Taking Care Of The Mobster

Cross scrambles to his feet, wiping the blood trickling down his jaw. “You haven’t seen the last of me, Drago. I won’t take your blows lying down.”

My heart freezes at his words. “What are you saying?”

“It’s an eye for an eye, Cuz,” Cross says, his cold voice reeking of vengeance. “It’s the ultimate street code.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Abby

I watch Carlos push his food around the plate, aggravating my growing frustration even more. He’s been this way since he got back from work earlier. He’s barely talked to me and has been sporting the same stormy expression for hours. I understand that working in an unfamiliar environment might be frustrating, but I wish he would talk to me instead of retreating into his shell.

“Do you not like the food?” I ask gently.

“Oh, it tastes great,” Carlos says, glancing up at me with a small smile.

He hasn’t even had a bite. I sigh softly and bite down on my lower lip. “How was your day?” I ask in another attempt to get him to talk to me.

Carlos shrugs listlessly. “It was...uneventful. I had to go through boring paperwork and all that. What about you? How was your day?”

I shrug quietly. “I didn’t do much,” I reply with a sigh. “I was thinking. Since you’re all healed and stuff, how about you tell Mandy to end my contract. You don’t really need me here anymore. I should go home and....”

“You can’t,” Carlos interrupts sharply. He clears his throat and takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, but you can’t leave. Especially not now.”

I narrow my eyes suspiciously at him. “What do you mean, especially not now?”

“I... I don’t think I’m completely healed yet,” Carlos says with a hesitant shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve been feeling kind of off these days.”

“What are you talking about?” I ask, instantly worried. “Do you feel pain anywhere?” Is that why he’s been subdued all evening? I stand from my seat and walk quickly to his side. “Show me. Where do you feel pain?”

Carlos tugs my hand, so I fall into his lap. “What are you doing?” I ask with a surprised gasp.

He takes my hand and places it over his heart. “Right here,” Carlos says, without taking his eyes from mine. “If you leave, it’ll hurt right here.”

“You’re silly,” I say with a laugh.

“For you, my love,” Carlos replies, chuckling softly.

An instantaneous feeling of relief settles in my chest as I see the light return to his eyes, followed by a low thrum of excitement as his words register in my head.

My love. Does that mean...? I shake the thought away. I shouldn’t get excited over something as minute as a pet name.

“Abby?” Carlos says, drawing my attention back to him. “Is something the matter?”

I look up at Carlos with a small smile. “It’s just that you haven’t been in the best of moods since you got back from work. I’m worried.”

“I’m sorry, baby,” Carlos says. “You know I’m still trying to wrap my head around stuff at work. I’m just very tired.”

“I understand,” I tell him, smoothing his hair soothingly. Carlos leans into my touch like a cute puppy. I laugh at his antics and place a soft kiss on his forehead. “You’ll be fine. You are the almighty Drago.”

“Yes, I am,” Carlos replies with a sexy, confident smile. “That reminds me. I got you something.”

I watch with excitement as Carlos dips a hand into his pants pocket and pulls out a pretty necklace with a shimmering heart-shaped pendant suspended in a tiny gold circle surrounded by glittering stones.

“It’s beautiful, Carlos,” I say, smiling happily from ear to ear. “Isn’t that...? The pendant...Are those diamonds?”

Carlos nods and says, “Let me put it on you.” Moving my hair over my shoulder he clasps the necklace around my neck and rearranges my hair.

“It’s beautiful,” I say, glancing down at the pendant and back at him. “I love it. Thank you, Carlos.”

“I want you to always wear it,” Carlos says, holding my gaze until I nod in response.

“Of course,” I say with a teasing smile. “I’ll even wear it to bed.”

I wonder at the indescribable emotion that crosses Carlo’s eyes that’s there one second and gone the next. But I might as well have imagined it because he’s soon running his hands over my ass and kissing my lips like it’s all the substitute he needs for his untouched dinner.

“Oh my God,” Beth says with an exaggerated gasp, her eyes dancing merrily as she slowly runs her eyes over me. “This is perfect. You look absolutely gorgeous.”

“I do?” I ask, turning around to face the full-length mirror in the boutique. The simple red dress does look beautiful, with its shimmering stones and plunging neckline. Its material hugs my curves perfectly – it almost looks provocative.

“I don’t know...,” I say, turning this way and that. “I think it’s too much. Don’t you?”