Sweet Pain (Amatucci Family #3) - Sadie Jacks Page 0,36
shook his head. Pointed to his throat. His eyes looked like they were bugging out of his face.
I whirled around to his mother, my eyes wide. “Can he choke on nothing?” I screamed.
Her eyes were just as wide as mine probably were. She pushed me to the side, leaned up on her tiptoes and blew a hard stream of air right in his face.
He blinked. His eyelashes fluttered and he inhaled. The red slowly ebbed from his face. He took an unsteady inhale.
I held my breath until he exhaled just as slowly. My breath hissed out between my teeth. I slapped his arm. “What the fuck was that, hero?” I wrapped myself around him, my arms around his waist before I took my next breath.
His arms came up, petted up and down my back. “Sorry, cupcake. You startled me with that load of bullshit you just fed my mother. Then I’m pretty sure I tried to swallow my tongue.”
I pulled back. Glared at him. “I did not just lie to your mother. Rude.”
He laughed. “The way you talk to Jessa? There’s so much innuendo that I can’t tell if I’m superfluous as a guy or to join in on the party.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh please. Jessa and I are just playing around. We both like dick too much to ever become taco munchers.”
Mrs. Sheridan snickered from behind me.
I felt my cheeks heat. I’d forgotten she was there. I leaned my forehead on Ryker’s chest. “Mrs. Sheridan, is there any way I can convince you to wipe that last little bit from your memory?” I asked without removing my head from between Ryker’s delicious pecs.
“Not on your life, dear. And please call me Daphne. I can understand Ryker’s confusion. Jessa is a fabulous girl.”
I turned, saw her smile and wink at me. “Right? Just about perfect. It’s just too bad about that whole vajayjay thing.”
Daphne arranged her face into a look of commiserating sorrow. “Indeed, my dear girl. Indeed.” She heaved a world-weary sigh. “C’est la vie.”
Ryker shook his head. “No. Mom. No. You’re not allowed to get in on that. It’s disturbing enough as it is.” He shuddered. Turning, he glared at me. “No.” He shook his finger in my face.
I snapped my teeth at him. “I’ll do what I want.”
His eyes narrowed down into slits. His nostrils flared.
“When it comes to talking with and about Jessa,” I hurried to add.
He studied me for long moments. Nodded. Without another word, he looked at his mother. “So, how have you been?”
Whew. Dodged that bullet. I’m pretty sure Daphne being here wouldn’t have stopped Ryker from hauling me up over a shoulder and then teaching me a lesson, sexy style, while his mother waited in the other room.
“Oh, you know. The usual. Learned my only son thinks I’m dead but doesn’t bother to call me. Learned he’s also been involved with the local mafia scene.” She shrugged. It was elegant, passive aggressive, and beautiful. “A pretty boring day, honestly.”
Ryker grimaced. “Sorry. Our lives have been a little crazy.”
Daphne smiled. “So Foster says. Too bad I had to hear it from him.”
I raised a hand. “That might be my fault. I’ve been a handful and preoccupying your son.”
Ryker snarled low in his throat. “You’ve nothing to apologize for. De Silva brought this whole mess down on your head because of me. Not you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daphne jerk. “Antonia de Silva?”
Ryker and I both turned. Nodded. “What do you know about her?”
Please don’t let her ask any questions. We were still under the no-go zone for talking about what happened in the bunker.
“I can’t talk about it. Lawyer/client privilege. However, I will say you don’t want anything to do with her on a personal front.” She shook her head, her short blonde bob danced with the motion.
Ryker snorted. “We won’t be worrying about it from now on. But yeah, not really one to add to the Christmas card list.” He stilled in my arms.
I looked up at him. Saw his face had gone bone white. “What’s wrong?”
“Back at the hospital. She said she had Corrie.” He looked at his mom. “Is Corrie alright?”
Daphne’s brow wrinkled. “Why were you in the hospital? Ryker Anthony, what the hell is going on?”
Ryker waved that away. “Corrie, mom. Is Corrie alright?”
Daphne nodded. “She was transferred for a new study her doctor applied for. She was pretty excited. I heard from her two days ago.”