Walking to the side door, I grab the knob and place a hand against the cool wood. “The garage?” I ask.
“Yeah, saved it for last.”
I turn the knob and push my way in. My mouth falls open. He has at least five cars and three bikes in here.
I grin when I see my Ducati, the one I sold when I was pissed off at his ass. I spin and place my hands on my hips. He’s watching me with a smile.
“I have the money for that. I’ll write you a check tonight.”
He shoves his hands into his pockets. “Keep it.”
“How did you find it anyway?” He lifts a brow. I roll my eyes. “Right. Note to self. Burn that bitch next time.”
He barks out a laugh. I turn with a smile and walk further into the garage, stopping when a black 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 with a white striped hood catches my attention. I know the car clearer than anything I’ve known since waking on that hard, cold floor. A memory begins to form.
For the first time since I can remember my father is smiling at me. He holds up a set of keys and drops them in my palm. I turn from him to the car and back.
“When I first came to this country, I fell in love with what they call American muscle. I promised one would be the first car I gave to my son. I have no son, but I think this is perfect for you, Princesa,” my father said.
I moved to the car tentatively. Climbing inside, I looked around it in awe. Snapping out of shock, I stuck the key in and started it, nearly jumping out of my skin as the engine roared to life.
“Go on. Step on the gas. Rev the engine,” my father said as he leaned in the window beaming.
I come back to focus as John revs the engine of the car sitting before me. He chuckles at me as he hangs halfway out of the car.
“You want to take her for a spin?”
“My father gave me one of these for my sixteenth birthday,” I say to no one in particular. I wrinkle my brows. “It was black too. Red rims and brake pads.”
He cuts the car off and gets out. I catch the keys he tosses at me out of reflex. Looking down at them, I let the memory settle, then look back at John.
“Take it. It’s yours.”
“Are you crazy?”
“No. Maybe driving it will bring back more memories,” he says and closes the distance.
He pinches my chin to lift my face and for the first time since New York, he kisses me with the passion and desire I know him for. My knees go weak and I have no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck.
“Thank you,” I say when he breaks the kiss. “But I’m still not moving in with you.”
He gives a throaty laugh and kisses my nose. That spark of determination lights his eyes. “Whatever.”
Chapter 46
L.A. Life
Roni
Three months later…
“How’s the L.A. life treating you? If you hate it, you can always come back here with me. Uri has talked about spending some time in Italy,” Val says into the phone.
“It’s not that bad. I mean, the shopping is great and so is the pay,” I reply.
I’ll admit, I didn’t know how I felt about getting on that plane to move to Cali two months ago. Seeing how dangerous and crazy Val’s life can be made me think that maybe working for John was the right change of pace. Not that this job doesn’t have its dangers or that I’m not up to handling myself.
No, it’s more the odd feeling I got learning who I was surrounded by in New York. My head is still reeling to know that someone I consider to be a really good friend is actually tied up in the mob. I couldn’t understand my initial comfort with that.
Seriously, that’s movie shit. So, I might as well live out here in Hollywood. Honestly, it’s my guilt that pushed me onto that plane. I wasn’t there when Val needed me.
I know she keeps telling me it’s not my fault. She wanted to rush the baby to the hospital because of her fever. It never crossed her mind to send for me in the gym so I could have her back.
I get it now that I know who she really is. She didn’t need me, but still, I should have been there. Nico was hurt because I wasn’t there to cover Val’s back. That will forever ride my shoulders. It has felt like failing Natasha all over again.
Val’s laugh pushes through my thoughts. “Shopping again?” she asks, bringing a grin to my face as I push out of the air-conditioned store.
I put my shades on as the sun beams down on me. “The best way to spend my day off,” I sing into the phone.
“Where’s the kid?”
“With John and Noah, training.”
We’ve only been on one real mission since we’ve been here. However, John made Torque hang back. Torque was pissy about it, but Braxton won his attention with some car show or something.
“And how are things going with John?”
I sigh. “Good for us, but weird to everyone else,” I say.
“Uri, no. She’s had ice cream already,” Val says, her voice moving away from the phone.
“Oh, come on, love, do you see the way she’s looking at my bowl?” Uri’s voices comes from the background sounding pained.
“I hope this one is a boy. You spoil Vita,” Val huffs.
I grin. I’m so happy she’s having another baby. Val is a good mother.
She then turns her attention back to me. “Anyway, how so? What do you mean by this, weird for others? Why are we caring about others?”
“We’re not. How can I explain this? We’ve been to his parents for Sunday breakfast every weekend since I’ve been here. He does things like handing over his car for me to have, but still picking me up for work and making sure I get home every night—”
“Wait, you’re not living with him?”
“No, we fought about it. He wanted me to, but in the end, he gave in and helped me find a place with Torque. He’s still not happy about it.”
“Okay, so you guys are dating?”
“We’re… friends. That’s what’s weird to everyone else. They don’t think we are.”
Val snorts. “I’ve seen you together. You want to tell this lie?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You two are like batteries. When you are in a room together you charger the entire space. I don’t believe this friends shit,” she says, sounding more and more like her husband.
My cheeks heat. She’s right, we are somewhere between friends and… I don’t know what. Friends probably don’t go to sex clubs together. I told John I wanted to learn more about the life and now we go every Friday night.
And yet, we’re still not in an intimate relationship. We’re in this awkward, for me, sexually charged place. I say this because John is always comfortable in any situation. I, on the other hand, want to experience all I see at Club Desire, but I don’t want to come off the wrong way to John.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Val says.
“Nothing I’m going to discuss in the middle of the street.”
“Ah. There is more. See, I knew it. I wouldn’t blame you one bit for riding that stallion, bella. Those Blacks are fine as hell.”