Page 4 of Shameless in Vegas

I’mnotstaying married to her forever.

But I will keep her around long enough to get her out of whatever this mess is.

“I do,” I assure her with another stroke of my thumb under her eye, and I obviously saidthatalready. “I promise.”

TWO

NATALIA

Natalia Esposito: still good this AM

X Reyes: ¿casada?

Natalia Esposito: told u that last night

X Reyes: watch ur mouth, perra or I’ll slap the shit out of u next time I see u.

Natalia Esposito: …

Natalia Esposito: sorry

X Reyes: he believes u?

Natalia Esposito: yes

X Reyes: does he sound like he wants to end it yet?

Natalia Esposito: no, he believes the story

Natalia Esposito: says he’s going to help me

Natalia Esposito: going to meet up w/the sisters

X Reyes: good. Get him to take u back to NY

X Reyes: show him the crack house if u need to

X Reyes: he’s a pussy, he’ll feel sorry for u

X Reyes: and we need Ernesto’s bank info before u get to the job

X Reyes: and find out if the duke still has people watching us

Natalia Esposito: u already told me all this

X Reyes: puta, if u keep mouthing off ur gonna be as dead as he is

Natalia Esposito: sorry

“HANG ON,QUERIDA,” Joaquin says, turning from one of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the boujee Vegas suite where he’s buttoning his crisp, white shirt and tucking it in to tailored, designer navy slacks. “I’ll help you.”

I glance at him out of the corner of my eye as I stand in front of another mirror, pulling up the straps of the cherry red cocktail dress I wore last night. I have no idea what he’s talking about, and I offer him a slow blink and a tilt of my head. “¿Qué?”

He fastens his slacks as he steps away from the mirror, his strong, tapered fingers doing an absent rake through his tousled, inky black hair as he approaches and stands behind me. I watch him in the reflection as he tucks his chin to look down, and then I feel him clasp the zipper and tug it up into place.

I fight the urge to contort my face in annoyance.

Do I look like I need help with myzipper? Did Iask? Do I appear to be unable todress myself?

---