“Is my cousin. I said I was young when I met him Lorenzo, not that I didn’t remember what he looked like. I have a photographic memory. The man you were talking to is my cousin, Gideon St. James.”
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head.
No fucking way! This was not happening. Oh God, he knew I slept with her. He threatened to take her from me. He knew about me, my family, the Golden Skulls, everything. What the fuck was going on?
“Are you sure?”
“I have an I.Q. of 193, trust me. I know.”
Fuck!
This changed everything. The St. James family was no joke. There wasn’t anyone on the fucking planet that hadn’t heard the name St. James. The family was ingrained with money, connections, political alliances, military background, the whole lot. There were rumors that the St. James family moved around world political figures like a game of chess. The family was that connected. No one fucked with the St. James family. Ever. I thought my family was badass but the St. James Family made mine look like the Brady Bunch.
God, this was not happening.
“Why are you freaking out? Just answer my question.”
What the hell could I say? I was in no position to go up against a St. James. I would never win. Not even with Giovanni and the family backing me. I could call in the Golden Skulls and we’d still get our asses kicked.
“I didn’t know,” I whispered. “I mean. I knew you were related but I didn’t really think it was possible. I knew the family was sending someone but I didn’t think it would be him. He never said. He never hinted. I just thought he was a good Samaritan, someone who wanted to help.”
“Lorenzo, you are acting star-crazed. He’s just a man.”
“A man that can destroy me with a flick of his finger! Besides, why didn’t you say anything when you talked to him. You know, like give me a heads up?”
“I thought you knew. Besides if he didn’t want to acknowledge me then I wasn’t going to acknowledge him either. Like I said before, I knew of him but our families didn’t mesh well together. I never saw him again after that one time.”
“Just how are you related?”
“Our mom’s. Mine and his are sisters. According to my mom, her sister never approved of my dad. I don’t remember the specifics because I was very young but they had a big falling out.”
“Well,” I muttered, cocking my head, as her eyes narrowed. “If you even think about saying anything about my dad, you and I are going to have words. Lots of words.”
“Gonna need a dictionary then,” I muttered quietly to myself but not soft enough because I flinched when I felt the sting of her slap on my shoulder. “Ouch woman. Secure the claws. I was only joking.”
“No, you weren’t!”
Smiling, I reached for her while she tried to evade me. Grabbing her, I pulled her towards me, wrapping my arms around her struggling figure. “Calm down. I meant nothing by it. You’re smart. I’m not. I accept that and if I have to pause a fight to look up a word you shout at me, you are just going to have to deal with that. Besides, I don’t like fighting with you. I’d rather do other things; more fun, succulent, scandalous things.”
“You are a pig.”
“Oink-oink baby. I’m all yours, which reminds me. You never answered my question.”
“Which question?”
“Marriage?”
She said nothing as I looked down at her but when I saw her smirk, I knew she was about to say something that was going to drive me crazy. Holding my breath, I waited and when she finally spoke, my stomach dropped. “Okay, I’ll marry you Lorenzo, when you can tell me what the real definition of marriage is.”
I stood there confused as she leaned up on her toes and kissed my cheek before she walked back into the house laughing.
The real definition of marriage?
What the fuck?
“I’d start with the Webster’s Definition first.”
Cursing, I growled, “Don’t you ever fucking knock? You know I have doors and shit. Stop sneaking up on my ass!”