Six Guns: Volume Two (8 page)

“Ha. Like that’s ever going to happen. If I got jealous of him, I’d probably kill him, you know.”

Lilah grinned and turned around to me then. “Does it have to be Stan?”

I nodded, rubbing my nose against hers. “He’s always had my back. He’ll protect you when I can’t be there.”

She sighed then as if letting the subject drop. “Fine.”

“Do you see all that?” I asked her, pointing out to Haven.

“It’s beautiful. You can see everything from up here,” she commented.

“Right. That’s Haven, baby. Haven belongs to you and me now.”

Lilah remained quiet as she peered out, processing everything I was telling her.

“I’m going to give you more than just Haven though. I’m going to give you the whole fucking world, baby.” I pressed up against her back, her tight skirt rubbing against me. “Tell me what you’re thinking, Lilah. I need to know.”

She reached up and put her arms around my neck. She then turned her head and sucked in my bottom lip, kissing me deeply. Then she whispered, “I think that I’m the luckiest woman alive. I’m so grateful that we’ve found each other, Nicky.”

I scooped her up in my arms. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

EIGHT

CROSS

Things were going well—too well. Things had gone bad for so long it was as if having this much at my fingertips was deemed to be doomed eventually. I hated that I was thinking that way, but it was difficult not to. I was Senator Humphrey’s daughter. At one time, I’d had everything with him, and then my mother had died followed by a step-mother sent straight from Satan himself. Mark had given me hope. Then my father disowned me because he despised my husband. My entire life—one big yo-yo of a ride.

Cain Designs was open for business. Opening day had been an enormous success. The place had been packed, and the media was still giving me a lot of attention, not that I minded. Attention equaled more sales. Sales proved that my boutique could handle itself. I honestly just wanted to make Nicky proud. He had been there for me on opening day, standing by my side with a smile on his face as cameras flashed our way. He was extremely supportive. I’d even managed to hire two new girls as part of my staff so I didn’t have to be there
all
the time. Hopefully I’d be able to hire more in the future.

My spirits were high. I took a deep breath of New York air as I walked briskly on a sidewalk in Haven. So this is what it felt like to be on top of the world. I shoved my hands in my long brown coat pockets and continued a steady pace. I was going to grab some coffee at my favorite place before opening up the boutique for the day.

The sides of the street were already crowded with people on their way to work. I loved the busyness of the City, the brisk, cold air going into my nostrils as I walked. I put my head down for a moment as a chilly blast of wind whipped around me as I tucked my hands even further down into my pockets.

“Lilah? Lilah Cross?”

At the mention of my name, my head shot up. Mere inches in front of me stood Robert Simeon. He was looking even more handsome than the last time I saw him and he wore casual clothes of jeans, and a white dress shirt covered by a tan jacket. He smiled as if giving me a moment to recall who he was.
I would never forget a face like that.

“Robert, hi,” I breathed out, giving him a return smile. “Business downtown again?”

His eyes looked me up and down just as they’d done before. Again, I was sure I turned crimson. It annoyed me that he had that effect on me, and it was almost too cold to stop and make small talk.

“Something like that,” he replied. “Where you headed?”

I pointed just up the block. “Coffee shop.”

He nodded as if in complete understanding. “I could use some of that, too. Can I walk you there?”

“Yeah, sure.”

We walked side by side. I was too intensely aware of his presence beside me. I also knew who was sure to be behind me—Stan.

Robert opened the door to the coffee shop. Immediately I was greeted with warm air and the fragrant smell of caffeine at its finest.

“How did opening day go for Cain Designs?” Robert asked.

“Wow,” I said.

He cocked his head to the side. “What?”

I gave him a small smile. “You remembered the name of my store.”

“Of course. How could I forget? I can’t wait to get some time to shop there.”

Robert Simeon was a nice man. I couldn’t tell if he was just this friendly or trying to flirt with me. He probably was just a friendly guy, I decided, after giving it a moment to bounce back and forth in my brain. A friendly guy who liked expensive suits.

“Opening day was…great.” I removed my hands from my pockets as they were now beginning to thaw. “And every day after that has been just as great. I’m very happy with the location and the customers I’ve been getting in there.”

“I’m very glad to hear that.” Robert’s eyes lingered on mine as half of his mouth curled up into a wicked grin.

I looked away as the door behind us swung open. In strolled Stan along with another wintery blast of frosty air. He walked up to me and immediately eyed up Robert. I was sure they recognized each other.

“What’s going on here?” Stan asked as he removed his hat, revealing unkempt hair underneath.

