Elicit

  “Son of a bitch, that hurts.” Chase leaned heavier onto Nixon.

  I tried not to smile, but it was the best damn part of my day seeing someone else get shot. Not because I wanted Chase to die but because I could at least focus on something other than Mo and the fact that Sergio had touched her in a way that was too familiar, as if he’d touched her in that way before—repeatedly.

  “We’ll let you know what we find.” The officer patted Nixon on the shoulder and walked back into the room.

  “Well.” I sighed looking around at the guys. “Clearly we don’t know how to do normal weddings.”

  Everyone fell into comfortable laughter as we walked out of the building. The girls were probably halfway home by now and freaking out if I knew them at all.

  “Nixon!” The same officer came running down the stairs, his chest heaving. “The papers…” He bent over and blew out a gutful of air. “The ones signed by the Judge…”

  “Yes?” Nixon said impatiently.

  “They’re fake.” He handed them over to us. “I’ll make copies and send them through the usual associates but, the wedding today? It wasn’t real.”

  My mind whirled with possibilities. Was the Judge in someone’s pocket other than ours? How the hell did that happen in our own city?

  “Thanks.” Nixon nodded. “Once we have the papers, we’ll take it from there, understand?”

  “Yes sir, of course sir. I’ll let the Chief know.”

  “Well.” Nixon cursed and kicked the wheel of his Range Rover. “Will life ever be boring?”

  “Bleeding.” Chase panted. “In case you guys were, oh I don’t know, worried? Concerned? I mean, right flesh wound considering almost dying a few weeks ago, I got it, but it burns like hell and I really, really need to make sure Mil isn’t at the house ripping the curtains from the windows in a shitstorm of emotion because you sent her away, Nixon.”

  At that Nixon laughed. “When is Mil not pissed, Chase?”

  Chase smirked. “Don’t you worry about that.”

  “Disgusting,” I muttered.

  “Says the soon-to-be father.” Nixon said dryly.

  I glared in Sergio’s direction and answered, “Right. Soon-to-be… father.”

  If he was bluffing about anything he didn’t have any tells. Instead, he simply met my stare with one of his own.

  One that told me.

  I wasn’t getting shit.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Dogs can smell fear… so can people.

  Mo

  MY HANDS WOULDN’T stop shaking. I blamed it on the shooting. Since when have I ever been terrified of getting shot at? Never. I’d been around this life since as far back as I could remember.

  Funny, how it wasn’t the violence that caused me to tremble.

  But him.

  I wanted wine so badly it wasn’t even funny. Irritated, I followed the girls into the kitchen and waited for the guys to get home.

  It was a tie between who I wanted to strangle first. Mil was stringing so many curses together it was hard to decipher if she was upset at the situation or at Chase. Trace spent her time soothing Mil while giving me the, “Are you okay?” eyes.

  After about ten minutes the doors burst open, and the guys barreled in. Chase stumbled a bit as Tex helped him into one of the chairs.

  My husband, God it still sounded wrong, ran out of the room to grab our kit while Nixon tore the rest of Chase’s shirt away from his body.

  “Mil.” Chase clenched his teeth. “I’m fine!”

  “You bastard!” She punched him in his good arm. “Stop taking bullets!”

  “Right.” Chase snorted and lifted his head to the ceiling, closing his eyes. “Because it was a choice!”

  “Well!” Mil huffed. “Damn it, Chase, just try not to get shot every two weeks. It’s irritating as hell!”

  “You’re irritating as hell!” he fired back.

  “Good one, must be losing your touch with all that blood loss.”

  “Mil,” he warned, then his eyes flashed as her breathing increased.

  “Could you guys not eye screw each other right now?” Nixon swore and ran his fingers through his messy hair. “It’s going to be hard enough to get Chase to sit still Mil, so if you could stop making it so that he wants to do you on the kitchen table, we’d all really appreciate that.”

  Mil flushed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Sorry.”

  “No you aren’t.” Chase leaned forward and winked

  She licked her lips.

  I groaned into my hands. The last thing I needed was to see how ridiculously happy they were.

