my eyes to her, trying to keep the snarl from my lips. “What?”
She shakes her head and takes a deep breath before she starts talking. “You deserve love.”
“I am loved. I have all you fuckers so far up my ass, I can’t help but feel the love all around me.”
Gigi shakes her head. “No, dumbass. You deserve the love of a good woman. You’ve spent the last ten-plus years whoring yourself all around the county, burying your dick in anything that opened. It’s time for that shit to stop. You are more than a fuckstick.”
I blink, hating my cousins sometimes and their clever use of words. “I know I’m more than a fuckstick.”
“Nothing about love makes sense, Mello. Nothing. It doesn’t matter what either of you did before you met, but it sure as fuck matters what happens from that day forward. Are you treating her right?”
“Of course.”
“Are you cheating on her?”
“No.”
“Are you kind to her?”
“When am I not?”
“You’ve been known to be an asshole.”
“Some women dig an asshole,” I tell her. “And based on who you married, I’d say you’re one of them.”
“What the fuck did I ever do to you?” Pike asks, glaring at me as he wipes off his table, sterilizing it for his next client. “I’m minding my own damn business, and you have to drag me into shit?”
“You opened your mouth, brother,” I repeat the same name he called me earlier when he entered into the conversation. “You became fair game.”
“Pike is never an asshole to me,” Gigi states, kicking her legs back and forth as she sits on my table, barely missing my knees with every swing. “If he were an asshole, he’d be gone in a flash.”
Pike laughs. “Darlin’, you like my dick too much to get rid of me.”
She turns, deadpanning, “Ain’t no dick worth staying with a miserable son of a bitch, darlin’, not even yours.”
His head jerks back, and he lifts his hands. “Noted.”
“As I was saying, you’re worthy of love…even Arlo’s love. Don’t you dare make a decision for her based on what you think she wants, needs, or deserves.”
“Got it,” I tell her, over the conversation. “But I was actually thinking good shit about her…about us. So, really, this conversation is useless.”
“You get something in your head and you’re liable to run with it and not look back. I want to make sure you’re running toward something and not away from possibly the best damn thing in your life.”
“I’m not running anywhere, Gigi. It’s been a week, and we’re still feeling each other out.”
“You steal her virginity yet?” Gigi asks me point-blank.
“No,” I grunt. “And when and if she gives it, I won’t be stealing it either.”
“Don’t you dare—” Gigi pokes me in the shoulder “—take it from her unless you’re in this for the long haul. Don’t be that guy.”
I raise my hands again. “I never planned on it.”
Lily exhales, clutching her chest. “I can’t believe you haven’t tried to have sex with her yet.”
“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation in the middle of our business during business hours.”
Lily swipes her hand in the air. “No one is here but us, and what’s said between these walls stays between these walls.”
“So, you’re not going to tell Tamara, then?” I raise an eyebrow. “Because the last time I checked, she isn’t within these walls.”
She glances upward and squeezes her eyes shut. “She’s the exception,” she whispers.
“Figures,” I mumble.
Rebel walks in and glances around, coming to a dead stop. “What happened? Who died?”
“No one,” Lily tells her. “Just talking about Arlo and Mello.”
“Did you fuck it up already?” Rebel asks me.
I cover my face with my hands and let my head fall forward. “Why do I work here again?”
“Because you love us,” Rebel says.
Rocco’s a few seconds behind her. “What’s wrong?”
“Jesus Christ,” I groan. “Why does there always have to be something wrong?”
“You fuck it up already?” Those words from his mouth are pointed at me.
“No. Fuck,” I hiss, pushing off my chair and heading toward the back door, needing some fresh air.
As soon as my boots touch the cement, I tip my head back, feeling the warmth of the sunshine on my face. I stand perfectly still, enjoying the peacefulness after the clusterfuck inside, but it doesn’t last long before the door swings open behind me.
“Don’t listen to them,” Rocco says, walking to my side. “They’re nosy.”
“Yeah.” I let out a bitter laugh. “That’s one word for them.”