Exploding: A Mafia Romance (The O'Keefe Family Collection #1) (18 page)

M
onday morning brought
many a song to Fallyn’s smiling lips. She was on cloud nine as she dressed before dawn and went into her store, greeting Loretta with a dreamy grin as she went over the books and then started in on the custom cakes. When nine o’clock came, Fallyn greeted her eldest brother with a hug that startled him and a kiss on his cheek he knew he didn’t deserve. “Can we talk in your office?” Killian requested.

Fallyn noticed the obvious tail between his legs when he sat with stooped shoulders on the other side of the desk from her. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said the other night. I don’t want you to die alone. That’s not what Saturday night was supposed to be about. I had a talk with the others, and they’re going to back off. If you want to date James, we won’t stand in your way.”

“Carrigan get your memo? He was parked outside of James’ place yesterday.”

“They’re falling in line today. You can have your fun with that James guy, if that’s what you want.”

Fallyn fought down the rage that rose up in her at their gall that they assumed she needed their permission. “It’s too late for that, and you know it. That’s over.”

“I’m sorry, Fally.”

“No, you’re not, but it was a nice lie.” She straightened the papers on her desk. “But I’ll take your offer for the next guy I date. In fact, you can spread the word that it’s nobody’s business who I’m dating. I have a dad, and it’s not you.”

Killian swallowed hard before nodding. “Noted.”

“I think I’ve earned the right to be pissed at you all for a while, so you’ll leave me alone and back off. Don’t think I didn’t see Carrigan’s patrol car this morning following me to work.”

“Carri’s worried you’re hiding something. He thinks you’re sneaking around with James still. It freaked him out that you’d been seeing someone he hadn’t run through the system.”

“Carri can bite me.”

“You were gone all day and didn’t come home until after dark.”

Fallyn cast him a simpering smile. “Well, I was working the stripper pole yesterday. No place to clip a cell phone. Picked me up a great guy there while I was looking for a ride home.” She tapped her pencil on the table. “And what do you have to say to that?”

Killian glowered at her, but answered through gritted teeth, “He sounds swell. I can’t wait to meet him, which will be whenever you say.”

Fallyn leaned over the desk and patted the top of his head. “That’s a good boy.”

Killian checked his phone when it buzzed. “Vince is out front. Come say hi and be cordial.”

“I’ll do my very best, Dad.” She saluted him with mock obeisance. Killian flinched on his way out the door.

Fallyn brought the two coffee and scones, but nearly dropped them when she saw Vince. He wore sunglasses, but she could see a large bruise blooming on his cheek. When he nodded at her, there was a stiffness in his body language that told her he was hurt in other places, as well. “What happened to you?” she demanded, taking off his glasses to get a look at the damage.

Vince tried to keep all emotion off his face, though just the sight of her made him swell with need. “I told you I was going to run the dealers out of town. Turns out a few of them weren’t up for the jog.”

“I don’t like this,” she ruled, turning to Killian. “Can’t you guys help them? I mean, the sooner his part of the city’s safer, the sooner everything’s better all the way around, right?”

Killian held up his hands. “I want to, Fally. But the second we cross over, we’re all targets.”

Fallyn pointed to Vince’s face. “He’s a target now! Can’t you see that? The only people who want you out of there are the ones he’s driving out anyways. When they’re gone, there won’t be any more territory disputes.”

Killian considered this. “I don’t know.”

“Fine,” she shrugged, taking the seat next to her brother and crossing her arms over her breasts. “Then I’ll go with the D’Amatos.”

Killian threw his head back as Vince stiffened. “Obviously not,” Killian ruled. “Are you still trying to punish me for James?”

“No, I’m trying to get the job done before something happens and Vince gets killed.” She tried not to look directly at Vince. “If he dies, it’ll be chaos. It’s in your best interest to help the only D’Amato you’ve got a good relationship with. Vince gets dumped in the river, and we’re looking at Tony running things into the ground. Is that what you want?”

“I’m alright, Little Keefer. I appreciate the offer, but we’ve got it under control.” Vince blew on his coffee. “Go on back to your Easy Bake Oven. I’ll find you to talk about the order exchange when we’re finished up out here.”

Fallyn narrowed her eyes at Vince and pointed down at the table. “Don’t you dare ‘big man, little woman’ me. My gun’s as good as anybody’s. I’m a far sight better shot than Joey, that’s for sure.”

Vince pointed to the backroom. “Get.”