  “Whoa!” Tex walked back into the room. “I leave and things get more tense?” He snorted and put his hands on his hips. “That’s a first.”

  “Everyone!” Nixon held up his hands. “One thing at a time. Tex, keep your head out of your ass, pull the bullet out while I deal with the fake marriage contracts and murder. Sergio, can you—”

  “I’ll sew him up.” Sergio nodded. “Just another one of my many talents.” He winked at Trace and Mil. “I’m really good with my hands.” He turned his head slightly, briefly making eye contact with me before going over to the kitchen sink and turning on the water to wash up.

  The girls’ mouths dropped open.

  “Oh please,” Chase grumbled, sweat starting to pour down his face, most likely from the pain.

  “Tex,” Sergio ordered, his voice slightly accented, which I knew from experience happened only when he was under stress and not paying attention to his annunciation. “Could you grab the scalpel?”

  “I hate this part.” Chase squeezed his eyes shut.

  Mil gripped his arm.

  Nixon was pacing back and forth, yelling into his phone, but all I was focused on was Sergio as he very carefully made an incision next to the wound and began working.

  He was an artist.

  Since when had he become a surgeon?

  “I’m older than you guys,” he answered without looking up. “In case you haven’t noticed that my balls actually descended.”

  Tex rolled his eyes.

  “And…” Sergio made another incision. “…I actually graduated at the top of my class and went to two years of medical school.”

  “Was that before or after your parents went to prison?” Tex sang out with a forced smile lifting his lips. “I mean, just curious about the timeline and all.”

  “Hmm…” Sergio placed the scalpel on the table and grabbed the tweezers. “Let me think. It was probably after your parents disowned you and before you killed your father. Yeah, how’s that for a timeline?” His voice was so smooth that if you weren’t listening you’d think he delivered a compliment instead of an insult.

  Tex’s jaw twitched.

  “Not now, Tex.” Chase winced and cursed violently under his breath, half in Italian half in English. “Not while he has tweezers in my skin. Damn, that burns.”

  Sergio smiled with his lips but his eyes remained viciously cold and emotionless. “Almost done.”

  “How old are you?” Mil asked, still not taking her eyes off of Chase.

  “Old,” Tex answered for him.

  After a few seconds Sergio lifted his head and looked directly at me. “Old enough.”

  The room got really tense.

  “Twenty-eight.” Tex swore. “It’s not like he’s an elder or anything. Damn, Sergio, could you be any slower?”

  Sergio smirked, slightly lifting his head to the side to give me a knowing look. “I like to take my time with things.”

  My stomach fluttered and then clenched.

  “All good things…” Sergio squeezed the tweezers together and pulled slowly out of the wound. “Come with time.” When he dropped the bullet onto the table he lifted his eyes for a second time and met mine.

  I didn’t look away.

  Because I couldn’t.

  I was hiding so much. And Sergio knew that—he knew everything.

  When I finally broke away from h
is gaze, it was to meet Tex’s. He was furious, but what was worse? He was suspicious. And the last thing I needed was to put him back in the line of fire after all the things I’d done to keep him out of it.

  “Thanks.” Chase exhaled as Sergio wrapped his shoulder.

  “Of course.” Sergio grinned.

  “Tex!” Nixon yelled from the other room, “Get in here. Now.”

  When Tex didn’t move, Sergio took it upon himself to make things worse. Damn him. “Run along, foot soldier, go see what the boss wants.”

  With a snarl, Tex walked by Sergio nearly knocking him over in the process, which to be honest wouldn’t be hard because again, Tex was huge; at least six-foot four and Sergio, though not small by any means was only around six one.

  Chase let out a low whistle. “Damn, Sergio, who pissed in your Cheerios this morning, huh?”

  Sergio watched Tex walk down the hall then turned his full smile on everyone. “Off day.”

  Now that the drama was over, I just wanted to lie down, preferably without Tex giving me crazy eyes or Sergio being suggestive. Slowly, I rose from my seat, and tried to walk away.

