Trace doesn’t laugh with me, though.

  “Holy shit. You stole a car?”

  “No,” he replies, wincing. “But this may be worse.”

  “Damn.” I shake my head, trying to hold back my laugh. He’s going to get his ass chewed out by my uncle big-time. I know it, and Trace knows it too. “Based on your dad’s connections, I’d say there’s a good chance he already knows. Hiding anything from our fathers is damn near impossible in a small town like this.”

  “He would’ve said something if he knew, and since he’s been radio silent, he knows nothing.”

  “Mind games. They all play them too,” I say.

  Trace shakes his head as he pushes me inside. “He’s not playing any…yet. But I have a feeling he’s going to find out today, and I’d rather be the one to tell him. I plan to beg for mercy, forgiveness, and his help.”

  “Dumbass,” I whisper before plastering a smile on my face as Aunt Angel sees us and begins to stand.

  “Luna. Trace,” she says, grinning softly and rounding her desk to meet us in the reception area. “And to what do we owe this honor?”

  I pitch a thumb over my shoulder. “Trace wanted to talk to his dad.”

  Aunt Angel wraps her arms around me and whispers, “What did he do?”

  “Don’t know, but I’m sure there will be fireworks,” I whisper back as we hug.

  “Sweet Jesus,” she mutters, but she doesn’t miss a step or let her smile falter as she steps back and moves in to hug my cousin.

  “It’s not that bad, Auntie. I promise,” he says, but he doesn’t look her in the eye when he talks, which instantly sets off alarm bells.

  “Would you rather talk to Tommy?” Angel asks him.

  I chuckle softly because Uncle Tommy is just as scary as Uncle James when he’s mad. I always thought my dad was the scariest of all his brothers, but I learned that was a lie as I grew older.

  Trace shakes his head. “No, Auntie. My dad needs to know what’s going on. I’ve waited long enough to tell him, and I could really use his help and advice.”

  Aunt Angel strokes her long red hair, smoothing it over her shoulder. An instant tell that she’s about to drop a lie. “I’m sure everything will be fine, no matter what you’re about to tell him. Your dad can be a very understanding man.”

  “Sure. He’s the pinnacle of calm and patience,” Trace says with a snort. “I’ve lived a nice life. If it ends today, at least I know I lived it to the fullest.”

  I slap Trace square in the chest with the back of my hand, and Trace flinches, but the impact isn’t enough to make his body move. “Stop being a drama queen. The man isn’t going to end your life because you did something stupid. I’m sure he’s seen his fair share between Carmello and Rocco.”

  “Those boys were always getting into some type of trouble. All three of you and Nick remind me so much of your dad and Tommy when they were young. They were practically feral.” Aunt Angel grabs Trace’s hand, taking his attention away from his father’s closed office door. “It’ll be fine. I promise,” she says to him. “You can go in. He’s finishing up with a new client.”

  “Thanks, Auntie,” Trace says, giving Aunt Angel a warm smile. It’s hard not to be sweet to her and believe everything she says, especially when she’s lying.

  “Come with me,” Trace begs me. “Walk in with me and say hi. Then you can leave.”

  “Good because I’d rather not stick around to watch your death. Do you want to be buried or cremated?” I ask, feeding into his panic that’s brewing right under the surface, barely visible.

  “I’ll be dead. What the hell will I care?”

  “This is going to be an interesting afternoon,” Aunt Angel mutters as she saunters back to her desk to answer the phone. “ALFA Security. This is Angel. How may I help you?”

  “You go first,” he tells me, pushing me toward the hallway to his father’s office.

  “Pussy,” I whisper under my breath as I take a few steps forward. “I’m not scared.”

  “Because you didn’t do anything wrong, and he’s not your father.”

  “I’ve done plenty wrong, but I’ve never done something dumb enough to need my dad’s help.”

  “There’s still time,” he says to me as he follows close behind me.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I tend to think through things before I get my ass into too much trouble.”

