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When I feel like I’m not going to throw up again, I stand and wash my hands. Bending, I suck water into my mouth from the faucet and rinse my mouth, repeating the process several times before I feel clean. Grabbing a paper towel, I wipe off my hands and mouth, my heart racing as I make my way toward the door.
Gavino.
How would I possibly explain to him what happened? I’m not even sure.
Taking a deep breath, I push the door open, my eyes immediately flicking to Gavino who is stood outside the door. His shoulders are stiff despite the kind look on his face. Guilt pools in my gut, filling the space the nausea had just left.
“I’m fine,” I reassure him, forcing a smile. “My stomach has been feeling off all morning, I think I just ate something funny last night.” He doesn’t say anything right away, but I can feel the shift in the air, that uncomfortable feeling I’d always get when he spoke with Remy. So I try to joke my way out of the situation. “Bad timing, huh?”
He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Impeccable.” I bite the inside of my cheek. He continues, a hand falling to my arm to guide me back to the table with my things. “How about we swing by the drugstore on the way back to your place? You can get something for your stomach.”
I nod, reaching to collect my book and phone. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” He hands me my now cold coffee, and I smile despite nausea roaring back to life at seeing the ring shining on my finger when I grab it from him. “Thank you.”
Chapter FOur
REMY
Taking a drag of my cigarette, I gaze up at the sky, chewing on the inside of my cheek as I hold the smoke in my lungs until they burn. Even then I don’t let it out all at once, relishing the pain as I let the smoke seep little by little from my nose as I exhale. Seagulls chirp and shrill in the distance, the sound of water smacking against the steel docks nearly loud enough to drown out the sharp mechanical sound of men loading up trucks at my back.
I’m stuck on the docks for another month as part of my punishment from my father and Geo. That was my father’s addition because, of course, he had to have one. Turning around, I watch as counterfeit paintings are carefully examined in the interior of the building through the open bay door, a flawless counterfeit of Le Rêve currently under inspection. I hear him before he speaks, casting a quick glance his way before snubbing my smoke out onto the steel banister I’m leaning against.
“How much longer are you on dock duty?” Andrea asks, his golden hair shining in the sunlight. A curl drifts over his forehead with the breeze, his eyes falling on the same team I was just watching inside.
“A month.” My tongue runs over my bottom lip, catching on the healing split. "Give or take a few days.”
“That’s some shit, yeah?” Donatello comments, coming to stand next to us, his hands sliding into his pockets.
Andrea eyes him, his big arms crossing over his chest. “What are you doing here? I thought you had a job over on the east side.” His eyes are narrowed in suspicion with the question, but Donatello doesn’t seem to notice, or at least, care.
“What? Oh yeah, I finished that shit already,” he replies offhandedly, nodding toward me. “You see Gavino got Bev a ring?”
My teeth clench.
Figlio di puttana.
Of course, he’d gotten her a ring. That gloatingbastardois hellbent on rubbing his engagement to Bev in my face any chance he gets.
“Che due coglioni?”What the fuck?Donatello hisses as Andrea smacks his arm, scowling at him. “It’s just a fucking question.”
“You’re always starting shit. You can’t ever keep your mouth shut,” Andrea says with a shake of his head, his eyes flicking from Donatello to me.
“You saw it?” I ask him as he sneers at Andrea.
“No, but Luca saw him buy it. Said he spent a pretty penny on it too.”
One of my cousins, Luca, had a knack for being annoying. It wasn’t surprising he was the one to share the news.
Andrea snorts, shaking his head, but I don’t respond, chewing on my lip as I look over the water instead.If Beverly is going to get a ring from the weasel, the least he can do is spend a fortune on it.
“I have a meeting with my father in a few minutes,” I finally say, changing the subject. Talking about Bev with Gavino in any compacity makes me feel like tearing through the entire organization with a tommy gun, and I can’t handle even a moment more. “Donatello can stay and supervise the shipment in my place.”
He scoffs, looking between Andrea and me. “Why the fuck do I have to?”
I stand up off of the railing, smirking at Andrea. “Because you’re done with your job.” I start to walk away, speaking over my shoulder. “And you don’t know how to keep your mouth shut.”
“Oh, fuck you!” he yells at my retreating back. “You owe me, Andrea, I’m cashing in.”
I hear Andrea’s reply as I’m getting into my SUV. “Can’t, I have other business finish up.”
