Page 94 of Ruining Vanessa

“The kind that includes a day trip. Trust me. You’ll love it.”

There’s a small pause, then Giulio says, “Sure. Vanessa’s all cozy with Damien right now, and I’d mostly planned on catching up on reading. Did you know how many fucking finances are involved with running a huge organization?”

“Don’t care,” I say. “I’ll pick you up.”

“Ooh, can you bring tacos? From that place, you know the one, by the deli—”

“Jesus, Jules, do you ever think about anything but food?” I grumble, but it’s not a short trip. “Fine, but if you get lettuce in my seat again, you’re cleaning it up with your mouth.” And if he gets sour cream on the dashboard again… I’ll just shove his face into it.

I end the call, do some quick research on where Brad lives, then go to pick up the food and Giulio. He’s already waiting out front, talking to some tough looking bruiser with the most obvious “bodyguard” shades.

Giulio spots my car and pats his bodyguard on the shoulder before opening the door to the passenger seat. “Thanks, Larry! Tell Damien not to worry, and if he gets mad, blame me.”

Then he slides into the seat and pulls the door shut.

“Man, I hate having security. I’m fucking tired of being stalked, and it just keeps getting worse,” Giulio complains. “Where’s the food?”

“You should’ve had better security before this,” I comment, then gesture to the bag in the backseat. “And technically, we should probably bring him with us…” But I don’t want anyone else to kill this moment for us. I pull away from the curb. “Hand me one of the tacos in the white wrappers,” I tell him as I get on the road.

Predictably, Giulio checks what it is first. “Ah, classic. Pulled pork. Hope you told them to hold the flavor. Wouldn’t want you to expand your palate.” He grins as he passes the taco to me.

“Yeah, I told them to hold the flavor on all of them. No salt, too,” I snark before grabbing it from him.

Giulio laughs and checks his own raw tuna whatever taco. “Nice. You know, Vanessa ate raw fish with me the night before we realized she was preggo. She blamed her morning sickness on the fish.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t both?” I ask, making a face. I put my blinker on and get into the lane leading toward the interstate in Benton City’s direction. “That shit would make anyone sick.”

“I’ve never gotten sick from it.” Giulio chows down in silence for a while.

It’s kind of rare getting to enjoy peace and quiet with Giulio.

Of course, it doesn’t last long. “What’s this romantic vacation you’re taking me on? I didn’t think there was anything good in Benton.”

“Oh, there’s definitely something good in Benton.” I pause, taking a bite of my taco. “Well. Not good, but fun. You’ll definitely have fun, even if it takes you away from your baby mama.”

Giulio doesn’t answer for a while, gazing out at the road.

Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up Vanessa again, even though the entire trip is about Vanessa.

“You ready to be a dad?” Giulio asks, drumming his fingers on the dashboard. “If the whole baby thing sticks. Did you know like fifteen percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage? Damien told me this all solemnly, like don’t get your hopes up, Giulio, as if he wasn’t talking about himself.”

It’s a good thing I’ve finished eating, because I probably would’ve choked on my food if I hadn’t. Sure, I know Vanessa’s pregnant, but that hadn’t actually connected in my mind to being a dad. “Now, wait,” I say, with a nervous little laugh that sounds ridiculous coming from me. “You’re the dad here. I’m just the uncle. Or whatever.” Even if it’s my seed, the child is still Giulio’s, which…

I have mixed feelings about.

“You think my kid can’t have three dads?” Giulio laughs. “He or she will have spare parents. Which, given our line of work, is probably a good thing. Me all lax with security the way I am, who knows how long I’ll survive?”

“Don’t talk like that,” I growl, the words affecting me more than I want to admit. “You’re going to survive longer than your old man did, because you’re reckless, but you’re not stupid. And you’ll be less reckless once you realize you have a kid waiting on you at home—”

I shut up, gritting my teeth instead of continuing. Fuck. I don’t want to deal with these memories, these emotions. It’s so stupid to get carried away like this.

“Damien’s getting paranoid. Because of that whole thing with Nilo Romano. Reedy little fuck should just have taken up my offer to show him around town. He’d actually be getting laid, then.” Giulio rolls down the window a bit, letting cold air blast in.

I hit the button to roll the window back up in annoyance and lock all the windows too. “Stop acting like you’re five,” I mutter. “You aren’t careful enough about yourself. That’s why the rest of us have to step up. He’s not being paranoid. He’s being practical.” I can’t believe I’m defending Damien.

Hell must be freezing over as we speak.

“I don’t go out on my own,” Giulio protests. “Larry was there, right? And you and Damien have been playing bodyguards. Just, no point in putting up with what’s-his-face or what’s-his-face if the two of you are there. Fuck, you know the last time I’ve gone anywhere completely on my own? It might have been that time we met for breakfast after my old man’s wedding, before anyone really knew I was the boss. A few visits here and there to Ntimacy, but those don’t really count since there’s security inside the place itself.”

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