Capturing Hearts - Faleena Hopkins Page 0,3
you have to be?”
He gives a shy grin and shakes his head, but he’s obviously hiding something.
I suspend the counting for another second, tilting my chin. “You have a girl waiting, don’t you?”
His olive skin turns bright red and his white teeth shine in the dimmed light. “Yeah.”
On a happy laugh, I say, “Well, go then! I’m sure I’m fine. I’ll follow you and lock the door. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
His eyes darken at what we’re both thinking. I’m still freaked over what happened and if he leaves, this will be the first time I’ve walked alone to my car. But I have to do it sometime. It’s just terrifying the first time, after that it gets easier. At least I’m hoping that’s how it works.
But Manny takes the decision away from me as he shrugs and takes a barstool. “She can wait. I’ll make sure you get to your car.” He pulls out his phone to text her.
I want to object, but trepidation stops me. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll count quickly. Do you want a beer or something?”
He turns the offer down and starts playing drums to Kongos Come With My Now, playing on the iPod. Quickly, I find my place again, and begin to count: Forty. Sixty. Eighty.
Chapter Four
Brendan
Very. Fucking. Impatient.
“I’ll come.” Tommy jumps off the stool. “But only to stop you from making an ass out of yourself for some chick. Mine free, too?”
“Fuck no,” Bobby snorts. Then he grins. “I’m just kidding. Yeah, yours, too. But this isn’t a habit so don’t get used to it.” We walk to the exit. “I mean it!”
“Yeah, yeah,” I call over my shoulder without looking back.
Tommy’s silent. He gets to the door first, walks through ahead of me and doesn’t hold it open. I can see something’s on his mind and I can guess what it is, but he can think what he wants. At least he’s coming with me. That’s the best I can hope for.
We don’t speak on our way down Mission. I keep a steady, normal pace like I’m calm, but my heart isn’t buying it. As he and I get closer, I can see the sign and the familiar darkness, just like the first night I came back to her when I couldn’t stop myself. This time, since I know her schedule now, I’m sure she’s there. She’s probably cleaning up. Manny’s probably there putting up chairs. It’s been almost three weeks since I’ve seen her face and for the first time since then, I feel alive again.
I glance at Tommy. “Thanks for coming.”
His jaw is set, his mouth tight. “No problem. What are friends for?” I ignore the sarcastic tone. I get it. I was like that when Mark was mourning the loss of Nicole when he thought he was never going to see her again. I didn’t get it then, either. So I give Tommy a pass and silently walk the remaining three storefronts until we’re at the patio of Le Barré. He stands back on the sidewalk while I walk up to the locked gate and peer in, leaning forward.
She’s there. Manny, too. Scanning left and right, I don’t see Christiano. If he’s inside, he’s in the bathroom and will be out in a minute. I’d rather go in knowing what I’m up against than be surprised. “Hang on a sec,” I say, over my shoulder to Tommy.
“Take your time,” he mumbles, his voice tense.
Chapter Five
Tommy
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Standing back as Brendan peers through the crisscrossed iron, I’m watching her count the money and all I can see is her flying through it to grab my gun from my hand, disarm me with a surprise attack. I glance over to my BMW, but it’s parked too far up the street. And now that I think about it, I don’t have a gun anymore. Begrudgingly I admit to myself that it’s probably a good thing I don’t.
“Hang on a sec,” Brendan says, as he stares at her.
The voice hissing in my mind says to walk away. I knew when I was sitting at Knockout that I shouldn’t come, and the anger and hatred pulsing through me right now is proof I should have listened. But it’s too late. I’m here now.
There’s a Mexican guy sitting in there with her. Obviously works there. He’s drumming on the counter and that bitch is laughing and talking about something we can’t hear. She looks over to the guy and her eyes fall to the window and