“Nothing,” I snapped. “We’re getting coffee.”

“Did you tell him to meet you here?” Stan asked, gesturing toward Robert.

I glared at Nicky’s cousin. Disrespectful little pest he was. “We just ran into each other outside, not that it’s any concern of yours,” I hissed his way.

“Oh, it is my concern, Lilah. You’re my concern.”

Stan acted like he owned me. I had to have another talk with Nicky about this shit. This was ridiculous. I couldn’t even have a conversation with someone without him interfering.

“Go away, Stan,” I screamed at a whisper.

“No can do.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

“Asshole,” I mumbled. “Go outside.”

“Too cold.”

“Then go stand across the room. I don’t care where, just give me some space.” I hadn’t been facing Robert this whole time, but somehow I figured he’d heard every little tidbit of what was just said between me and my loathed shadow. I could only imagine what he must be thinking. It seemed like I was always bound to make a complete idiot of myself in front of Robert.

Stan’s eyes moved from me to Robert and then finally rested on me again. “Fine.”

I watched him move through the crowded little café before finally getting enough courage to turn back around and face Robert.

“Everything okay?” he asked, one of his eyebrows raised as he glanced at Stan who was keeping an eye on me from the other side of the room.

I sighed. “No. I mean…yes.” A growling noise escaped my throat due to my frustration.

Robert’s hand moved to my shoulder. “Who is he, Lilah? Do I need to take care of him for you?”

“Take care of him?” I asked.

Those piercing blue eyes of his studied me for a moment. “Yeah. You know, like kick his ass or something?” He smirked.

“Oh.” I exhaled loudly.
Take care of
to me would mean get rid of, kill, end existence—at least that’s what it would mean had I heard it come from Nicky’s mouth. “No, no. He’s my…bodyguard.”

Robert’s eyebrow arched even higher.

I didn’t know what to say.

“Is someone trying to hurt you?”

I shook my head back and forth. “No, nothing like that.” I let out a small fake laugh. I decided just to change the subject and fluff off the bodyguard thing. “Should we get in line?”

He gestured for me to go in front of him.

Such a gentleman.

Robert’s hand brushed against mine as he brought it up to his face. I smiled at him awkwardly.

“Lilah?”

I turned to face him at the same time I stepped forward to move up in line. “Hmm?”

Robert’s face grew serious then. He glanced in the direction of Stan and then back at me. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “I think you’re very beautiful. Can I take you out sometime?”

God, he was handsome. But the moment I thought things like that, the guilt crept right in. Nicky. Nicky Cain. My boyfriend Nicky Cain. The freaking head of the mob Nicky Cain, who was equally as handsome and even more so frightening than the man standing by my side.

I swept back the tiny hairs that the wind had unraveled and pressed my lips together, giving Robert a small smile. My eyes also wandered over to Stan who was staring directly back at me. So he was flirting with me. “Robert,” I began, “I’m flattered. Truly flattered. I really am, but I can’t.”

Robert’s light brown eyebrows drew together. “Give me a good reason why not.”

“You’re a very attractive man…”

“But?” He looked down, then back up. “I’m not seeing a ring. Are you married?”

My left thumb touched my empty ring finger. For so many years, I had worn the cheap wedding band given to me by Mark. I’d thrown it in the trash the night Nicky had shot and killed him. I hadn’t realized until this very moment how naked that particular finger felt. I shook the feeling off.

I shook my head as we neared the front of the line. “No, I’m not married.”
More like widowed and fucking the man who killed him.

“Women don’t usually say no to me, Lilah.” A grin spread out over his face. “Then again, there aren’t many women I ask out. Very few actually.”

My breathing quickened knowing how true those words probably were. This man did have a demeanor about him, one that drew me in. I bit my bottom lip—hard.

“I’m not going to give up, you know.” His mouth curled up into a half smile that had me darting my eyes away. They glanced back at Stan, then to the front of the line. I could at least pretend to be interested in looking at something other than Robert Simeon.

I sighed then. “I am with someone, Robert.”

“Who?”

“Nicky Cain,” I blurted out, looking his way to see what kind of reaction he’d have. To my surprise, he didn’t even flinch, his facial expression never altering one bit.

“Never heard of him.”

I almost laughed. What? Who in Haven hadn’t heard of Nicky?

“What’s he do? Who is he?”

I shook my head again as the woman behind the cash register asked me what I wanted to order. “Cappuccino for me please.” I began searching through my purse for some change.

Robert put his hand on top of mine, stopping me. “I got it.”

He placed his order and the woman shuffled us down to the end of the counter to retrieve our orders.