  “Lu, you’re all about impulse. You don’t think about shit but boys and dicks.”

  “Men,” I correct him. “Men and dicks. Both of which cause nothing but trouble, but I never break the law.”

  “Never say never.”

  I grunt, stopping outside his father’s office door. “You ready? I’m giving him a hug, and then I’m leaving you to fend for yourself.”

  “Your appearance will soften him a bit in case he’s having a shit day.”

  I laugh. “I’m sure my face will lessen whatever is about to be unleashed.”

  “It will. Don’t go far, because if you leave me…”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Trace. I’ll go in and soften him up, but then you’re on your own. I’ll wait out by Aunt Angel. Ready?”

  He hesitates and is about to chicken out. So, I do the thing he needs me to do and knock. “Uncle James,” I call through the door. “Can I come in?”

  “Luna?” he says before the sound of loud footsteps fills the air.

  Trace’s body stiffens, and his face drains of color.

  Man, whatever he did must be big and bad. I’m going to have to twist his arm and force him to spill all the details when we get in the car to head back to Inked. There’s no way I’m going to play offense for him and not find out what I’m putting my neck on the line for.

  The door opens, and Uncle James greets me with a big smile. “Hey, kid,” he says, his voice deep but gentle. “It’s nice to see you here.” But just as those words leave his mouth, his gaze lands on Trace, and his easy smile evaporates. “Son.”

  “Hey, Dad,” Trace says, waving his hand like an idiot.

  “What happened?” Uncle James asks because he’s not a moron like his youngest son.

  When Trace doesn’t answer, I feel the need to jump in and take some of the heat off him. “I don’t know what he did, but I wanted to stop by and say hi. I couldn’t come here and not say hello to my favorite uncle.”

  “My brother-in-law is a lucky bastard to have three sweet girls,” Uncle James replies.

  “Bullshit,” Trace coughs, earning himself a raised eyebrow and a stare that would’ve had me piss myself as a kid.

  Uncle James is easily over six feet tall with wide shoulders. When I was little, I thought he was big enough to block out the sun. I never understood how Aunt Izzy, who is nowhere near his size, could handle this man and do it with ease. I looked up to her and how she could use her smarts and sass to make such an imposing man do just about anything she wanted with a few words and flicks of her eyelashes.

  We peer inside and see there’s a man sitting in a chair across from Uncle James’s desk.

  “We don’t want to interrupt,” I tell him, keeping my gaze locked on the back of the stranger’s head. “You have a client.”

  “We’ll come back, Dad,” Trace says, chickening out.

  I don’t blame him for chickening out. I’d chicken out too if I had to tell Uncle James something I knew would make him mad. I hated telling my father anything stupid I did, and the man was pretty damn easy. Having three girls, he knew we could turn on the waterworks in an instant, and the big guy never did well when tears were involved.

  “I think we’re done here,” the stranger says, standing from his chair, and as soon as he turns around, my blood runs cold.

  Uncle James turns to face the man. “I’m sorry. We’ll only be a few minutes if you’d like to wait in the reception area. Angel can get you a coffee.”

  “Chad,” I whisper, narrowing my eyes and envisioning his death at my hands.

  “It’s not a problem, Mr. Caldo. I may not need your services after all. I may have just found the lead I needed,” Chad tells him, smiling at me.

  “Luna.” Trace elbows me in the ribs. “What’s wrong?”

  I’m barely breathing at this point. “I’m fine,” I lie, wanting to keep my business away from my family. “It’s nothing.”

  Trace leans over and drops his voice so only we can hear. “You’re white as a ghost. I’m the one supposed to panic, not you. Remember?”

  “I know him,” I whisper.

  “You know him?” Trace asks, his head turning toward the guy walking in our direction. “How?”

  “Not important,” I say as Chad slides by me, keeping his gaze pinned on me.

  “Who is he?” Trace asks me when Chad is a few feet away.