Fallyn sneered at the men, but left them to their talk. She finished icing a first communion sheet cake and went on to a sweet sixteen three-tiered cake. When Killian and Vince came back, Loretta took her break as if on cue. Killian picked up a warm muffin and took a bite. “I’m going to talk to the guys. You alright by yourself with Vince, Fal?”

Fallyn shot him a baleful look. “Please. He looks like he could get bowled over by a stiff breeze. I think I can handle him. See ya.” When her brother made to kiss the top of her head, she pushed him away.

“Fallyn!”

Fallyn shrugged at her brother, as if to ask him what he expected. She turned her back on him and marched into her office. When Vince joined her, he locked the door behind him. “So I take it things are going well with your family.”

F
allyn pointed
at the chair in her office, her finger shaking. “Show me every bruise and every scrape.”

Vince looked up at her as if she was the most peaceful sight he’d ever laid eyes on. He was weary and had not gone to sleep yet, though it was half past nine in the morning. “You do love me. Whataya know.”

“Don’t play games with me. Take your shirt off and let me have a look at you.”

“I thought you didn’t want to play games. Trying to get me naked, are you?”

Fallyn lifted the hem of his shirt, gasping at the black and blue blooming across his left side. He had gauze secured with masking tape onto his hip, and he hissed when she touched it. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“I’m alright. It’s just a few scratches.” His smile was only half there due to his split lip, but it beamed only for her. “Look at you being all sweet, worrying about me.”

“Shut up!” she snapped. “Don’t you dare argue with me about this. I’m driving.”

“I’ll get blood on your car.”

“Good thing I know a guy who’s got buckets of bleach.”

Vince chuckled, but the slight movement made his ribs burn. “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I’ve got a doctor who makes house calls for the family. I’ll give him a ring when I get a minute.”

“You wanted me in your life? Well, this is what it looks like when I love someone. You aren’t allowed to get hurt like this, do you understand? I’m not trusting your ribs to a house call doctor. You need an actual x-ray.” She picked up her purse and opened the door. She popped her head into the front to explain where she was going to Jen, who nodded uncertainly.

Fallyn opened Vince’s door for him and pulled back the seat so he could lay down on the way. She broke two traffic laws getting him to the emergency room, and when the nurse who checked them in told her there was about an hour’s wait, Fallyn tapped into her family’s signature Irish temper, moving the wait to a mere five minutes.

Fallyn worked Vince’s shirt off for him, her eyes watering at the depths of the beatings he’d taken. She held his hand through the examination and the stitches, and then waited impatiently for him through his x-rays. The sum of it was a cracked rib, four areas that needed stitches, and a recommendation of a few days of bedrest, which Vince chuckled at.

After Fallyn redressed him, they sat on the hospital bed together so he could hold her while she fell apart. “You don’t get to go out like that anymore. I mean it. Send Angelo and Tony. Tony needs a good kick in the face. You don’t.”

Vince could scarcely feel the pain of his many injuries anymore. That someone worried about him, loved him enough to tell him not to risk his life anymore rose in his chest like a balloon, pushing out all other concerns. “You don’t have to worry about me. This is all about what I expected. We were able to clear out Seventh Street, so now we can move onto Eighth tonight. It’s a slow process, but we’re starting to add people to our numbers. A lot of neighbors want the crack houses cleaned out and the dealers gone. They want it so bad, they’re willing to fight for it. Big sense of community loyalty’s coming about, and they’re rallying around my family, so things are changing. I can finally see it.” He kissed her lips, which were wet with tears. “I wasn’t expecting you to ask your brothers to help, but man, if they got involved? Then the community would see our families united, and border lines would actually start dissolving. Killian and I talked for a while about that, and I think he might actually come help us. You’re a genius, baby. Pure genius.”

Fallyn pressed her cheek to his. “I love you, Vince. Please don’t go back out tonight.”

“I have to,
miele
. Can’t give them time to regroup or form a plan. The cleanout has to happen this week.” He reached into his pocket, permitting a few grunts of discomfort since she already knew exactly how injured he was. “I almost forgot. This is yours now.” He handed her a black credit card.

Fallyn turned the card over in her hand, confused. “You want me to hold this for you? What’s this for?”

“For you to buy things with. It’s linked to my accounts, so use it as often as you like.”

Fallyn’s face soured as she pressed the card back into his palm. “Um, no. Thank you, but no. Did I give you the impression I was hurting for money?”