“Thank you.”

“So?” He raised his eyebrows again. “Who is this Nicky Cain you’re with?”

We were closer to Stan now—within hearing distance which drove me nuts.

“Someone you don’t want to mess with,” I told him matter-of-factly.

“That’s a funny thing to say,” he remarked.

Shrugging, I wrapped my cold fingers around the warm to-go cup. “It’s the truth though.”

He exhaled deeply before leaning in close to my ear once again, his breath warm against my chilled skin. “I don’t intimidate easily. I’m not afraid of
anyone.”

The way he had emphasized his words, his tone being almost…malicious…made goose bumps rise up on my arms.

“Time to go, Lilah.” Stan walked over to me as he stared down Robert who didn’t seem the least bit fazed. “I’m bored with this.”

I was about ready to snap at Stan when I realized I needed to get away from Robert and the conversation we were having.

“You two seem a little overly chummy for my liking.”

“Chummy?” Robert repeated, his eyes finding mine. “Did he really say that?”

“I think so,” I mumbled, irritated with this entire situation. “Thanks for the coffee, Robert. We’ll catch up some other time.”

“I hope so.” He again pinned me in place with his stunning eyes before moving aside to let me get past.

As soon as I got back outside, I turned around and punched Stan in the side of his arm as hard as I could.

“What was that for?” he asked, surprised by my sudden violence.

“You’re an asshole,” I mumbled and walked furiously away.

NINE

CAIN

I woke up in a cold sweat—again. It was happening more and more frequently and driving me absolutely out of my mind. I would get to sleep, then wake up only a few hours later without being able to get back to sleep. There was only so much a man could take as far as functioning goes throughout the day when he didn’t feel rested from the night before.

Insomnia had never been an issue before—before I had more than one murder on my conscience as well as the paranoia that someone close by was attempting to make sure I ended up in a body bag soon. If only Carmine was still alive so I could ask him advice on how to manage these internal problems. Feeling weary and jumpy at the same time was horrible. I was sure I’d have to get on meds soon. The liquor wasn’t doing its job anymore. And if I got completely wasted, I’d feel sick and that would exhaust me even more. Treading water. That’s what I was doing. I had to keep my head above the water for just a little while longer…

It didn’t help matters that I was supposedly in a
secure place,
Carmine’s mansion, where he was hunted down like an animal in his own home. I had tried to beef up everything, changed everything around, installed more cameras—the works. Didn’t matter though, because the fact still remained—I didn’t know who killed my father. I didn’t have a clue who the enemy was in this situation.

The police had done their investigation. All of my men had alibis. It didn’t make any sense. Then I had put a lid on their investigation, because I was sick and tired of them sniffing around here. Yeah, they were on our payroll, but that didn’t mean that someone wouldn’t discover something and try to become greedy. Money could be useful and could also be used against us. There was always that one person that thought they deserved a little bit more and could really screw things up before we got a chance to get rid of that said person. This business was a game—one big giant mind fuck that gave me life and yet sucked it from my very soul in the next instant.

I needed to know the truth of who it was that killed him. I needed to end that person, and then—then maybe I’d be able to sleep at night. None of the guys seemed to want to point the fingers at each other. They all claimed the other was innocent. Well, no, that couldn’t be the case. It just wasn’t possible. Tomorrow I’d more than likely have to look that traitor in the eye and not even know it. That absolutely killed me, gnawed on the edges of my skin and drove me to the brink of insanity.

Ugh!

I stood up and raked my fingers through my hair.

Lilah mumbled a little in her sleep and turned over onto her stomach. Her long hair was sprawled out all over the pillow like an angel. A fucking angel sleeping next to a demon. I reached over and pulled the comforter up over her naked back and watched her for a moment.

So serene.

So perfect.

I pulled a black T-shirt down over my head and put on some boots. There was probably a party downstairs. There was
always
a party going on downstairs.

As the elevator opened to the ground level, the music was still thumping. I entered my password to open the doors that led into the giant room. I was in awe every time I came in here. Carmine had built it to perfection. Everything was shiny and black, modern and meant to impress from the floor to the ceiling.

My cousin, Stan, was passed out in the corner of the room on a couch. One half undressed girl was asleep on top of his stomach, her arms dangling to the floor where her fingers rested on yet another sleeping girl. Smirking, I just shook my head. Stan was definitely having fun with his new lifestyle. He deserved it too. Kid couldn’t catch a break back in Lazerne. Hagan and Seton were also sleeping on pieces of furniture. Must’ve been one hell of a party I’d missed. I kicked around a few empty beer bottles rolling on the floor as I took a seat on one of the barstools. I stared at Hagan. I had been so sure it had to be him because of his mouth and attitude, but now? Hell, I didn’t know. The side of his jaw was still messed up from Seton’s fierce knuckles, although the two of them seemed to be getting along now. Hagan had just needed put in his place.

