Love And War - Mallory Monroe Page 0,25

but Gemma Gabrini’s secretary. If Sal found out he was screwed alright. If Sal found out, Robby was certain he would be a dead man.

“Then why the fuck are you doing it?” Robby asked himself aloud as he looked critically at the man in the mirror. He used to bully what he called faggots in school. He used to kick the ass of any dude who even looked like he could be a sissy. When, all the while, he knew he was one, too.

He turned on the tap, splashed water on his face, and then cleaned his penis. When the door opened, and Curtis walked in, he frowned. Another reminder of the closet he was so deeply embedded in.

Curtis, naked too, closed the door back and leaned against it. He crossed his arms. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m terrific,” Robby responded with bitterness in his voice and then looked up in the mirror at the young man behind him. And then he exhaled. He fell hard for Curtis, the first time he ever had fallen for a man, and it was the only reason he decided to take this great risk. “Sorry,” he said and looked back down, continuing to clean his penis.

“We can’t keep doing this, Robby. At some point, you’ve got to be true to yourself.”

“It ain’t true, alright?” Robby looked at him through the mirror again. “I ain’t no faggot like you!”

Curtis sucked his teeth and stared at Robby with his best yeah, right look. Robby exhaled. “Sorry again,” he said.

“Why don’t you just tell Mr. Gabrini? Just put it out there.”

Robby shook his head.

“His wife knows I’m gay,” Curtis continued. “She has no problem with it. I know Sal Gabrini is a little racist, at least I think he is, but I don’t think he’s a homophobe too or he wouldn’t allow his wife to have me as her secretary. And I remind you I’m not just any secretary. I’m the highest paid secretary in Vegas, thank you very much.”

“Put a sock in it, Curt,” Robby said as he tossed the cloth onto the vanity. “It’s not happening.”

“And why not?” Curtis asked as Robby walked up to him.

Robby stared at Curtis. If he wasn’t so damn gorgeous, and wasn’t so delicious in bed, he wouldn’t take this chance in a million years. But Curtis was worth it. He could feel it in his bones. He kissed him.

“Why not, Robby? Why can’t you just admit to Sal Gabrini who you are?”

“Because I want to live. Is that a good enough reason for you?” Then he told Curtis to move, Curtis moved, and Robby opened the bathroom door and exited. Curtis followed him.

Robby’s cell phone began ringing as he made his way toward the bed. He looked at the Caller ID. When he saw that it was Reno Gabrini, he placed his finger over his lips to shush Curtis, and answered quickly. “Hello?”

“This Robby?”

“That’s right.”

“This is Reno. Get to Sal’s house now.”

“Yes, sir. Everything okay?”

“No. Nobody’s heard from your boss.”

“Are you serious?”

“No, I’m playing. What the fuck you’re asking me that for? I’m going out to search for him myself. You get over to his house and watch Sal’s wife and son, and my wife, too. She’s here with Gem.”

“Yes, sir. Right away, sir. And I’ll make sure we have every man on the case.”

“Don’t substitute,” Reno warned. “Don’t you hit the field and put some other man on house duty. You stay with our wives. Their lives are in your hands. You fuck up, and your life will be in mine.”

Robby swallowed hard. “Yes, sir,” he said, and Reno ended the call.

When the SUV first sped across the blade of dirt and went airborne over the ravine, Sal made his decision. He had two bad choices facing him: either being killed in the crash, or killed in the jump. He decided to take his chances on the jump.

He didn’t have time to jump before the SUV went airborne, but while it was, and before it hit land again, he moved back over to the passenger side, opened the as yet undamaged passenger door, and waited. Just as the SUV was nearing land, he jumped and rolled. His momentum took him into a fast-motion tumble of a long, agonizing roll across smooth and ragged rocks. When he came to a stop, he was aching and in pain. But alive.

But the SUV, with his driver’s dead body inside, didn’t fare as well. It crash-landed just before it hit the bottom of