Page 31 of Tasting Sin

The man stared at me, and the intensity of his green eyes made my blood run cold. When Enzo sat forward on the edge of his seat and fixed his sleeves, he glared. I shivered. “What can we do for you?” I asked. My voice was warm and sweet despite the nerves that half-paralyzed me.

Something felt off about the man. His red hair was nicely styled, and his matching beard was perfectly groomed. The suit he wore was as nice as Enzo’s, and the fabric was free of all wrinkles. He tugged the sleeve, fixing the cuff on his wrist. Then he smirked, and I gulped, swallowing the anxious nausea that burned the back of my throat.

“I hear you’ve got pretty good cupcakes in here,” he said in a thick accent before licking his lips.

I narrowed my eyes when Enzo clenched his hands into fists. Did he have a gun like Ronan’s? I imagined one hidden behind his waistband, realizing when he opened and closed his fist again that he was probably more likely to use his hands. I glared at him, shaking my head as if to tell him to behave. Like he’d even listen to me.

“We definitely do,” I said. “Some of the best.”

The man lifted a single brow, and his crooked smile made my stomach flip. “Good,” he said, approaching the counter. He lowered his voice. “I’ve been looking for a good place to feed my sweet tooth.”

“Well, unfortunately, we’re closing in two weeks.” I shrugged, like my heart didn’t break with the words, as if I hadn’t just dried the tears from my cheeks. “The building owner sold the place.”

When the man leaned against the counter, I caught a whiff of his strong cologne. He smelled musky, like wet grass with a hint of spice. “That’s too bad,” he said, lowering his voice until it got slightly husky. “Where will you move?”

Enzo stood up, causing the pink chair he was seated in to scrape against the floor. The sound interrupted us, drawing our eyes in his direction. He sat back down, but his glare carved itself deeper into his face.

“I—I’m not sure yet,” I stuttered, forcing my stare away from Enzo.

The man reached back into his pocket, and Enzo stood back up, reaching for his hip. He did have a gun. “Well, when you start to look, let me know.” He handed me a card, and I read it quickly, scanning over his name. Brian O’Malley.

“You need to go now,” Enzo said. I hadn’t seen him cross the bakery, but he was suddenly standing directly behind the man. Be careful you who you take help from.

Brian lifted his hands, but the smirk on his face didn’t match the innocent gesture. Did they know each other? “I’m just buying some cupcakes.”

“No, you’re not,” Enzo said harshly. “You’re leaving.”

I cleared my throat. “You don’t get to tell my customers to leave.” I stomped my foot, smacking my hand against the counter and glaring at him. Who did he think he was? I lifted my finger, pointing it at him like my mother used to when she scolded us. “This is my bakery, not yours.”

“I’m looking out for your best interests.” Enzo’s voice was low and controlled, but it dripped with an unspoken threat. “I’m protecting you.” He emphasized each word, and when Brian turned to argue, my frustration erupted.

“And I told you I don’t need your protection.” I set the empty box back on the table, pointing toward the door. “You both need to leave. Now.”

Chapter 20

Ronan

“Nikki said the Cassidys haven’t been back to The Full Spread.” I stopped at the light, listening to the quiet hum of the engine and the click of the turn signal. “Giaco doesn’t believe her.” I wasn’t sure I did either. They were adamant against listening to us. They all but guaranteed they’d be back—and often.

Enzo shrugged in the front seat. “Well, after Brian O’Malley was at that bakery yesterday—”

“What did you just say?” The light turned green, but I didn’t move forward. “They were at the bakery?” Bright pink walls flashed across my mind, and my stomach tightened.

“Yeah, yesterday. That’s what I said.” He sounded casual while my heart pounded in my chest, and my lungs felt like they were filled with sand. I couldn’t get a deep breath past the feeling of dread. “Nothing happened.”

I hit the gas, lurching forward into the intersection and flipping the car around to drive back in the direction we came from. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I demanded, speeding up and weaving around the car in front of us.

“He was just buying some cupcakes.” He looked behind him in the direction of the strip club he was more than familiar with. “Plus, I told him to leave. Why is it such a big deal?”

I slammed my fist into the steering wheel, not slowing down much when I turned left. The cars I turned in front of blared their horns, but I ignored them. My sights were set on a bright pink bakery and the curly-haired brunette who ran it. “Because you were told to protect her!”

“I did protect her!” he shouted, turning in his seat and sticking his finger in my face. “I told him to leave. He left. Like I said, nothing happened. She was perfectly safe.” He emphasized the last word defensively.

I swerved around a parked car, flying through a red light and the mostly empty intersection. “You still should’ve told me.” I would handle my cousin later.

When I parked in front of the bakery, I saw Nellie through the window. She was putting cupcakes in a little white box with a half-melancholy smile on her face. Something was wrong. I didn’t wait for Enzo to get out of the car before I burst through the front door, causing the now-familiar bell to ring violently. Nellie looked up, whipping her head in my direction, and as soon as Enzo walked in behind me, she groaned.

“Seriously?” she whined, looking past me at my cousin. “You told him?”

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