Page 88 of Skin Deep

Chapter27

Harrison

“Where’s she gonna go?” Keely said from behind us. “She’s probably inside because she doesn’t like sand. Or maybe she’s trying to sunbathe topless.”

Lach veered to the right of the house, and I went left. Stiff sand reeds were cracking underneath my tennis shoes as I flew past the side of the empty pier, heading toward the water.

“Georgina!” I roared out of panic.

We would have seen someone trying to take her. Or what if she… She had a thing for water when she tried to…I couldn’t even finish the thought.

“G!” Lach shouted from the other side.

We came out around the same time, jumping over the squat wooden pilings that separated the front of the property from the beach. Someone seemed to have made a short fence with them. I landed first and Lach a second after. Both of us stopped, panting for breath.

Lach squeezed my shoulder, shaking his head. “She’s all right, bro. Fuck.”

She was all right, running along the beach with Gus, laughing at how he was trotting like a Clydesdale next to her. But Lach had no idea of the other side of this for me. Of the worry that I’d always lose her to the darkness of her thoughts. I’d always bring her into the sun, but it wasn’t always going to be easy for her to feel it. For the rest of my life, I’d always be preparing for the darkest days of her life.

She was breathless when she made it to us. She smelled like sea water, cold air, and something sweet from her hair.

“What is going—”

I grabbed her so hard that she must have felt the desperation in my grip. She almost melted into me.

“What is going on?” she barely got out. “Owen—”

“He’s good,” I said, then moved her away so I could meet her eyes. I couldn’t even speak. Like she’d said about Gus, I looked into her eyes, and I was a fucking goner. There was nothing there but honesty. She had no clue that my heart was almost giving out.

“What my brother is trying to say, G, is now is not the time to take long walks on the beach by yourself. This is a safe house, but sometimes that doesn’t mean shit when the right people want to find you.”

“I have my gun,” she said, taking it out of the bag, lifting it.

Lach and I looked at each other and started laughing.

“Are you all coming in or what?” Keely said, standing at the edge of the pier, Kelly behind her, looking down at us. “We have things to talk about.”

We started walking toward the front of the house. Lach took Gus from Georgina and started running. Before we reached the door, she put a hand on my arm and pulled me back. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and her mouth came against mine. My tongue licked the seam across her lip, and she opened up to me. She was breathless when we pulled apart.

“I am not saying my days will always be like this one,” she said quietly. “But even without the sun, Harrison, I want to stay here with you. I do not want to leave you on purpose.”

I wrapped my arm around her neck, pulling her in close, and we went inside. The house was all white wood with windows that gave a wide view of the ocean. It smelled of burning wood and seasonings that brought to mind boiling seafood. The decor was mostly blues with the occasional red of cooked lobsters and crabs. The furniture was all made of wicker. Which Gus ran straight to, trying to tear apart with his teeth.

Georgina and Keely both went to correct him at once. All the men looked at me, and so did Georgina and my sister.

This was a no-win situation.

I looked at Gus. “Leave it.” My voice came out even and stern.

He did, then trotted behind Georgina as she went to look out the window at the beach. I slipped my arm around her neck, and she took my hand as I turned and brought her with me into the kitchen where everyone was convening.

Kelly started off the conversation by briefing everyone on Rocco Fausti’s visit to his office the day after the shooting.

Rocco Fausti belonged to the Fausti family. He was the son of Luca Fausti and the grandson of Marzio, which meant he was a big player in a royal criminal world. They thought of themselves as lords and masters over smaller criminal societies. I’d heard about them before I took the job with Kelly, but I’d never come face to face with one of them until I officially started working for him.

Rocco even offered me a place in his world if I ever decided to branch out and represent more people. He said he was impressed by what he’d seen and was looking forward to seeing me make a name for myself. He was a lawyer himself.

“He came to discuss Dolce, the Italian restaurant,” Kelly said. “When word comes down, I’ll be getting out of town for a while. Everyone here, along with Owen, will, too.”

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