I sat there and thought about each guy. I thought about the ones not there and motives. It all seemed to go back to motives, but there were so many from each man, I had no idea where to start. It all depended on who was a greedier bastard. Money was a powerful thing. Carmine had given all of his men a taste, yet they knew Carmine had more than them. Sometimes men crave more than just that little bite. Money was definitely a motive to kill someone, especially if you thought you could take over. Or maybe Carmine had really pissed someone off.

I really needed to stop thinking about this or I was going to drive myself insane. Though the second I would let the thoughts slip from my mind, the paranoia would set in that a gun barrel would be pointed at my head someday as I turned a corner. No. I had to figure this out one way or another. I leaned my elbows against the bar and let my head slide backward. I let my eyes close. I was about to find a bottle of Jim Beam and drown my miseries.

I felt a hand slither up my shoulder and rest on the back of my neck. Jerking upright, I was on the verge of pulling my gun out until I saw who it was that was staring back at me—Lola.

“Jesus Christ,” I mumbled, jumping off the barstool, my own hand now going to the back of my neck. “Don’t do that to me.”

A light giggle escaped Lola’s mouth. She was swaying back and forth. She was hammered. “Jumpy are we, Nicky?”

That was a fucking understatement. Nothing like trying to relax and getting touched by someone. I almost jumped out of my skin there, and Remmy almost became a widower. “What are you doing here, Lola?”

Her eyebrows raised, which drew my attention to them. They looked plucked to almost extinction. And she was wearing too much blush, or maybe she was just that red-faced. Her skin was glistening—and not in a good way. She looked drunk, sweaty, and gross.

“Oh, you know my name now?” She ran her long sparkly fingernails along the collar of my T-shirt.

I reached up and grabbed her wrist with force. “Stop,” I told her firmly. “I’m not in the mood.” She struggled against my grasp, so I released her. She then began to prance around me as if trying to be seductive, but she wasn’t. She was the opposite. She was repulsive.

“When are you
ever
in the mood? Huh?” Lola smacked her red lips together. A little bit of spittle appeared at the corner of her mouth. She wiped it with the back of her hand, smearing some of her lipstick down the side of her face. Wow. I was so envious of Remmy. Lola was hot—a hot mess that is. “I just want a little attention.” And now she was whining. Looking at Lola, hearing Lola—it was like someone using my last nerve as a trampoline, and I was about ready to snap.

“You always want attention. You scream for attention with the way you dress, the way you flirt. You have a fucking husband just in case you forgot,” I snapped at her as I eyed up a bottle of whiskey behind the counter.

Lola smiled then. Some of the red lipstick was on her top teeth. It took a lot to refrain from rolling my eyes.

“Remmy is…” Lola sighed. “Remmy. He’s so boring.” She ran her hands down the sides of her tight black dress that revealed one too many rolls. “A woman like me needs some excitement in her life, you know?” She proceeded to take two steps closer to me as she still was having trouble keeping her balance. “I need a man who knows how to take control. Do you want to control me, Nicky? Do you want to show me what you got?”

She was breathing down my fucking neck. She had invaded my space. I just wanted to be left alone. She’d ruined that for me. I had to get out of here before I did something rash—like rearrange her face, which might actually be an improvement. “Let me make this
very
clear for you, Lola. Are you listening to me?”

Her head bobbed forward.

“Look at me, Lola,” I commanded her.

Her glossy eyes seemed to find mine.

I waited until her face was near mine again and she leaned in close as if I were telling her a deep, dark secret. “I am
not
interested in you. I will
never
be interested in you in any way, shape or form. Understand?”

Lola’s mouth gaped open in shock as if that was the very first time she’d been rejected.
Yeah right.

I purposefully pushed into her shoulder a little bit as I moved past her to retrieve the liquor bottle I’d been eyeing up earlier. Then I turned back around to face her one more time. “Go to bed, Lola. Go back to Remmy. I don’t want to see you hanging all over the guys doing this shit again. I mean it.”

She narrowed her eyes at me, her fists clenching at her sides before darting away and out the door.

I shrugged. Well, that was fucking easy. After twisting off the cap of the bottle, I took a deep sip of the fiery liquid before settling down on one of the leather chairs, allowing myself to fall victim to the despair that now had become the very essence of my existence.