“No, but you’re my girlfriend now. This is how I do things.”

Fallyn tried not to take offense. “Well, it’s not how I do things. I own my own business, and it’s doing well. My family has their own deep pockets, and I don’t need to give you a reason to question why I’m in this. You really think Tony would be okay with me tapping into the D’Amato family fortune?”

“It’s yours, Fally.”

She slid the card into his back pocket. “No. Keep your money. Expand the vineyard, like you’ve always wanted. Buy a unicorn. I can handle myself just fine.”

Vince was confused, reluctant to have no stamp on providing for her at all. “It doesn’t sit right with me that I’m not paying for anything at all.”

“Tell you what, you can pay for dinner at that hole in the wall diner by our lake next Sunday.”

“That’s like, twenty bucks! Come on, Fal. Take the card.”

“Not a chance.” She hopped down from the hospital bed and offered her hand to help him stand. “Let’s go fill your prescription and then I’ll take you home.” She rolled her eyes. “Or I’ll take you to your car and follow you to the border.”

“I checked into a hotel in neutral territory last night. Lots of unpleasantness prowling around the house, so that’s where Angelo, Tony and Joey are now.”

“Good thinking. I’m driving.” Fallyn tucked him into her car, got his prescription filled and drove him to his hotel, grateful he’d not chosen a flea-ridden crap hole. She helped him out of the car and up to his third-floor room where Angelo and Tony were watching TV.

Angelo stood when she entered, but Tony did not. “Did you… Did you go to a doctor?” Angelo asked Vince, a note of teasing in his tone.

“She made me. Shut up about it.” He rolled his eyes as Tony and Angelo made cooing noises to show their feigned sympathy.

Fallyn reared on the men. “That’s right, and I’m not above making the two of you go in and get checked out, too. Out with it. Where are you hurt?”

Angelo and Tony looked at each other and chuckled, waving off her concern. “We’re fine. Vince took the worst of it because he went in the door first,” Tony explained.

“Show me,” she demanded. “Show me exactly how ‘fine’ you are. I mean it. If Vince is going back out tonight, I don’t want his backup hobbling along after him.” The men softened as they permitted her to press on their ribs, investigate their bruises and clean out their cuts. They hadn’t been nearly as injured as Vince, but she fretted about them all the same. Even Tony started to soften around her, addressing her by name every now and again and keeping his snide comments to a minimum. “Vince needs to rest. Can you make sure that happens?” she inquired of Angelo.

“I’ll even sing him a lullaby, if that helps you.”

Vince’s eyes were already closed, his hand over his toned stomach. “Shut it.”

“It does. Thanks.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’m going to bring you all lunch. Any requests?”

Angelo smiled down at her, endeared to her Mama Bear attitude. Somehow by falling for Vince, she had decided to take care of all of them. They hadn’t had a warm presence in their family in ages. “We’ve got room service, kiddo. You don’t have to bring us food. Plus, we had a late breakfast. We won’t be hungry for lunch for a couple hours.” He called over his shoulder. “Vince, did you give her the credit card?”

“I tried,” Vince said, murmuring sleepily, his head on his pillow. “But she wouldn’t take it.”

Tony’s head whipped in her direction. “Our money not good enough for you, Little Keefer?”

“Yes, that’s exactly it. How big of a gold digger do you think I am? I don’t want Vince for his money. Jeez! Make sure you let him rest.” She softened when she saw Vince’s breathing level off as he lay atop the thick maroon comforter. She unlaced his shoes and removed them, giving his feet a decent rub just to hear him moan contentedly.

Tony watched Fallyn, seeking out any traces of a false move. He noticed her taking care of Vince with gentle fingers, anticipating his needs by placing a glass of water by his bedside and making sure she went over Vince’s medication specifications three times with Angelo. “This is my number,” she told Angelo, scribbling on a notepad with the hotel’s logo as the watermark. “If you three need anything, let me know. You should all be resting up if you’re going back out tonight.” She pointed to Tony, making him sit up straighter. “You need to ice your knee.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “My knee’s fine. We’re not your children.”

“Do you want a fat lip to go with your limp? Don’t argue with me, Tony.” She picked up the ice bucket and returned a few minutes later with a hand towel and ice for him. Tony did not thank her, nor did she expect or need him to. She kissed Vince’s cheek one more time before leaving to go back to her shop, worrying that Vince would try to go back out before his body could handle it.