searching through my purse for some change.
Robert put his hand on top of mine, stopping me. “I got it.”
He placed his order and the woman shuffled us down to the end of the counter to retrieve our orders.
“Thank you.”
“So?” He raised his eyebrows again. “Who is this Nicky Cain you’re with?”
We were closer to Stan now—within hearing distance which drove me nuts.
“Someone you don’t want to mess with,” I told him matter-of-factly.
“That’s a funny thing to say,” he remarked.
Shrugging, I wrapped my cold fingers around the warm to-go cup. “It’s the truth though.”
He exhaled deeply before leaning in close to my ear once again, his breath warm against my chilled skin. “I don’t intimidate easily. I’m not afraid of anyone.”
The way he had emphasized his words, his tone being almost…malicious…made goose bumps rise up on my arms.
“Time to go, Lilah.” Stan walked over to me as he stared down Robert who didn’t seem the least bit fazed. “I’m bored with this.”
I was about ready to snap at Stan when I realized I needed to get away from Robert and the conversation we were having.
“You two seem a little overly chummy for my liking.”
“Chummy?” Robert repeated, his eyes finding mine. “Did he really say that?”
“I think so,” I mumbled, irritated with this entire situation. “Thanks for the coffee, Robert. We’ll catch up some other time.”
“I hope so.” He again pinned me in place with his stunning eyes before moving aside to let me get past.
As soon as I got back outside, I turned around and punched Stan in the side of his arm as hard as I could.
“What was that for?” he asked, surprised by my sudden violence.
“You’re an asshole,” I mumbled and walked furiously away.
NINE
CAIN
I woke up in a cold sweat—again. It was happening more and more frequently and driving me absolutely out of my mind. I would get to sleep, then wake up only a few hours later without being able to get back to sleep. There was only so much a man could take as far as functioning goes throughout the day when he didn’t feel rested from the night before.
Insomnia had never been an issue before—before I had more than one murder on my conscience as well as the paranoia that someone close by was attempting to make sure I ended up in a body bag soon. If only Carmine was still alive so I could ask him advice on how to manage these internal problems. Feeling weary and jumpy at the same time was horrible. I was sure I’d have to get on meds soon. The liquor wasn’t doing its job anymore. And if I got completely wasted, I’d feel sick and that would exhaust me even more. Treading water. That’s what I was doing. I had to keep my head above the water for just a little while longer…
It didn’t help matters that I was supposedly in a secure place, Carmine’s mansion, where he was hunted down like an animal in his own home. I had tried to beef up everything, changed everything around, installed more cameras—the works. Didn’t matter though, because the fact still remained—I didn’t know who killed my father. I didn’t have a clue who the enemy was in this situation.
The police had done their investigation. All of my men had alibis. It didn’t make any sense. Then I had put a lid on their investigation, because I was sick and tired of them sniffing around here. Yeah, they were on our payroll, but that didn’t mean that someone wouldn’t discover something and try to become greedy. Money could be useful and could also be used against us. There was always that one person that thought they deserved a little bit more and could really screw things up before we got a chance to get rid of that said person. This business was a game—one big giant mind fuck that gave me life and yet sucked it from my very soul in the next instant.
I needed to know the truth of who it was that killed him. I needed to end that person, and then—then maybe I’d be able
Robert put his hand on top of mine, stopping me. “I got it.”
He placed his order and the woman shuffled us down to the end of the counter to retrieve our orders.
“Thank you.”
“So?” He raised his eyebrows again. “Who is this Nicky Cain you’re with?”
We were closer to Stan now—within hearing distance which drove me nuts.
“Someone you don’t want to mess with,” I told him matter-of-factly.
“That’s a funny thing to say,” he remarked.
Shrugging, I wrapped my cold fingers around the warm to-go cup. “It’s the truth though.”
He exhaled deeply before leaning in close to my ear once again, his breath warm against my chilled skin. “I don’t intimidate easily. I’m not afraid of anyone.”
The way he had emphasized his words, his tone being almost…malicious…made goose bumps rise up on my arms.
“Time to go, Lilah.” Stan walked over to me as he stared down Robert who didn’t seem the least bit fazed. “I’m bored with this.”
I was about ready to snap at Stan when I realized I needed to get away from Robert and the conversation we were having.
“You two seem a little overly chummy for my liking.”
“Chummy?” Robert repeated, his eyes finding mine. “Did he really say that?”
“I think so,” I mumbled, irritated with this entire situation. “Thanks for the coffee, Robert. We’ll catch up some other time.”
“I hope so.” He again pinned me in place with his stunning eyes before moving aside to let me get past.
As soon as I got back outside, I turned around and punched Stan in the side of his arm as hard as I could.
“What was that for?” he asked, surprised by my sudden violence.
“You’re an asshole,” I mumbled and walked furiously away.
NINE
CAIN
I woke up in a cold sweat—again. It was happening more and more frequently and driving me absolutely out of my mind. I would get to sleep, then wake up only a few hours later without being able to get back to sleep. There was only so much a man could take as far as functioning goes throughout the day when he didn’t feel rested from the night before.
Insomnia had never been an issue before—before I had more than one murder on my conscience as well as the paranoia that someone close by was attempting to make sure I ended up in a body bag soon. If only Carmine was still alive so I could ask him advice on how to manage these internal problems. Feeling weary and jumpy at the same time was horrible. I was sure I’d have to get on meds soon. The liquor wasn’t doing its job anymore. And if I got completely wasted, I’d feel sick and that would exhaust me even more. Treading water. That’s what I was doing. I had to keep my head above the water for just a little while longer…
It didn’t help matters that I was supposedly in a secure place, Carmine’s mansion, where he was hunted down like an animal in his own home. I had tried to beef up everything, changed everything around, installed more cameras—the works. Didn’t matter though, because the fact still remained—I didn’t know who killed my father. I didn’t have a clue who the enemy was in this situation.
The police had done their investigation. All of my men had alibis. It didn’t make any sense. Then I had put a lid on their investigation, because I was sick and tired of them sniffing around here. Yeah, they were on our payroll, but that didn’t mean that someone wouldn’t discover something and try to become greedy. Money could be useful and could also be used against us. There was always that one person that thought they deserved a little bit more and could really screw things up before we got a chance to get rid of that said person. This business was a game—one big giant mind fuck that gave me life and yet sucked it from my very soul in the next instant.
I needed to know the truth of who it was that killed him. I needed to end that person, and then—then maybe I’d be able
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