  “A dead man,” I tell him, waiting for him to walk out the front door before I excuse myself. “I have to run. I’ll catch you later, little cousin.”

  “Wait. We need to talk,” he says to me, grabbing my arm before I can walk out of Uncle James’s office.

  “You worry about you. I’ve got this. I’m not a shrinking violet.”

  “What?” He gawks at me, clearly never having heard the phrase before.

  “Nothing.” I pat his shoulder. “Keep your ass alive.”

  “You too,” he says with a sad smile.

  The door is halfway closed when Uncle James yells my name.

  “Fuck,” I hiss and stop. “Yeah?” I turn, plastering a fake smile on my face.

  He motions for me to come in. “Stay.”

  “But I have…”

  He gives me a look, and I know it well, having seen it on my father’s face more than once in my lifetime.

  “Fine,” I grumble and step inside his office, closing the door behind me. “I don’t think—”

  “Sit,” Uncle James commands, and my ass drops into the chair without any argument.

  He studies me for a minute, leaning back in his chair with one hand rubbing his chin. It’s unnerving. “What was that?” he asked me.

  “What was what?” I shoot back, playing stupid.

  He ticks his chin toward the door. “That.”

  “I was just going to run home.”

  His eyes narrow. “Don’t play coy. You knew that man.”

  I sag forward, hating this. “Met him a few times. He’s an asshole.”

  “As soon as your eyes landed on him, everything about you changed. I need you to be a little more forthcoming about him and how you know him.”

  I sigh and lean over my knees, staring at the floor. “Can I handle it, please? I don’t want to get anyone else involved in my problems. You have enough to handle with Trace and his dumbass shit.”

  “I’ll handle my dumbass son in a moment, but right now, I want to talk about Mr. Downs and why your entire demeanor changed when you saw him.”

  “Tell him,” Trace says.

  I turn my head and glare at my cousin. “You just want to prolong the delay before your ass gets chewed out.”

  “Eh,” he mutters, waving a hand. “I’m a dead man either way. Sooner or later. Doesn’t matter. But something ain’t right, cousin. You’re always fearless, and from what I just witnessed, that light switch flipped in an instant.”

  I sit up straighter, readying myself for what I’m about to tell my uncle and knowing the consequences will be completely out of my hands. “I know Chad.”

  “How?” Uncle James asks.

  “We went on a date.”

  “And what happened?”

  “He wasn’t my type. He gave me the creeps, and I ditched him. Clearly, I wasn’t wrong about the guy because he’s a major tool.”

  James leans forward, placing his hands on the desk. “What did he do?”

  “Well…” I inhale and close my eyes, wishing I’d never agreed to come with my dumbass cousin. “Do I have to tell you?”

  Uncle James stares at me and reaches over and grabs the phone. “Can you come in here, please?” he says to someone.

  “I don’t want anyone else involved,” I beg.

  “Too late,” he says, not giving a single fuck about how I feel or what I want.

  The door to Uncle James’s office opens and closes, and I don’t turn around. I’m too scared to even move.

  “What’s up?”

  I squeeze my eyes shut as soon as I recognize the voice.

  “What happened?” Uncle Thomas asks.

  James turns his chair to the left and then to the right, pointing a finger directly at me. “Had a client in here, and he wasn’t throwing the right vibes. Luna showed up, and the color drained from her face when she laid eyes on him.”

  “What he’d do?” Uncle Thomas asks, moving toward Uncle James’s desk. He sits on the edge, staring at me too.

  Fucking great.

  “He hasn’t done anything yet. Not really.”

  Thomas folds his arms over his chest. “And what’s not really mean? Has he laid hands on you?”

  I shrug. “Kind of, but not really.”

  Both of their bodies straighten and still.

  “Explain,” Thomas says. “You’re not in trouble, but we need to know who and what we’re dealing with here. Start at the beginning.”

  So, I do, and it’s painfully embarrassing. “I saw him last week at the store, and he followed me around and grabbed my arm. I ran out of there and straight into Nevin.”

