The Promise (The 'Burg #5)(35)

Jesus. That felt good.

He couldn’t let that feeling settle.

He somehow got her where he wanted her; he had to press his advantage.

So he asked, “Monday?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded.

Thank f**k.

He knew he’d be pushing it to kiss her, as bad as he wanted that mouth.

It killed, but he didn’t kiss her.

He still gave himself a taste of her by dipping his head further and touching his lips to hers.

He lifted it and said, “Pancakes.”

She relaxed in his arms and nodded.

He let her loose only to bend and lift her in his arms.

Then he took her downstairs so she could have pancakes.

* * * * *

An hour and a half later, while Theresa was in the kitchen doing dishes, Frankie was lying flat out on the couch, her mass of hair spread on the armrest where her head was resting, smiling huge at something Vinnie said to be funny.

He’d been right. She didn’t make his pop work for it. Not even for a second. And she did this two seconds after Benny had put her on that couch and she asked his pop if he minded getting her a “cup of joe,” like she did the same the day before and the day before that.

His father had grinned, openly showing his relief, then shocked the shit out of him and his ma by getting it for her.

It was while Frankie was smiling at Vinnie Senior that Asheeka made a move to leave.

Benny waited until the good-byes were said, hand squeezes were given to Frankie, hugs to Vinnie, then he stood and murmured, “Walk you out.”

Frankie gave him a look.

Asheeka gave Frankie a look before she moved her look to Benny.

But Benny held her eyes, and with nothing for it, she moved to the door, him following, her calling her good-bye to Theresa on her way out.

He walked with her to a flash black Land Rover parked at the curb.

“Sales are good,” he noted, eyes on her truck.

“I’m not complaining,” she replied, feet firm on the sidewalk.

He moved his gaze to her. “Got anything for me to go on in there?” he asked straight up. He had no time to beat around the bush, no inclination, and no skills with that shit.

She crossed her arms on her chest and studied him.

He read her as quiet, a little shy, but not dumb.

With what she said next, he’d learn he was right about the last, and she could get beyond the first two.

“You do know with that question, you’re askin’ me to break the sacred sister trust.”

“I know.”

“Don’t know you, but she’s my girl.”

“Know that too.”

She fell into studying him again.

He didn’t have time for that either.

“You don’t know me so I’ll tell you. I get I’m puttin’ you on the spot, and I mean no offense when I also tell you I don’t give a f**k because the reason I’m doin’ it is important.”

She didn’t study him after that.

She said, “You know that commercial where the guy wakes up in half a bed, eats outta half a bowl of cereal, and sits on half a couch?”

He heard her. He got her. He lifted his chin to communicate that and tell her to get on with it.

She got on with it. “That’s our Frankie. Livin’ half a life. Doin’ it by choice. Now, way I see it, before, it was penance. Punishing herself for somethin’ that was not her fault. You all pullin’ out the stops to say she needs to let that go, I still see Frankie goin’ to sleep in half a bed and watchin’ her shows on half a couch.”

Yeah.

He heard her. He got her. And what she said made him uneasy.

“Why?” he asked.

“I read you right with the way you’re positionin’ yourself to be in her life, that’s the part you gotta figure out, sort it out, then show me you can fill her full of life. I’ll tell you, you do that, you’ll have my gratitude ’cause I’ve known her years and she can fake it real good. But you watch. You listen. She laughs half a laugh, even as she’s tryin’ to convince you it comes full. And every breath she takes is half a breath. Nobody can live like that, half breathing. And no person like Frankie Concetti should.”

Benny felt his mouth get tight as his eyes moved to his house.

He then felt Asheeka get close and his gaze went back to her.

“It’s not your brother,” she said quietly. “She’ll use that as a shield to hold you back.” She shook her head. “It’s not him, though. It’s deeper. It’s why she chose him when, no offense, but the woman you and I know could have had more.” She held his gaze and whispered, “Think about that.”

She said nothing more and moved to the driver’s side of her vehicle.

Ben watched her pull out and his eyes remained on the road long after she was gone.

But his mind was on Frankie.

And his thoughts were troubled.

Because, suddenly, he couldn’t figure out if back in the day, when she was with Vinnie, if she was electric.

Or if she was desperate.

And he wondered, even back then, if every breath she took was half a breath.

By the time he made a move to his house, he had no answers.

All he knew was he had to find them.

* * * * *