Bad Men - Piper Stone Page 0,70
atmosphere. I was forced to admit how hungry I was, sustenance a requirement. Hell, I also wanted a couple shots of tequila.
“This is amazing,” she whispered, turning in a full circle in order to look into our eyes. “Come on, boys. Some good food isn’t going to kill us.”
The restaurant was crowded but we were shown a table close to the back, the location not allowing us to see the doors but certainly more protected than many of the others. Both Diego and I scanned the area before sitting down, confident there was no one of suspicion located inside.
After ordering, another round of quietness settled between us. I hated the awkwardness, but I’d never been one for small talk, even after spending weeks with Teresa exploring the most incredible sights.
“You’re a million miles away, Jack,” Lindsey said over the din of the crowd.
“I’m doing my job, Doctor. You should know that by now.” When the drinks arrived, only then did I shift my attention in her direction. “Just be good.”
Lindsey laughed as she took a sip of her margarita, even closing her eyes as she swallowed. “You’re going to learn that I’m often not good. A rule breaker, some would say.”
“I wonder why,” Diego teased, shaking his head.
She gave him the kind of look that could melt any man’s heart, and I could tell it already had with Diego.
“I’ll have you know that breaking the rules is often necessary in order to finesse a situation,” she added.
“Oh, listen to this,” Diego chided.
Chuckling, I leaned over, sliding a stray strand of hair from her face, the touch enigmatic. For a few seconds, there was no one else in the room. Her beautiful lips seemed to be very close, leaving my cock aching and my heart racing. I wanted everyone else to disappear. Jesus, I craved this woman no matter her behavior or what came out of her mouth.
“Get a room.”
I heard Diego’s words, could tell he’d been swept away by a moment or two of jealousy.
A slight sigh pushed past her lips as she jerked back in her seat, immediately hiding behind the drink.
A few seconds passed, the tension finally easing.
“Tell me about your father,” I instructed.
“We’ve gone through this before ad nauseam. There’s nothing to tell that is going to make me believe my father had anything to do with this.”
“Answer the question, Lindsey. There could be something that was missed,” Diego encouraged.
She shifted her hateful gaze in his direction. “He’s been the head of the hospital for almost fifteen years so he’s an important man as well as maintaining his surgical status. He has very influential friends, none of whom I would call criminals.”
“What about this boyfriend of yours?” Diego asked.
“I knew I shouldn’t have told you about him,” she countered. “Michael is an asshole and out of my life. That’s all you need to know.”
“What’s his last name, Lindsey?” I pressed.
“Why?”
“Because I’m asking.”
She rolled her eyes and leaned over. “If you’ll tell me about this girlfriend who carved out your heart with a spoon. Do I look like her? Is that it? Am I the spitting image of the woman who ripped you apart, leaving you a broken man?”
Rearing back, I took and held a deep breath, twisting and turning the shot of tequila several times. “Answer the question.”
“Fine. Michael Mancini. As I said before, the man isn’t in my life any longer. He believed my father had arranged for us to be married, as if I couldn’t make my own choices. The asshole honestly believed that I would submit to him, as if he was some kind of dominating God. That will never happen to me. No man is going to own me. Period.”
Her caustic words were directed at me alone, the fury in her eyes exactly the same as I’d seen in Teresa’s. However, that wasn’t what concerned me.
“Now, is it all right if I go to the bathroom all by myself or do I need a babysitter?” she snapped.
I glanced at Diego who had one expression on his face.
Amplified concern.
“Don’t take too long,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
She grabbed the shopping bag, glaring at me as she stood. I waited until she’d walked away before turning in his direction.
“Michael Mancini. Does that name sound familiar to you?”
He nodded. “If it’s who I think it is, her boyfriend has a hell of a lot more power and influence than her father. Do you think it’s possible there was some arrangement made between them?”
“When it involves the