Page 61 of Matched into the Mob

Tony drummed his fingers on the table. “Let me see if I have this right. You being unhappy and Ranger looking like someone ripped his heart out will solve your brother’s issues?”

“No.” I folded and refolded the napkin into a tiny rectangle. “You’re twisting my words.”

“Seems to me what Josh needs is love, which he has in abundance from you, and therapy.”

“Come on. It’s not as simple as that.” I needed to get out of here before I burst into tears. “Besides, I can’t get in touch with Josh.”

Tony held up four fingers. “You were doing your job.” He curled one finger over so three remained upright. “You did nothing wrong.” Now there were two fingers. “If Dane killed you, he for sure would have gone back on his word and killed Josh too.” One remained. “Rather than being the cause, Ranger and the others saved you and Josh.”

I pulled the napkin over my face, tears streaming over my cheeks.

“That’s not fair.”

“Sorry, but if you won’t speak to Ranger, you’re gonna hear it from me.” He tugged at the napkin and it fell into my lap. “La Luna Noir is nothing like The Obsidian Circle. They would never deal in drugs, or kill a human, and they’re not corrupt.”

He cleared his throat. “Ummm, not strictly true, but they have a code of ethics, and the Durand family warmed to me after Flint mated me, especially after what we discovered about my dad.”

Ranger had described part of their business as murky, but maybe it was that way to me, a human and non-mafia member. Before the Dane incident, I had accepted Ranger as my fated mate. Did I have to accept that he came with a family, a pack, and history that stretched back even longer than humans had walked the earth?

“What do I do?” I was faced with an almost impossible choice.

“Talk to Ranger. Beyond that, you’re on your own. Dessert?” Tony was already checking out the menu, saying he was eating more than usual as he was still feeding Kendric.

I told him to go ahead but I was done, especially after he was served the toffee pudding. My belly roiled at the thick sauce. Combined with the whiff of caramelized sugar and a warm buttery fragrance, it dripped over the side of the pudding, pooling at the base.

I reared away from Tony’s lips glistening with sauce. Gross!

“You’re not a fan.” Tony laughed. He licked the spoon, and I almost gagged.

Maybe the weeks of stress, lack of sleep, and upheaval were catching up with me.

“You’re right. I should talk to Ranger.”

I stood outside the café after thanking Tony. Waiting until he’d driven off, I wandered up to the sports car parked at the corner and opened the passenger door.

“You’ve been here the whole time in your tiny toy car.”

TWENTY-FOUR

RANGER

“I have. Does that make me a stalker?”

“Maybe.” Matt shrugged. He got in and stared out the window rather than at me.

“I was worried about you.” Perhaps that was a line used by every stalker.

“Did you hear any of my conversation with Tony?” He rubbed his midsection and asked me to roll down the window. “It’s stuffy in here.”

I’d been too far away to pick up anything they’d said. He might label me a stalker, but I wasn’t an eavesdropper.

I bit back, “I love you,” and “I want you to come home with me,” and “Can we start again?” Not knowing what to say, I ran my eyes over my mate.

He’s lost weight, my wolf noted.

He’s been through some things. He still was. My clothes were looser than they had been two months ago.

“Josh needs help.”

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