  “Mo…” Sergio’s smooth voice interrupted my escape. The room was quiet, so everyone had heard, it wasn’t like I could run away and say I didn’t hear him.

  “Yes?” I turned.

  “A minute?”

  “Sure.” I crossed my arms.

  His smile grew, making his features come alive. He’d always looked like he’d just walked off the cover of GQ photo shoot, dark straight hair, aristocratic nose, a side smile that melted people on the spot, and lush lips that made promises no girl should ever, ever, take seriously. “Over here.”

  Gently, he grabbed my elbow and led me down the hall and around the corner, where Nixon’s room was. Far away from the office where Tex and Nixon were currently yelling.

  I swallowed convulsively when he pressed me against the wall and leaned into me, his forehead touching mine. “Talk to me.”

  “No.” I licked my lips and averted my eyes.

  “Mo…” He tilted my chin towards him. His breath was warm, inviting. “You used to tell me everything.”

  “That was when we were friends.”

  Damn his smile! “And we aren’t friends anymore?”

  “Really?” I spat. “Do friends treat each other like this? Hmm?”

  Sergio’s eyes darkened as he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. “Hell, no.” His voice was thick with desire. “I highly doubt I should treat my friends or associates for that matter, the way in which I want to treat you.”

  I tried to fight the pull.

  But it was impossible.

  I didn’t love Sergio, not like I loved Tex.

  But he’d picked up Tex’s pieces when I was in desperate need of someone to clean up the mess.

  And he’d given me the one thing I’d been craving for years.

  Purpose.

  “Afraid all your friends will find out?” he whispered against my lips. “Afraid of all the little lies?” He licked my lower lip then tugged it with his teeth. “Which lie, Mo? Which one are you most afraid of?” His hand moved to my neck as he slowly massaged the knots out.

  I swallowed and pulled back, my heart slammed against my chest. “All of them, Sergio. I’m afraid of all of them.”

  A loud clamoring sounded to my right and then in a blur, Tex’s fist went sailing by my face landing a perfect blow to Sergio’s jaw. He staggered backwards, his body slamming against the wall behind him as he finally slumped to the ground, disoriented as hell.

  Tex grabbed my hand and jerked me towards the master bedroom. He flung me inside, and the door banged shut behind him. I looked up just in time to see his hands reach for my body as he forcefully pushed me against that same door and then slammed his mouth over mine, his tongue not asking permission to enter into my mouth but doing it with such force, such fluidity that I let out gasp and finally a moan.

  He didn’t kiss like Sergio.

  He didn’t kiss like anyone I’d ever known.

  My body arched towards Tex as he ran his tongue along the seam of my lips. He drew my bottom lip into his mouth with his teeth, then pulled back and plowed his fist into the door directly above my head. To the sound of cracking wood, I jumped a foot and skittered away as he barked, “Mine!” Then nearly took the door off the hinges as he pulled it open and stalked down the hall towards Sergio, who was now just getting up off the floor.

  It would have probably hurt less had Tex shot him.

  Sergio smirked as Tex made his way down the hall, his footsteps damn near breaking through the hardwood floors as he stomped.

  “You—” He pointed at Sergio. “—will not touch her.”

  “Hmm…” Sergio winked in my direction. And the man officially had a death wish. “Shouldn’t that be up to her? Who am I to deny her if she asks?”

  “She won’t,” Tex clipped. “Believe me.”

  “But if she does?”

  “She won’t.” Tex’s voice dripped with hatred, his hands shook at his sides. “Where do you get off coming into my house, touching my woman—?”

  “Actually—” Sergio’s smile grew “It’s Nixon’s house, and last I heard, she wasn’t your woman… at least not legally. Funny, does the son of the dead Cappo suddenly think he belongs? After all these years?”

  Tex’s face paled.

  It was a liver shot.

  A kidney shot.

  A low blow.

  Because I knew that deep down Tex never felt like he belonged, like he fit in.

