courtesy of Shonda, and by the chattering, Sienna too. I peeked in on them, but Laurel wasn’t there.
Is she down for her nap already?
Sticking my head inside the nursery, I confirmed Laurel wasn’t in there either. I padded down the hall to Sunny’s room.
“—trick is to stay relaxed and stand up straight.” Sunny’s voice filtered through the open door. “Right foot forward and throw.”
I stuck my head in the room, and choked on a scream.
Sunny wore a bouncing Laurel in her baby carrier. His arm raised over his head, readying to throw the knife at its target. Laurel had her knife too. Gripped in her tiny fist, she nommed on the weapon’s handle.
“Sunny, have you lost your mind?!”
He started, swinging around. “Whoa, baby, you scared me.”
“I scared you?” I shrieked, rushing to Laurel. “What the hell are you doing letting her hold a knife?!”
“Rubber,” he said, way too breezy for someone about to get their ass kicked. “Rubber knife, Angel. Rounded edges. These things couldn’t hurt a butterfly.”
Taking it from her confirmed what he said. I pressed the tip to my palm and it flattened on my skin. Laurel fussed for her new teething toy.
“Better than my old man,” Sunny said. “Papa Sinjin strapped me to his chest, then went out and practiced with the real thing. Pretty sure I held a knife before I held a bottle.”
“That cannot be true. Rubber or not,” I said, willing air back in my lungs. “Let’s agree to keep weapons—rubber, plastic, real, and fake—away from the baby.”
“Fair enough. We’ll wait till she’s four to start training. That’s when I started.”
I was torn between happy he saw us together in four years, and seriously disturbed that he believed in those four years, he’d go out and fling knives with Laurel.
“We’ll talk about this later. Much, much later.” I nuzzled Laurel’s cheek, murmuring to her to settle my baby. She was way more upset at losing her knife than I wanted her to be.
Calming, she grabbed a fistful of my hair. Tugging and playing with it occupied her. I glanced at Sunny while she held me captive.
