Page 6 of Tryst

His gaze lowered to my chest for a brief second, then back to the road. Suddenly, he yanked the steering wheel right, pulling into the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant, and parked under a tree. Dropping his hands into his lap, he turned toward me, cocking a brow.

I gulped. It rapidly occurred to me, for the first time in my life,whohe was. He wasn’t just my father’s friend, my godfather, or a silly crush I had.He was a fucking crime boss.He was one of the most dangerous of them all, if notthemost. And he was staring directly into my eyes, waiting for me to speak. I guess it never dawned on me before today because I was just so used to him being around and he was justUncle Vinnyto me.

Though I was curious about when he got out of prison, I didn’t think it was appropriate to bring it up. It might trigger him. I didn’t know him any longer and who knows if he’d get mad. He was known for his temper. After all, he’d gone away for snapping at someone a little too hard. It was shocking he was even free, but that was the power of the mafia in the Tri-State area. “I’m already in so much trouble.” I blurted the words, unsure of what else to say.

“You need to be more careful, Lizzie.” That was always his nickname for me, and I hated it.

“I know you’re supposed to report back to my dad but—”

He lifted a hand. “Wait, wait.”

I snapped my mouth closed, enveloping my arms over the seatbelt to hug myself.

“Report back?” He tilted his head. “He doesn’t even know about this.”

“He didn’t have you follow me?”

Turning toward me, he smirked. “I have better things to do than watch you.”

“Why were you there, then?” I gnawed the inside of my bottom lip, interrogating the man many people called thedevil.

He moved his hand down, and I jumped. With a look of displeasure, he pulled a phone from his pocket, holding it up.

“A phone?” I snorted.

He nodded. “I had to get a new one since I’ve only been out a week, and I’m having to catch up on things again. I wanted to see the beach after that. It’s been a while, you know.” He slid the phone between his thighs on the seat.

A week. I repeated the timeframe in my head as my eyes traveled to his legs. He glanced at me with a cryptic countenance. He was hard to read. I hastily diverted my attention.

“I have no interest in getting you in trouble, but you almost got yourself in trouble today, fucking around with your boyfriend and drinking on the beach. Especially underage.”

“He’s not m—”

“It’s okay.” He put the car in gear and drove toward the exit. “I simply ran into you, and I’m giving you a ride home.”

“And the cops?”

He pursed his lips, staring ahead. “They’re friends of mine.”

“Ohhh.” I smiled. “So not real cops, then?”

“I never said they weren’t real.” He scowled. “Just don’t ask questions.”

Whatever. I wanted to speak, but I didn’t want to upset him. His fuse had always been short with people from what I knew, but he’d never shown aggression to my family. Instead, I relaxed a bit, knowing I wouldn’t be killed when I got home. He didn’t want to get me in trouble and now we shared this secret. Who was he to judge, anyway? Illegal activity was his thing.And why the hell did he smell so fucking good?I found myself mesmerized once again by his cologne.

Elizabeth sat in the passenger seat, silently rolling her bottom lip between her fingertips. I wasn’t sure what to make of her. She’d always been so bold when she was younger, but today, she seemed a bit more nervous. Maybe she was scared I’d still rat her out to James. In the past I might have, but she was not a child anymore and what she had done was nothing compared to the things most people did. It could have certainly been worse had I not shown up.

Normally, I would’ve kept my distance, but I gravitated to her when I saw her on the ground with her boyfriend while she was grinding on him. That’s when I realized they were drinking and saw the police meandering that way.She’s lucky I knew them well.

Right now, I couldn’t take my eyes off her lips and slim fingers as I caught glimpses from the corner of my eye. I saw her looking at my lap earlier when I slid my phone between my thighs. She was playing with fire. I refused to stare at her exposed, tanned legs. I needed to keep my eyes on the road. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I was determined to concentrate ahead and not on the woman she’d become while I was away.

RING!

She removed her phone from between her breasts.Fuck. She was dangerous in her own way.

Hello?

Yeah, on the way home. Did you guys get off the beach okay?

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