  “So maybe it’s your turn to listen.” Sergio pushed at Tex’s chest. “You have no one. Nobody. Your real family doesn’t know what to do with you, and your new family’s forced to claim you. And you’re pissed because I kissed a girl I happen to like? Damn, boy, you may as well have peed on her. Would have been more subtle. But here’s the thing, while your eyes drip with hatred, while you direct every single ounce of strength towards strangling the life from me, maybe you should pause and ask yourself. If she’s really yours, why the hell was she kissing me back?”

  I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands as shame washed over me.

  Tex sucked in a large breath, like he’d just gotten sucker punched and wasn’t able to exhale.

  “Good talk.” Sergio smirked. “Now, if Nixon isn’t busy, I should probably go help, you know, since we’re actually family.”

  With that, Sergio pushed past Tex and stalked down the hall.

  Leaving me in a tense silence with Tex.

  “Tex, I—”

  Tex held up his hand. “Save it.”

  “But you don’t understand. I think if I explained—”

  He let out a bark of laughter. “Explained what exactly? Hmm, Mo?” He moved towards me, his eyes full of hurt. “How bad it sucks that while I’m pissed as hell that you put me in this position—I still wish it was really my child you were carrying? How now that I’ve seen you and Sergio together, all I keep wondering is what type of bastard doesn’t take responsibility for his actions? Or how about this? I’ve been on my knees, bleeding out, apologizing, falling all over myself, willing to go to the depths of Hell and back for you, and you thank me by kissing that asshole, only a few feet away from me? Right okay, sure, you have the floor. Please, Monroe, go ahead, try to explain.”

  I opened my mouth. “ I—” Nothing but a garbled, cracking noise came out, making me sound more guilty than ever.

  I had nothing. His assumptions worked because they were so far from the truth—when I agreed to do what I was doing, I hadn’t known the cost. All I could focus on was keeping Tex safe, keeping the family safe.

  But I’d had no idea what it would cost me.

  In a way Sergio had made it too easy for me to keep lying, to keep everyone in the dark.

  “You’re right,” I whispered. “I’m sorry. You have to know how sorry I am.” I begged him with my eyes.

  He looked away as if too disgusted to even m
ake eye contact. “I’m going out, don’t know when I’ll be back.”

  “Tex!” I gripped his arm. “It isn’t safe!”

  “Safe?” he snarled then threw his head back and laughed. “Right, and you’re so worried about my safety?” His eyes narrowed in on my hand. “Let go, Mo. I’m serious.”

  I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but I was still terrified as I watched the muscles in his arm twist and expand; he was barely in control of himself.

  “No.” My voice quivered.

  He cursed and pried my hand away from his arm. “Do me a favor.”

  “Anything.”

  “Stop it.” His voice was hoarse. “Stop pretending to care, Mo. I can’t… I just…” He shook his head. “I can’t do this, whatever this—back and forth thing is. I can’t do it. Hell, if you want Sergio go to Sergio. Apparently we aren’t even legally married.”

  “What?” Oh no, no, no, no, that was the deal!

  He shrugged. “You’re free. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for punishment, so I’ll still do whatever it takes, but this, whatever this is between us—” He pressed his lips together. “It’s done.”

  The jackhammer in my chest squeezed my lungs, making it impossible to breathe, as though he literally reached inside me, wrapped his hands around my heart and squeezed until every last drop of blood pulsed out of it.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Drinking the memory of someone away? Doesn’t work.

  Tex

  THE DOOR SLAMMED behind me as I went to the garage and got into the Range Rover. The engine growled to life, and I peeled out of the driveway. What really sucked? I was making my getaway in Nixon’s SUV. Sure, I had my pick of any of the cars at his house. But the truth of the matter was this.

  They were his cars.

  His house.

  Could I afford my own shit?

  Hell, yeah, I could. But what was the point? What was the point of anything? I buy an expensive-ass car for what purpose?

  I pushed down on the accelerator once I got onto the main road, the car increasing its speed until I was going around a hundred.

  My phone rang.

  “What?” I barked into it.

  “Tex!” Nixon’s voice was sharp. “What the hell man? We have shit to do.”