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“Talk to Ace. He’ll get his men in order.”
I shake my head. I trust Ace, but Hulk is his son, and I don’t know if they’re all in on this. “No. We’re doing this my way.”
“And Tag doesn’t know?” asks Michael. At the mention of Tag, I look away. He’s like a brother to me, and I hate keeping this from him, but I know he won’t approve of my plan. Tag and I always talked about running things fairly and doing everything differently from how our fathers ran things. It’s not as easy as we thought. And now, Tag’s married to Hulk’s sister, and I don’t want him to feel torn. Maybe that’s another reason why the guy’s so twisted up about the Mafia, because not only do I flirt with his ex, but now his sister is married into it. Either way, I’m taking this personally, and until I know who I can trust, Piper is part of my plan.
Once Michael’s left, I head upstairs and look in on Piper. She’s exactly how I left her, sound asleep. I smile to myself, wondering how she’ll react tomorrow when she realises she’s still here and not back at the club like she requested.
I don’t get much sleep, but it isn’t surprising. I only ever sleep for two or three hours because I have too much shit on my mind to relax. I shower and dress, then head down to the kitchen where Penny is cooking breakfast. She smiles warmly. “Good morning, Mr. Martinez.” I nod, taking the newspaper she holds out for me before sitting at the breakfast table. It’s the same routine most mornings. “Your mother seems bright today.” My smile falters at the mention of her. “She ate some eggs.” I pretend to read the newspaper as I can’t deal with a conversation about my mother this early in the morning.
Ella waltzes in. “Don’t bother to tell him, Penny. He doesn’t give a shit.”
“Language,” I mutter, staring down at the newspaper to avoid the glare I know is directed at me.
“How was dinner? I really like Piper.” Ella’s chirpy tone first thing bugs the shit out of me.
“Don’t get too close,” I warn. “It’s not permanent.”
“ANTON!” We all look towards the doorway, where Piper appears looking furious. I lean back, giving her an easy smile. “What the actual fuck?”
“Good morning, Piper. Please, join us for breakfast.”
“Fuck you, Anton.” She spins on her heel and leaves the room.
Ella exchanges an amused look with Penny, then smirks. “I don’t think she’s very happy with you.”
“No shit,” I mutter, throwing down the newspaper and heading after her.
“Language,” I hear Ella say as I leave.
Piper’s unlocking the front door. She glances back to see me gaining on her and cries out in frustration, working her fingers faster to unfasten the security chains. I reach her, slamming my hand above her head. Her hands fall to her sides. “Let’s not start the day on bad terms,” I whisper in her ear. “If I’m in a bad mood, it affects everyone around me.”
“Did you drug me?” she snaps, turning to face me and realising what a mistake that is when we’re so close. Still, she squares her shoulders and glares at me, waiting for my response.
“He’s obsessed,” I say, and she frowns. I pull her mobile phone from my pocket, and her eyes widen.
“You took my phone?”
“Nonstop messages,” I continue, flicking through the messages from Hulk. “And you were only gone a night. Do you see how this could work for you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Does he always message you, or is it because he knew you were with me?” She shrugs. “I’m betting the latter.”
“What do you want from me, Anton?” she cries.
“All we have to do is pretend to be fucking.” I move my mouth to her ear. “It could work for both of us.”
“Why?” she asks. “Why do you want me to agree to this?”
“I have my reasons.”
“Which are?” she demands.
I grin, moving my lips just a breath from hers. She inhales sharply, and her tongue darts out to wet her lower lip. “None of your business.” I push off from the door and head back to the kitchen. “Now, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
“Anton,” she hisses. I ignore her, knowing she’ll follow because she wants the attention from Hulk and I’ve just offered it on a plate.
Chapter Four
