At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(127)

“Mike, I repeat, I’m entirely f**ked up.”

“Sweetheart, I already know that,” he grinned, “and, f**k me, but I kinda like it.”

“Mike –”

“It’s cute.”

Finally, I gave him the truth. “And there’s somethin’ I need to work out with Joe and I don’t want you feelin’ on a string while I work it out.”

His arms spasmed and that muscle leapt again in his jaw.

“What?” he whispered.

My hand at his cheek slid to his neck and I said, “Not that, not what you’re thinking. But we gotta get something clear and, I know Joe, that’ll take some doing.”

“Violet.”

“I got four days, the girls are gone, I got four days to do it. Can you give me that?”

“No.”

“Mike –”

“Vi, you’re in my bed tonight.”

“Mike, listen to –”

His arms gave me a shut up squeeze so I did and he said, “No, Vi, you listen to me. You work it out with him. Talk. I don’t give a f**k what it’s about, don’t wanna know. You come to my house tonight and you come prepared to spend the night.”

Yep, he was getting impatient, staking his claim.

“Mike, I don’t think –”

“And don’t f**kin’ bring one of his shirts. You sleep in tees, you wear one of mine.”

“But –”

“And you take it home too.”

Shit and damn. Joe was home a few days and my brother was f**king dead, I’d been semi-adopted by an Italian family in Chicago, my girls were back under his spell and I was back in this unholy mess.

“I’m not ready for that.”

“Yeah, you are and I am and he can have your days, you need to work shit out with him, but, while the girls are gone, I have your nights.”

“What if we –”

“I want you safe. I wanna know you’re safe and the only way I’ll know that is you in my bed. He and Colt can keep watch durin’ the day but I’m tellin’ you, Vi, I get the nights.”

“Mike –”

He didn’t let me finish again, this time he kissed me. Not his straight-to-fiery kiss, this one was a stealth one, light and sweet, building the fire.

I ended it with my arms wrapped around his neck.

“Six o’clock, sweetheart,” he whispered, “come on in, the door’ll be open.”

“Okay,” I whispered back, because I was a total, complete idiot.

Then, just like Mike, he gave it to me honest.

“You don’t get this, Vi, so I’ll tell you. I’m fallin’ for you.” I closed my eyes. Mike kissed them in turn and I opened them again. “I know you don’t need that, sweetheart, but then again, you need it all the same.”

This didn’t make sense but it totally did.

I gave it back to him, just as honest.

“Mike, you deserve the best and I’m not sure that’s me.”

He just grinned, gave me a squeeze, kissed my forehead and repeated, “Six o’clock, door’ll be open.”

Then he let me go, turned and left.

I stared at the door.

Then I walked to it and armed the alarm.

Then I went to my cold cup of coffee, nuked it and stood in my kitchen, staring out my kitchen window, watching three men now carrying out to the dumpster what seemed to be Joe’s entire freaking kitchen and while I did this I drank my coffee.

* * * * *

After I had a shower, I spritzed with my perfume, put on light makeup, my Lucky jeans and a blouse I always liked. The cotton looked almost tie-dyed, all in deep shades of grape, the split at the neckline was embroidered with green, lilac, lavender and blue flowers and there were braided strings hanging down from the top sides of the split, their weight holding it open. It fit loose but had an elastic waistband and elastic at the cap sleeves. It was kinda Heidi and kinda rock ‘n’ roll. I loved it, it made me feel good and I needed that in a big, honking way.

Then I picked up my phone, scrolled down to “Joe’s cell” and hit go.

He picked up on ring two.

“Yo.”

“It’s Violet. We need to talk. Come over.”

“Buddy, I’m in the middle of something.”

“You come over here or I come over there and we do it in front of all the boys who’re demolishing your house.”

He was silent then he sighed and said, “Give me ten.”

“You got ten then I’m headin’ over.”

“All right, baby, cool it. I said I’d be over.”

“Right,” I said into the phone then slid it shut.

I had ten minutes and I knew what I’d do with them.

I limped out the front door, walked across my yard, cautiously jumped the split rail fence that separated the front of Tina and my yards then walked right up to her door and pounded on it.

She made me do this awhile then opened it, her face a smirk, she knew this was coming and she wanted it, the bitch.

“Hey Violet.”

I didn’t greet her, I said, “I hear you spread my business around again, we got problems.”

She put her hand to her chest and said with totally fake innocence, “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”