Was that what it was, a goodbye kiss? It wouldn’t surprise me if Jack was planning to bolt. Being dragged into the life of a stranger like this had to be so fucking weird and uncomfortable for him.
The fact that we’d just slept together made the whole thing doubly confusing. I hadn’t intended to go there again, but he was just so damn irresistible.
I sat there staring at the bathroom door for a full minute before finally making myself get up and leave the guest room. As much as I wanted to figure out what was happening between Jack and me, there was a lot to deal with here in Vegas, and I had to get my head in the game.
And I couldn’t neglect my family, who’d gotten dragged into the middle of this situation. I’d told them I’d be there at lunchtime, so the first thing I did when I reached my room was send Romy a text. Then I called a local deli and placed an order.
After a quick shower, I put on a nice suit. I’d be meeting with some of my men after I saw my family, so I needed to look the part. The gun and shoulder holster concealed under my jacket were included just in case, not that I expected trouble. Greco tended to be most active at night, like the rodent he was.
Once I was dressed, I went downstairs and made some coffee. While it was brewing, I slipped a large envelope under the colander, carried the scorpion out the back door, and set it free. It was a tiny little thing, but it squared up and flicked its tail anyway, just to remind me who was in charge.
Jack joined me in the kitchen as I finished putting the lids on two travel mugs. He was dressed in his blue suit again, because what choice did he have? “I know you prefer cream and sugar in your coffee, but I’m out of almost everything, so it’s black,” I said, as I handed him one of the mugs.
“That’s fine, thanks,” he muttered, as he scanned the room. When he noticed the colander in the sink, he asked, “What happened to the alien invader?”
“I set it free.”
“In here?”
“Out back. Let’s get going,” I said, as I draped the laptop case’s strap over my shoulder. “I told my brother I’d be there at one, and we need to pick up lunch on the way.”
I started to head for the door to the garage, but Jack hesitated and asked, “Are you sure I should come with you? I feel like I’m intruding on your time with your family.”
“You’re definitely not intruding, and you’ll love my mom and brother. Everybody does. Besides, the only food in this house is the junk you got from the gas station, and you must be hungry. I placed a huge order at my favorite deli. They make the world’s best potato salad, hands down.” That was a pretty weak sales pitch, but what else was I going to do, order him to come with me?
He stood up straighter and managed to hide the hint of vulnerability in his eyes. “Fine,” he said, “let’s go. But don’t blame me when this all turns terribly awkward.”
“Why would it?”
He frowned as he asked, “How are you going to introduce me, Reno? As far as I can tell, you have two choices. The first is, ‘hey, fam, I’d like you to meet the asshole who stole my father’s irreplaceable watch. Lock up your valuables, because he’s about as trustworthy as a fox in a henhouse.’ I’m sure that’ll go over big.”
“What’s my second choice?”
“Lying to them and introducing me as a friend.”
“I can always introduce you as just Jack.” I made jazz hands and said the last two words with a little extra flair, which accomplished my goal of making him smile.
“You went way back into the archives for that ‘Will and Grace’ reference.”
“Yes, I did.”
Jack followed me into the garage and started to head to the convertible, but I said, “We’re taking the SUV, because it’s a lot less conspicuous than the Caddy. I’m not sure what Greco has planned, but I don’t want to make it that easy for him to find me.”
Once we both climbed into the Land Rover, Jack said, “You told me Greco wants to make an example of you, because you pushed back when he tried to take over your business. Do you think he plans to kill you?”
“Yeah, but probably not right away. Word on the street is that he’s into torturing his victims, really dragging out their suffering. Just shooting someone isn’t enough for him.”
Jack muttered, “Lovely,” and turned his head to look out the passenger window as I raised the garage door and started the engine.
He was quiet on the drive into town and opted to wait outside while I went into the deli to pick up my order. I was surprised to discover he was still in the SUV when I returned, and he appeared to be sulking. “Hey, look at you,” I said, in a feeble attempt at humor, “not running off at the first opportunity.”
He muttered, “I promised I wouldn’t do that.”
After a pause, I asked, “Are you worried about something?”
Jack finally met my gaze, with something that looked a lot like anger burning in his green eyes. “No, of course not. I’m thrilled that you came back to Vegas and put yourself in the crosshairs of a psychopath who wants to torture and kill you. That was definitely the smart thing to do, instead of giving up on your illegal gambling bullshit, moving your mom and brother someplace safe like San Francisco, and trying to stay alive!”
Oh. So, he was worried aboutme.