“I’d do anything for her.”
“You’d better. Because you fuck that girl over, you’ll be answering to me.”
It’s so endearing, I can’t help but grin. “You standing in for her dad?”
Pauly lifts his chest as if it’s a role he’d be honored to fill. “That’s right.”
I hold out my hand and when Pauly takes it, pull him in for a man hug. We pound each other’s backs. “Thanks for talking to her. I think she needed it, you know? She never got over his death.”
Pauly’s face sags. “Yeah, me neither.”
Sophie
I wait for Joey in the passenger seat of his car, the scent of his cinnamon gum wrapping around me like a blanket.
He strides out, expression impassive, but his long legs eating up space on the way to the car.
He takes the pistol from his waistband and puts it in the glovebox with the bullets but doesn’t say anything when he gets in, just starts the car and pulls out.
“Am I in trouble?” The idea sort of excites me. Punishment at Joey’s commanding hands. Especially now that this heavy weight that’s been lodged in my body since my dad’s death has come free and is splintering away in large chunks as I sit here.
Joey turns a speculative gaze on me. “Yeah, baby. You’re definitely in trouble.” He reaches over and pulls my head toward his lips to drop a kiss on the top of it. “You scared the hell out of me.” He squeezes my nape.
He loves me. I hadn’t bought all his smooth talk up until now, but his expression was absolutely terrorized when he burst into Pauly’s, and the way he sagged against the wall, pale and exhausted, told me everything. He isn’t the sort of man to show fear—not to anyone. But tonight I saw real fear. And it was for me.
“I’m sorry. I, um, talked to my mom. To tell her about you.” I catch his gaze for a second as he drives, and I see startled pleasure there.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. She wasn’t happy, but it’s okay. She should know when there’s somebody in my life.”
“Aw, baby. Are you done pretending you’re not mine?”
I laugh, frissons of warmth and pleasure running through me. “I might be. Yes.”
“You’re mine,” he says firmly. “And you need to take better care with what’s mine.”
I let out a light puff of air on a laugh.
“Don’t bring a gun to a Made Man’s house to use against him. I don’t think Pauly would hurt you, but it’s just… dangerous. Accidents happen, as you know.”
“I know. It was stupid. I wasn’t thinking. My mom told me Pauly was responsible, and then she wouldn’t tell me any more, and I felt like I had to get some answers. Pressuring you for them wasn’t right. I didn’t want it to be between us anymore.”
“That’s…really sweet.” Joey’s voice sounds a little choked. “How did it go with Pauly?”
“Good.” I grow even lighter as I process it all. “My dad visits him sometimes. Tells him to take care of me,” my voice wavers.
“Whoa, really? Did that make you happy?”
“Yeah, kinda,” I let out a watery laugh. “I guess I always felt like he abandoned me, you know? But he didn’t.”
Joey’s lips quirk. He picks up my fingers and brings them to his lips, kissing my knuckles as he drives. He finds a place to park in front of my townhouse.
When he looks at me, his eyes glitter. “Now it’s time for your punishment.”
ChapterTwelve
Sophie