  “And Nevin didn’t handle him?”

  “Nevin didn’t know until Chad was already long gone.”

  Thomas scrubs his hand across his face. “We’ll handle him.”

  “What are you going to do?” I ask.

  “I can almost guarantee you aren’t the first woman he’s done something to, and I’m going to find out and do whatever we need to so you’re the last.”

  I stare at my Uncle Thomas and then look at Uncle James, waiting for one of them to say something else.

  When they don’t, I ask. “And that is?”

  Uncle James shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. He won’t be an issue anymore.”

  “You don’t know that,” I fire back.

  “I can promise you that,” Uncle James replies, tapping his index finger on his desk.

  Uncle Thomas stands and touches my shoulder, smiling down at me as I peer up. “But to be safe, either go stay with your parents for a few days or have someone stay with you.”

  “I’ll stay with you,” Trace offers, but he’s about as helpful as a broomstick to keep me safe.

  “I’ll call Nevin and ask him to stay with me a few days,” I tell him, but I fucking hate this shit.

  “Good. Just a few days,” he says to me. “You’ll never see Chad again.”

  I gape at them and am filled with so many questions. None of which they’ll answer.

  I have a feeling Chad isn’t long for this world, and I don’t feel bad about it either. He is a predator and is about to become the prey.

  21

  NEVIN

  “Are you going to talk to me or pretend I’m not here?”

  Luna stares at the television from the other end of the couch. “I’m talking.”

  “Sure,” I whisper. “We need to talk about what happened.”

  “My uncles are taking care of him.”

  I turn my entire body toward her. “You know I’m not talking about that.”

  She stares back at me, looking clueless and innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I hurt your feelings.”

  I didn’t mean to, but I know when I said we were only friends after sleeping with her that my words stung.

  Her face doesn’t change. “When?”

  “At your grandparents’.”

  She blinks a few times and continues to stare at me. “I don’t remember anything,” she says before turning her gaze back toward the television.

  I slide across the couch until our hips touch. She doesn’t move away from me, but she doesn’t lean in either.

  “Luna, look at me,” I plead with her, but she doesn’t even give me the side-eye. “What are we to each other?”

  She shrugs but doesn’t open her mouth to answer the question.

  “Are we friends?”

  “Sure,” she whispers.

  “Are we lovers?”

  “We were.”

  Those words are like a punch to the gut.

  We were.

  “I’m shit at this,” I admit.

  “Yep. You are.”

  I reach over and place my hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry, Luna.”

  “It’s fine,” she mumbles.

  I may be naïve and dumb when it comes to women, but I know the word fine means things are anything but fine.

  “I don’t know how to act around you. I’m totally clueless. I said one stupid thing, and now you’re giving me the cold shoulder.”

  She nods. “I’ll get over it.”

  “When?”

  “It’ll be a while.”

  I groan. “What should I have said when asked? Should I have said you were mine? Is that what you wanted me to say in front of your entire family before we even had a chance to talk about what either of us wanted?”

  She doesn’t answer.

  “Is that what you wanted? Should I have told them we fucked a few times and now you are my bitch?”

  I know I’ve crossed the line. I know my words are going to piss her off. But I want her to be mad. I want her to act. Anything is better than the indifferent silent treatment she is giving me.

  But the one thing I don’t expect is for her to lunge at me, raising her hand like she is going to strike me.

  “Shut the fuck up!” she yells in my face as I grab her arms, stopping her from hitting me. “You’re a fucking asshole.” She struggles to free herself, yanking and pushing against my grip.

  “Never said I wasn’t, Lu.” I pull her arms down, pinning them behind her back with one hand.

  She slides forward, wrestling with me and managing to shove her breasts in my face. Using my free hand, I wrap it around her waist and haul her into my lap.

  “Calm down,” I tell her, wanting to de-escalate the situation and not knowing that’s not what you want to say to a woman when you want them to hear you out and talk.