Page 94 of Romeo

She fucking knew it was. And was gloating about it.

He’d give her that because…Damn. He could eat that whole pot himself. Just maybe not in one sitting.

His brothers would fall over themselves to slob down some of this.

Was he sharing? Fuck no.

The sweet butts occasionally cooked for him, but he mostly ate whatever he could grab from the kitchen at Dick’s.

It had been a while since he sat down at a table and shared a meal with a woman. In fact, the last time was most likely last Christmas. Cait, Magnum’s ol’ lady, always invited him over to spend the holiday with their family.

He used to go over every year just to try to get down Ali-Cat’s pants. But now Magnum’s oldest daughter was married to that pig and had a piglet with him.

And his sergeant at arm’s younger daughter Asia was too damn young. Like jailbait young. And the fuck if he was into that.

He liked his women ripe. Just like that peach Maddie had earlier today.

Sweet and juicy.

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Why areyou staring at me like that?”

“Like what?” Romeo pretended he wasn’t looking at her in the same way he was looking at the chili. As if she was edible and he was a starved man.

Maddie circled her spoon in the air at the same level at his face. “I can’t tell if you’re in shock that I can cook or if you’re going to launch yourself across the table to eat me instead.”

“Maybe it’s both.” He shoved another generous spoonful into his mouth. “If you want a new job, got a spot for you in Dick’s kitchen.”

She huffed, “I have a career already and it’s not as a line cook.”

“Could be temporary ’til you find somethin’ better.”

“So, about that…”

“Shoulda walked out when I did.”

“Well, I know this is a difficult concept for you to understand, but let me explain it, anyway… I don’t belong to you, so I don’t have to follow your orders.”

She didn’t have to wear his cut for him to want to protect her. “No reason to stay in that fuckin’ job, woman, and keep lettin’ him abuse you.”

“Did you only come over to rehash this? If so, I’m going to tell you, you made things tense for me at work today. I told you to stay out of it and you didn’t. I could’ve gotten fired. I’m sure Roger seriously considered it. Oh wait. You know how I know that he did? He told me at least a half dozen times that I’m ‘lucky’ he didn’t fire me.”

That asshole needed to be taught a lesson… More like Smith needed a beat down. “Worried about you.”

“Don’t be. I’ve survived working there for over a year now. How he acts isn’t new. He’s been like this from the start. Anyway, it’s not only me, he treats everyone like shit. It’s the whole reason there’s a high turnover rate.”

“Surprised nobody snapped and cut the bitch.”

She raised both eyebrows at him. “Could it be because doing so is illegal? In case you’re unaware, stabbing someone is a crime, being an asshole isn’t…” Her lips twitched. “Or you’d be doing life behind bars.”

Once again, she had jokes. “You sayin’ I’m an asshole?”

“Am I wrong? Didn’t you say that men are dicks?”

She wasn’t wrong.

“Luckily,” she continued, “I’m used to dealing with men with egos bigger than a hot air balloon.”

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