Page 16 of Lips On My Soul

Maceo grumbles but returns to his bike. I head for Jared’s truck, but I can feel Lorenzo’s piercing glare on me the whole way. I don’t look back, afraid of tempting him further.

Once we’re on the road, with Maceo tailing us, Jared turns to me. “What the fuck was that about?”

“Get ready for this shit.” I explain everything that’s happened since Maceo came home.

Jared’s mouth hangs open. “Holy shit!”

“No kidding, right?!”

“Well, I hope you don’t expect me to be nice to your parents. I’m as pissed at them as you are,” he admits.

I laugh. “You hold grudges like a teenager.”

Jared shrugs and smiles. “Whatever. I only hope Maceo doesn’t come after me since you’re sitting in my truck.”

I shake my head. “I hope you don’t mind, but I told him you’re gay.”

Jared chuckles. “Great. Now I have to worry about him thinking I’m hitting on him too.”

“It came up when we were talking about the wedding party. He suggested asking my sister to be my maid of honor.”

Jared pouts. “You want me to back out?”

“Fuck, no! Maceo has no problem with you standing in as my man of honor, but if I ask Simone to stand up too, he’s planning on asking Ziggy to stand up with you, instead of Gauge.”

At the mention of Ziggy’s name, Jared stiffens, white-knuckling the steering wheel. “Oh.”

I give him a knowing smirk. “Remember when the trailer was destroyed? You came to me and swore Ziggy was flirting with you when he was helping us sort through everything, but we both poopooed it because we assumed he was straight. Well, apparently, we were wrong.”

His grip tightens on the wheel, looking at me with big hopeful eyes. “Don’t fuck with me, Jo.”

My smile widens. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Jared’s brown eyes crinkle in the corners as he smiles, returning his attention back to the road. “Have you seen his dirty-blond curls and the muscles on him? He’s totally hot.”

“You are too. I think you two would look good standing up with each other.”

“I think the two of us would look good lying down with each other,” Jared mumbles to himself, but I overhear and bust out laughing.

“Well, then it’s settled. I’ll tell Maceo to ask Ziggy to stand up with you while I mull over asking my sister.” We’re both snickering as we pull onto the build site.

Maceo is off his bike and opening my door in a nanosecond. “I’m not talking to you right now,” I tell him flatly.

“I want to know what themafiosobastard said to you,” he demands.

“More of the same shit he always does,” I say, irritated. “Be prepared when a giant bouquet of flowers is delivered tomorrow because you know it will.”

“We’re donating them to the hospital,” Maceo grouches. He would probably throw them away, but I had once mentioned we should give them to others who would appreciate them.

Talking of Lorenzo reminds me of what he said about Tiny Tony. I’m worried about him. “You don’t think he would’ve hurt Tony, do you?”

Maceo runs a hand over his face. “I was wondering the same thing. I’ll go over to his place and check on him later.”

I give Maceo a pleading look.

“My mistake. I’ll go check on him now,” he amends, reading the duress on my face.

Relieved, I get on my tippy toes, and he bends to kiss me on the lips. “Thank you,” I whisper.

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