Headhunter (With Me in Seattle Mafia #2) - Kristen Proby Page 0,40
Curt insists, and it makes me smile because it’s exactly what Shane said. “When you have the confidence in your weapon, and it’s an extension of you, you won’t be clumsy with it.”
“I’m getting better,” I admit with a nod, wanting to keep the conversation moving. This is the most I’ve heard Curt speak since I got here. “But driving unnerves me because what if I don’t see something that I should, or…I don’t know? Anything could happen. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I have a car, but I only drive to work and back home. That’s really it.”
“At least in Denver, there’s a public transpo system.”
“Exactly.” I smile at him. “Are you originally from the city?”
“No. Small town in North Carolina, near the ocean.”
“Oh, nice. I haven’t been to either of the Carolinas, but I hear they’re beautiful.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty nice over there.”
I nod. “Is your family still there?”
“Some of them, yeah.”
“Cool. That’s something I always missed, you know? I just had my dad when I was little, and he was no prize, as you know. No siblings or extended family to speak of, at least in the US. I don’t know if there was or is family in Bulgaria. He never spoke of it. So, I always felt like I didn’t have roots.”
“You’ve set down roots in Denver,” he points out. “You have Annika and Nadia and their family.”
“That’s true.” I smile as I think about it. “You’re right. I guess family doesn’t always mean being tied by blood.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“What did you do before you came to the ranch?”
He clams up now and shakes his head. “I think we should get over to the shooting range for some practice.”
“You said I could ask ten questions. That was only, like, six.”
He pushes his hand through his hair in agitation. “I worked with Shane in the military.”
“Oh, wow. Thank you for your service.”
He just gives me a stiff nod, and I decide to change course. “Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.” He snorts and shakes his head, his shoulders loosen. “Do you see any women out here? Besides you?”
“I’m sure there are single girls in town somewhere. Or maybe a long-distance relationship. There are options.”
“I’m kind of a loner, Ivie.”
“Yeah, Shane mentioned that. Why is that?”
“Because I’m an introvert.” He swallows hard. “And I’m not good with people.”
“Well, I think you’re just fine. But I get it. People can suck. You should see some of the patients that come into our clinic. Annika and I run a medi-spa. She’s the doctor, and I’m the office manager. There are days that my eyes hurt from all the eye-rolls behind patients’ backs.”
His lips twitch. “Do you guys do nose jobs and stuff?”
“She can, but mostly we do botox, fillers, peels, that sort of thing. Annika is an amazing doctor. I think she should work in a reconstructive surgery practice. Help women who have lost their breasts to cancer or burn victims. She’s really good. But her family was old-fashioned and didn’t think she should do that.”
“So, they’re misogynistic, then.”
I blink rapidly, thinking it over. “I guess so, actually. Her father and her uncle love her to distraction, but she’s in a mafia family, and what they say goes. Not to mention, she’s sometimes on call to help them out when someone’s been hurt, and they don’t want to involve a hospital.”
Curt nods. “Yeah, the Martinellis have that, too. It’s an…interesting way of life.”
“I hate it,” I admit. “And I’m on the outside, looking in. Even though Annika’s family treats me like I’m one of theirs, I don’t have the same responsibilities that she does because I’m not blood. And I’m relieved. I had to do a lot for my father when I was young that no person should have to do. He wasn’t technically part of any mafia organization, but he was dangerous and mean. And I always swore that I’d never get involved with anyone like that again.”
“What happened?”
I glance at him, suddenly wondering how we turned the tables to questions about me.
“I met Annika in college. We didn’t know anything about each other at all. But one night, we got drunk in our dorm room. And Annika started telling me about how her uncle was a boss and detailing the whole damn family tree. I was so surprised because she is just a normal girl, with an abnormal family. So, I felt comfortable telling her about me. And when we were done and had sobered up a bit, we