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“What a mess.” That’s it. She hasn’t yelled or ranted. Instead, she’s looked at me for confirmation, and my nod seems to be enough each time. Aliana grabs her can of pop and sits back in her large accent chair, taking a few sips, while the matching one is occupied by Kray. He’s on his mobile checking the addresses I gave him for Rubens and the Martin family, but when Giannis confessed, I didn’t miss the sudden drop in his tense posture. Not in surprise, but as if this is a confirmation he needed. Interesting indeed. “Wait a minute. Time-out.” The adorable girl even holds her hand up in the universal sign for stop. “What about the chick from the other night? The one you went home with?”
Thank you, gorgeous. But then again, I wasn’t going to ask. I’m a person who watches, lets those around him hang themselves, and these two are protective over the woman but for different reasons.
“Umm.” Giannis rubs the back of his neck, ears turning pink while Kray pauses and looks up. His eyes are hard on the git, silently demanding that Martin tell the truth. “About her...”
“Speak up, bloke. Don’t dig yourself a hole you won’t get out of.”
It’s not a suggestion, but a demand he adheres to. Giannis takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Lindsey knows my boyfriend. They’re cousins, actually, and she’s around to help buffer for us. He was one of the men that came in with her to the bar; they all work together.”
A loud, boisterous laugh pulls our attention toward the guard. He’s smiling, slapping his knee while sitting forward in the green velvet chair with gold trim that’s not large enough to contain him properly. Dwarfs my perfect girl, though. “That woman is a genius little troublemaker.”
“Oi. You okay there, mate?” Had this meeting been formal, two lashes from my whip would’ve reprimanded his outburst. Kray sobers immediately at my harsh glare, but his relief at their non-intimate connection is noticeable. She’s his. “Is there something you want to share with the rest of us?”
“Please forgive my interruption.”
I nod. “Carry on, Giannis. Finish explaining.”
“Dwayne is my everything.” Hands in front of him, he wrings them together nervously. “We’ve been together for eight months now, and we met through her. By pure divine luck, to be honest, I caught a flat and she happened to be driving down the road. Lindsey offered to help, and then called him when she realized her kit wasn’t in the trunk.”
“So, he changed your tire?” Aliana is smiling now, a genuine, silly grin, and my chest clenches at the gorgeous sight. “That’s how he swept you off your feet?”
“And gave me his number.”
“You meet up with Lindsey and her cousin outside the city limits every Monday, Wednesday, and on the weekends. Correct?” Kray interjects, and Giannis blushes a bit but doesn’t deny it. “I could’ve helped her. She had no need to lie.”
“The better question is why did they pull you out of the bar?” All eyes turn toward my girl, and I’m proud of her for being observant. The answer to her question is the one that matters. “What was the urgency, because she was adamant on you leaving.”
“Your cousin was in the building with his newest flavor of the month. I cut them off in the elevator before they made it upstairs.” The rosiness in her cheeks disappears at his words and she becomes pallid, eyes wide. “We cut off Jorge and invited him to join us at another club. He didn’t see or know you were there.”
“Thank you.” Her voice is shaky, uncertain. “This is such a clusterfuck.”
“This is my truth, Ali. What I’m doing to help—”
“Giannis, what do you...no.” She’s shaking her head from side to side. “No. You can’t get involved.”
“I already am.” They share a look I don’t miss, nor can I ignore the heavy implication.
“Venus,” I say, pulling her attention toward me, hating the worry in her expression. “What is going on with your family?”
“Don’t ask me that.” Head shaking from side to side, she stands and walks into her kitchen. The other two remain seated, but stand once I point at the door. In the background, I hear the slam of kitchen cabinets and a muffled curse that worries me.
“Get out. I’ll see you before I leave with instructions.”
“I’ll be near. My brother has a baseball game tonight.” Kray steps beside me, carefully placing a hand on my shoulder. It’s a friendly gesture. “Are we okay? Everything he said is true and can be found in the email I sent you. I love her and don’t want to see her get hurt.”
“We are.” That’s the only reason I’m calm. I’m doing the same for Aliana. “But fuck up again, and I won’t be so forgiving. Don’t make me doubt you.”
“Thank you.”
Timmons walks out without another word, and I turn my face toward the other man. He’s running a rough hand down his face, eyes shifting toward the kitchen. “Something you want to say?”
“My family’s having dinner tonight, but I can get out if you—”
I level him with a hard stare; it’s not friendly. “You will go and pretend nothing has changed. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“You will also be spending more time across the street until I return.” There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s aware of what’s going on with her, but I’m going to give her the chance to be honest with me. To trust me before I act out of reflex and not fact.
