“Nor I to you,” she replied.
“Damn,” Gramps said. “Forty-five years old, and you’re gonna make me come in my pants.”
She giggled, then leaned forward and hugged him. Hard. “I didn’t think I’d ever be happy again,” she whispered. “And now I can’t imagine being anything but.”
Gramps mentally vowed to do everything in his power to keep her feeling just like this for the rest of her life. She’d lived through hell, and now it was time for her to see the light on the other side.
Knowing they needed a bit of space before he really did take her right there and then, Gramps stood back and held out a hand. He helped her down from the table, and they headed for the door.
“Thanks for the job, Leo. Seriously.”
He stopped before opening the door. “You’re welcome. And you should know, we didn’t offer just because you’re my girlfriend. We did so because we truly think you’ll do a great job and will be a good fit for Silverstone Towing and our employees.”
“And that makes me feel even better about accepting,” she told him.
“Good. You hungry? I think Archer was going to make cauliflower pizza for lunch. I didn’t think I’d like it, but it’s so good. You can’t even tell the crust isn’t bread,” Gramps said.
“I’m starved. And I probably need to force Mario to take a break from practicing.”
“You got him signed up for school, right? He starts next week?”
Cassidy nodded. “Yeah.”
“He’s going to be fine,” Gramps said.
“I know. Putting him in the fifth grade is the right choice. I’m confident that, intellectually, he’s ready for sixth, as I worked hard to keep him on track while we lived in Jamaica, but socially I think he’s better off with the younger kids.”
“And you’re worried about him being bullied,” Gramps guessed.
Cassidy bit her lip. “I love his style, and that he expresses himself however he feels now, but I also know how kids are. They’ll make fun of him, call him gay, and I just don’t want him to doubt himself. I love him just how he is, and I want him to do the same.”
“He’ll be okay. Know how I know?”
“How?”
“Because he’s got you. A lot of kids don’t have supportive parents like you. And he’s got us. Silverstone. We’ll nip any bullying in the bud.”
Cassidy wrinkled her nose as she looked up at him. “You’re not going to kill anyone who picks on him, are you?”
For a second, Gramps was stunned. Did she really think he and his friends were capable of such a thing?
Then she smirked. “Just kidding.”
“Shit, Cass. Did you just make a joke out of what Silverstone does for a living?”
“You need to lighten up,” she sassed. “And for the record, I’m against murder in general, but intimidating and scaring the shit out of anyone who dares to tell my boy he’s anything other than perfect . . . that’s fine by me.”
“Damn, woman. You’re fierce,” Gramps said, smiling down at her.
“No one messes with my son. He’s perfect exactly how he is.”
“And for the record, no one messes with you either,” he told her seriously.
“Thanks. It feels good to have a champion . . . and that’s why I’ll do whatever I have to in order to keep Mario safe.”
“Come on, mama bear. Let’s feed you and baby bear. You’ll both do great next week.”
“I hope so,” Cassidy murmured.
Gramps wanted to do more to comfort her, but he wasn’t sure what else to say. He’d just have to keep an eye on them next week. They’d both be dealing with a new situation. Mario needed to know that Gramps would always have his back, and Cassidy needed to know that she could lean on him.
They walked through the empty basement—Smoke had obviously taken Molly and the kids back to the main floor—and headed for the stairs.
Gramps felt good about where things stood between him and Cassidy. They were obviously on the same page, and he knew without a doubt that physically, they’d be explosive. He’d always been a little weird when it came to anticipation. He loved it. As a kid, he’d loved the feeling in the pit of his stomach as Christmas approached. Loved the excitement of opening presents, but enjoyed the lead-up as well. While in the Army, he’d enjoyed the moment right before all hell broke loose on missions. And with Silverstone, he looked forward to the anticipation he always felt during the planning process.
He had the same feeling now. The anticipation growing within him. Knowing he and Cassidy would eventually make love made his stomach churn, in a good way. It would happen when it happened, and would be that much better because they didn’t rush things. In the meantime, he’d enjoy the fuck out of kissing her, caressing her in passing, and seeing the lust and desire in her eyes that he knew would be reflected in his own.
“That look makes me nervous,” Cassidy said as she glanced up at him.
Gramps merely shrugged. “It shouldn’t. I’ve got nothing but your best interests at heart. Always.”
In response, she tucked her fingers into the belt loop at the small of his back and followed him across the room toward the kitchen. The slight pull at his waist was a small reminder that she was his. And he wasn’t giving her back or letting anyone else have her. Finders keepers and all that.
Lloyd glanced over at Martin. They were both looking a bit rough after the last few weeks in hiding. Things were pretty bad in Jamaica. Coke’s entire organization was in upheaval, and the fact that the lieutenants knew he’d taken off with a bunch of money was making it difficult for them to get out of the country undetected.
Coke had connections everywhere, in nearly every town. In bus stations, airports. So many people he’d been paying to spy, so getting away was proving trickier than even Lloyd had imagined.
But Lloyd had also been busy while they’d holed up. He’d made a couple of connections in El Paso, where he knew Cassidy’s parents lived. Coke might’ve been the head of the organization, but Lloyd had worked hard to cultivate relationships with some useful people in Jamaica over the years, which was paying off now.
In a week, he and Martin would be meeting a pilot on a private airstrip, who would fly them to Mexico. From there, they’d be picked up and taken to El Paso. Then they had plans to meet up with a local drug distributor, who would assist them in finding the Hewitts.
Lloyd was normally a patient man, but the longer he was forced to hide as if he was the criminal, the more irritated he got. Why should Cassidy and her brat be living free when he wasn’t? Women were inferior to men. They weren’t as strong or as intelligent. As far as he was concerned, the world would be better off if they’d never gained the right to vote, or many of the other rights men had fought and died for.
If Cassidy thought she could bring in some asshole to ruin everything he’d worked for his entire adult life and get away scot-free, she was sadly mistaken.
“What’s the plan when we get to Texas?” Martin asked.
Lloyd tamped down his irritation. He’d already told Martin what they were going to do. Well . . . as much as he was willing to tell him. But he’d give him a little bit of what he wanted. Lloyd knew Martin well, knew he loved being an enforcer, loved beating on people.