“You saw her. Is it shocking to think I saw her and wanted to fuck her?” As soon as the words are out, I realize they’re the honest fucking truth. I do want her. I’ve wanted her from the first second I saw her. Saying it out loud just gives it more power.
“You’re fucking already?” He tilts his head to the side in a move that tells me there’s no way he’ll believe me if I say yes. Basically, he’s waiting to catch me in a lie, but I’m smarter than that.
“I’m working on it.”
Dom purses his lips in a move that makes him look like a teenage girl trying to make duck lips for a selfie, and I know what that means. Nothing good.
“Then far be it from me to try to cock-block my own ... man.”
When he trailed off, it sounded like he was about to saysonand then changed his mind. Dom has gone this long without ever officially acknowledging me, so I’m not surprised by how he finished the sentence.
But right now, I’ve got more important things to think about than my paternity. A rush of victorious relief shoots through me, but I don’t let it show in my expression or posture.
I should have known that it was too much triumph, too soon.
“Matter of fact,” Dom says, a cruel smile curling his lips. “How about I help you out with her?”
I clench my teeth together to keep from speaking until I hear what he has to say.
“You can have my table tonight at Per Se. Eight o’clock. She deserves something nice.”
Motherfucker.From that damned gleam in his eye, it’s clear he thinks he’s won. That he’s going to get me to fuck this up, and he’ll sweep in and snatch her away from me, and the lies I’ve told won’t help her any.
Not on my watch.
“Thanks. I appreciate that, Dom. Glad you don’t mind I’ll be taking the entire night off.” I keep my tone casual, but there’s a wholly separate silent conversation happening between our locked stares.
“You can’t fool me, boy. You’re full of shit, and I’ll have men watching the restaurant to report back when you don’t show.”
“I’ll be there, old man. And I’ll spend the rest of the night with her, so you’ll have no question that she’s mine.”
I end the stare-down by shoving my hands in my suit pants pockets. “Is there anything else you need before I head to the club? I’ve got a lot of work to do before dinner.”
One side of Dom’s mouth curls up in a sneer as his eyes turn hooded. “Not unless you’ve managed to bridge the gap with Creighton after you fucked that up.”
He’ll take any opportunity to twist the knife about the brother I lost because I wasn’t willing to lie to him anymore, even though Dom doesn’t need me to shadow Creighton and report back. The old man talks to him regularly. Even attended the fucking baptism for Rose that I barged in on in an effort to warn Creighton that having Dom anywhere near his daughter was a horrible mistake. My interference didn’t go over well. At all.
“No, sir.”
“Then, nah. Get the fuck out.” He uncrosses his arms to wave me off, but I’m already heading for the door and fresh air not weighed down by disappointment and disgust.
When I finally hit the sidewalk, I take a breath and consider what the hell I’ve done.
How the fuck am I going to get Drew to agree?
15
Drew
“Cannon wants to see you in his office,” Tanya says as she sweeps into the kitchen where I’m plating salads for a group of Wall Street bankers having a late three-martini lunch after the closing bell.
My victory of the day, after getting the text from Cannon that it was all clear for me to come into work, was convincing the bankers to buy a thirty-thousand-dollar box of cigars for the table to split.
“About what?” I glance over my shoulder at her as she fills a cup with lobster bisque and sets it on a gold-and-white china saucer. My nerves have been going haywire all day because of themob boss hitting on meepisode last night.
“He didn’t say.” She replaces the ladle and fits the lid on the tureen before shooting me a smug smile. “But I’m sure it won’t take long. He said something about you needing to leave early.”
Fuck. No.He can’t fire me. He can’t. I’m not any closer to finding answers than I was before I started working here. Other than the fact that Cannon Freeman is a contradiction I can’t begin to unravel or explain.I need more time.