Chapter 4-1
1578 Words
Chapter 4
Desiree
I yank on my underclothing and day-old scrubs, wishing I could drop-kick Junior.
I don’t know what in the hell I was thinking, making a s*x arrangement with the man! I am not going through with it. I will definitely be calling peanut butter the first time he tries to lay his hands on me.
Junior is dangerous. I was stupid to have s*x with him once.
I don’t need to repeat the mistake.
I go and check on Gio, even though I refreshed his IV and meds before I tried to leave. He’s still okay. No fever. Pulse is in a decent range. He’s sweating a little, and I pull the blankets down to give him some air. I use the bottom sheet to roll him to his side so he doesn’t get bedsores.
When I’m done, I breeze into Junior’s room like I own the place and open his drawers until I find his t-shirts. He isn’t around—I hear him talking on his phone downstairs. He only has a drawerful of clean white V-necks—not a single color or graphic tee to be found. I grab one, then head into the guest bathroom where I take a shower.
I make it long and steamy. There’s no razor, but there’s soap and shampoo, so I wash up and then just stand there under the stream of water, like I can wash the last twenty-four hours off me.
Except it’s not long before I fall into thinking about the amazing s*x we just had. It was hot and fantasy-fulfilling, but also more.
He called me beautiful.
He rolled with my breakdown—held me, even.
Some of my sourness drops away. Yes, Junior is infuriating. He’s holding me prisoner here. He took unforgivable liberties with my life when he decided I’d be the best person for this job.
But he’s not all bad. He can’t be. He loves his brother. He loves his mom.
He’s a cold-blooded killer, the voice in my head warns.
True. He practically admitted to it. I don’t make a habit out of offing the innocent. Maybe not, but the guilty? I’m sure he serves them justice in many horrible ways.
He fixed my car, pushover me argues. He held me when I cried.
He f***s like a demon.
Okay, that is not a good enough reason.
I turn off the water and climb out, drying off with a towel I pulled from the cabinet. I put my clothes back on, except I wear Junior’s t-shirt instead of the top of my scrubs.
When I come out, masculine voices rumble downstairs. I square my shoulders and play the same game I played as a home healthcare nurse: Act like I run the show around here until everyone gets on board and trusts me enough to let me do my job.
I search the closets until I find a change of sheets, which I bring to Gio’s room. Junior changed out the b****y towels, but we still need to change the sheets, which show some bloodstains. I start pulling the corners off the far side, away from Gio.
“Time to call into work, doll.” Junior stands in the doorway, holding up my phone. He’s showered and dressed, too and looks devastating as ever in a crisp button down and slacks.
He beckons me over, which annoys the piss out of me, but I come. He hands me the phone. I start to turn away, but he catches my forearm. “Uh uh. Stay right here while you call.”
I huff and roll my eyes, but my fingers tremble slightly as I take the phone because I know he’s worried about me trying to signal for help. I’m not thinking of trying anything. I do believe he means to let me go when this is all over. And I’m willing to see it through. Doesn’t mean I’m happy about it, or I think what he’s doing is right, but maybe the money I make off this will help me finally find Jasper.
I call into my department at the hospital and make myself sound miserable. “Hey, Shelly, it’s Desiree Lopez.”
“Hi, Desiree. You don’t sound so good.”
“I don’t feel so good.” I force a loud cough. “I woke up this morning with that nasty flu. I can’t come into work today.”
“Okay, I’ll let them know. Hope you feel better!”
“Thanks,” I moan and end the call, then lift a defiant gaze to Junior.
His lips twitch. “Good girl. Now what are you going to do about your mom?”
I’ve thought about it and I have an idea. “I’m going to text her.”
He reaches for the phone, like he doesn’t trust me, and I yank it back to my chest, thrusting my lower jaw forward.
“I need to read it before you hit send,” he warns.
“Fine.” I type out a text to my mom, telling her I’d called in sick to the hospital, but I really had a home healthcare job that paid twice as much so I was going to take it for the week. I said it involved traveling with a sick patient, so I wouldn’t be around, but I’d check in and call her when I got back.
I hand it to Junior without sending and he reads it. “Good thinking.”
“Your highness approves?”
He hits send and lifts his brows at me. “You really gonna get mouthy with me?”
I open my lips to ask what happens if I do, but the memory of the punishment he already delivered makes me flush. My n*****s tingle and burn at the memory of exactly how punitive he gets.
The corners of his mouth quirk slightly and I know he’s read my thoughts. He pockets my phone. I scowl.
“I’m expecting way more than twice as much, you know,” I tell him. “I just had to make it believable for my mom.”
I watch him closely for a reaction, because this is important to me. I need to know if there really is a sizeable payout involved here. As usual, he shows nothing in his expression, just watches me back.
“You said enough to buy a new car. What are we talking about? Twenty grand? Thirty?”
He nods. “Thirty, for sure. More if you earn it.” There’s nothing lewd about the way he says it, but my mind instantly jumps to filthy s*x and my body revs up, eager to get busy earning all the riches it can get. “Why you need it?”
I frown at the intrusive question.
“I know there’s a story you don’t want me to know.”
Funny how any possible answer gets stuck in my throat, and I’m caught staring up at him like a trapped animal. “H-how do you know that?” I manage.
He tips his head to the side. “It’s my business to read people.”
So he can blackmail them.
I push that thought out of my head.
Somehow I recover from the swift pain that always accompanies thinking about Jasper. I fold my arms over my chest. “You’re right. I don’t want you to know.”
His lips twitch and he taps my nose. “I’ll find out.” His words are mild. It’s not a threat. And yet his certainty, and the certainty that anything in my life he wants to f**k with, he can, sends chills running down my spine.
I want to snap at him to stay out of it, but I bite my lip. The more emotion I show, the more he’s going to know this is an issue I hold close to my heart.
It’s not like his knowing would do any harm—it wouldn’t. But this is a subject I can’t bear to talk about, even with my own mom. It f*****g slays me. And I’ve already fallen apart once on Junior this morning. I don’t plan on a repeat show today or ever.
“I had Paolo bring in some food. I wasn’t sure what you like to eat, but there’s plenty down there. Go and help yourself.”
“After I get this sheet changed. I need you to lift.” I jerk my head in the direction of the bed.
“Okay, doll.” I swear I detect amusement in Junior’s tone, like he thinks it’s funny I’m bossing him around.
I know it’s insane, but I can’t help it. Bluster is what I do when I’m nervous.
I give him instructions on lifting Gio using the existing sheet so I can slip the new one underneath, and I get the thing changed out to my satisfaction. As I walk out with the soiled sheets in my arms, I pass Paolo, who I now realize is another Tacone brother. He watches me as I go, but doesn’t greet me or comment.
Downstairs, I find a variety of takeout from Starbucks—a steaming latte and egg sandwich, bagels, muffins. There’s also a bag of groceries sitting on the counter that hasn’t been put away.
I take the liberty of unloading it.
Four pints of my favorite Ben & Jerry’s. I shove back the appreciation that bubbles up. My past relationships starved me in the gifts department. Someone buying my mint cookie ice cream is no reason to go moony.
I fix myself a bagel with cream cheese and sit down to eat.
I can get through this. If we take really good care of the wound, Gio should be stable in a week. Then I’ll get paid a big chunk of money, which I can use to step up the efforts to find Jasper. Find where my asshole ex has holed up with our son.
I’m doing this for Jasper.
That thought calms me. Makes it all easy. I can deal with Junior Tacone and all that comes with this job if it means getting my little boy back.
- Writer
