“Okay, if you need any ibuprofen, there should be some in your bathroom,” Corona told her, and she nodded then headed out of the room.
“You don’t need to give her an attitude. It would be better to make her feel comfortable, not like some prisoner,” Freeman said to Jessup.
“She’s not staying here long. She doesn’t need to know our business or any of our friends’ business. Stop looking at her like a piece of ass.”
Freeman stepped toward Jessup and went to grab him, but Corona and Atlanta stopped him.
“Whoa, everyone calm down,” Corona ordered.
“Calm down? Tell this asshole to stop being a grumpy fuck. I’ve had it with his somber attitude and hating the fucking world. This is supposed to be a vacation.” Freeman walked out of the room.
“He wants to fuck her,” Jessup stated, pointing at Freeman and then shoving the box of crackers on the table across it.
“Cut that shit out before she hears you. What’s your fucking problem?” Corona asked.
“I don’t have one.”
“Bullshit you don’t,” Corona replied, staring at him with his hands on his hips.
“You don’t even know Nina. We were friends with her brother, and this is how you’re going to treat her? She’s in mourning, man. You read her file. She is all alone in this world, and right now, she doesn’t need to feel like an outsider or a burden,” Atlanta said to him.
Jessup was silent.
He raised his hands in the air. “Whatever.” He stood up and walked slowly out of the room. He was in pain, and more than physically. He was feeling inferior because he’d gotten caught not paying full attention on their last mission. Because they were all fucking exhausted.
Corona looked at Atlanta.
“It isn’t going to be instant. We knew that when we said we were ready for a vacation. He needs time,” Corona told them.
“I think he needs more than time. Maybe we should have declined Viktor in taking on Nina?” Atlanta said to him.
“It will work itself out. She doesn’t have anyone. We’re it.” Corona went back to making something to eat for lunch.
“She’s a beautiful woman,” Atlanta whispered.
“She is, but this is business. Freeman needs to remember that,” Corona said to Atlanta.
Atlanta started making a sandwich.
“I saw her before today, too. At the club a couple of months back, when a few of us were hanging out. Zinc was there. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, Corona. So I know how Freeman feels having her here. We started talking and flirting a bit, and the next thing I know, Zinc is saying that she’s off-limits and belongs to some heavy.”
Corona scrunched his eyes together. “A heavy? Do you know who?”
Atlanta
shook his head.
“I liked her, Corona, in a matter of minutes, and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t giving a shit about any guy who may or may not be involved with her. Then she disappeared into the back with some problem, and I got called out for a job.”
“So I’ve got two of you who met her before and were attracted to her, but there’s also a possibility that she was seeing a made man?” Corona shook his head.
“This is turning into a shit show,” he added, and then his phone buzzed. He looked at the text message.
“It’s Viktor checking on Nina.”
Atlanta sat down to eat.
“You don’t think Viktor is her guy?” Corona asked, joining him at the table.