Page 24 of Shattered Chords

“Like the view?” I asked.

“It’s impressive.”

“Very quiet at night,” I said in a low voice, leaning forward to pour us some juice.

We were silent for a few moments, listening to the muffled noise of the birds and crickets.

“You look really good, Dante,” Cassy finally noted.

“Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

Miniature, dark-haired, and lightly inked, she was a good-looking woman with spice and brains who could rock anything from skinny jeans to a Dolce & Gabbana suit. Frank was a lucky bastard.

“I’m serious about my offer,” Cassy insisted. “If you need help organizing things, I’m available.”

“That’s okay. I’ve got help. It’s just—” I paused mid-sentence. My mind blanked. The thoughts that had been there two seconds ago were now gone.

Panic crawled up my back. I hated when this happened. The doctor had said confusion was normal.

Normal, my ass!

I drew a deep breath and stared at the juice in my glass. It was so thick, I couldn’t see the bottom. That bugged me, because back in my heyday, seeing the bottom of the glass that held my drink was imperative.

“Look,” I said. “You don’t need to worry about me, short stuff. I’m good. I don’t want Frankie-boy thinking I’m fucking you too.”

Annoyance flitted across Cassy’s face. Her gaze found mine. “I think we’re already past the point where that’s an issue between the two of you.”

“Are we?” I matched her stare.

“You know the answer, Dante.” She shook her head and spun her glass, swirling the juice.

“I swear there’s no poison in it,” I croaked, watching her squirm as she took a small sip.

“How do you drink this?”

“Well.” I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the sky. “I either drink this horseshit or I die.” My lips stretched into a smile.

“I’m glad you still have your sense of humor.”

“Ah, you know. The devil can have my liver, kidneys, and pancreas, but he can’t have my wit.”

We shared a soft laugh.

“It’s not that bad actually,” I confessed. “You get used to it after a while.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Miss Triple Espresso. You should really cut down on your caffeine intake. Bad for your blood pressure.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s what my dietician and my doctor say.” I took a swallow of my juice. “You know what else is bad? Avocados.”

Disbelief twisted Cassy’s face.

“High potassium. Big no if you have crappy kidneys. Can you see the irony?”

She tilted her head in question.

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