Page 77 of Recklessly You
She closes her eyes, taking a steady breath. “Okay, I understand.” She reaches for the door handle.
“Do I get a kiss?” I ask like a needy little bitch.
She gives me a bright smile that could light up a dark night. “Of course.” She leans in and pecks my lips.
Really, that’s it?
Grabbing her by the face, I sink my lips into hers. My mouth works with urgency, desperate for every second, and I bite down lightly on her bottom lip before pulling away.
Before shutting the door, she asks, “See you in a bit?” She raises a brow.
I nod. “See you soon.”
* * *
I slamthe front door and march into the living room, my keys rattling in my clenched fist. I throw them onto the kitchen table and slouch onto the sofa, pressing my hands against my forehead as I let out a long sigh of frustration. For the past twenty-four hours, my head has been spinning. I spent all morning at the station listening to detectives interrogate the man who survived a gunshot to the leg. He gave us Pablo’s whereabouts in exchange for protection for himself and his family.
I spent the last hours with the task force and the DEA, outlining our plan to move in on him. We need to play it off, as if we don’t know shit, before we move in on him. I’m certain he’s expecting us to pounce on him. He knows that someone in his gang has ratted him out. Pablo wouldn’t have sent his top people to a law enforcement benefit event without being aware they’d be significantly out-manned.
I know Pablos’s location. I should be jumping for joy. Make no mistake, I want to redeem my father’s death. For the first three years of my life without my father, my mother attempted to do whatever she could to mend me. She sent me to therapist after therapist, hoping one of them could help me talk about the night he passed away. But I was too shattered, and not even their efforts could put the pieces back together. I was broken beyond repair. Reminding me of my demons.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, bringing me back to reality as I stare at the black screen of the TV.
* * *
Sophie:Hey, are you still at the station?
Me:Can you meet me at Luigi’s Pizza on Mission?
She immediately answers.
Sophie:Yeah, what time?
Liam:In ten minutes, wait for me in the parking lot.
Sophie:Okay, see you in ten.
Shoving my phone into my pocket, I grab my keys off the table. My Camaro roars to life as I drive to Luigi’s with the windows down, inhaling the salty ocean scent and blasting my system. A light breeze feathers the night sky, relaxing my tense shoulders.
I park, waiting for Sophie. Two minutes later, I see her ruby-red Mustang pull in. It’s the same color as her lips. I wave for her to jump in the passenger seat. My heart rattles in my chest, and my jaw clenches.
“Hey, you. How did things go?” Sophie asks, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
“Good. One of the men gave us Pablo’s location.”
She clasps her hands with excitement. “I can’t wait till you guys get that motherfucker.”
My lips turn into a small smile.
She sighs. “Okay, tell me what’s wrong. You’re not acting like yourself.”
I blow out a harsh breath, staring out the window at Luigi’s. I haven’t been here in years.
“Sophie, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Her shoulders stiffen, and her beautiful blue eyes become glassy. She must sense where this is going. When she gazes into my eyes, it’s as though she can see right into the depths of my soul. “What is it?” she whispers.
“The only people who know the entire story of what happened that night are Dominic and his brothers. My mom…I could never tell her. She knew some of it from the detectives who were there after it happened. Talking about it makes me relive the night that…part of me died.”
