her of something. “What?” she asked.
“I know you wanna say something. Spill it.”
She waited, handing Mateo his sippy cup when the boy dropped it on the floor. “Okay, fine,” she said, stretching an arm along the back of the sofa. “I think you’re trying to wreck your own happiness.” She held up her finger when I opened my mouth, ready to argue. “And,” she continued, not letting me interrupt, “despite what a wonderful roommate and friend I am, there is really no reason for you to drag your feet about living with him. The man loves you. He loves your boy. What the hell are you waiting for?”
“Vi…he’s…dangerous.”
“He can protect you,” she went on, “from that asshole ex of yours and his nosey business partner. Not to mention the fact that Smoke Carelli is a gorgeous, sweet man who happens to think you are amazing and beautiful, so much so that he spent three days spoon-feeding you chicken broth, risking infecting himself with strep throat while he put up your best friend and son in his own apartment, so you could get some rest.”
I looked away, feeling guilty and smug at how right she was. I picked up Mateo’s dirty towel, ignoring the flowers and Vi’s dead-on assessment of how much Smoke loved me as I moved into the laundry room beyond the small kitchen.
“And,” Vi went on, “what kind of man takes time out of his busy schedule to get all dirty and gross teaching a woman how to change her oil and takes her and her boy to the lake with his family and changes that kid’s shitty diapers—diapers of a kid he did not make!” When I didn’t answer, too busy separating the dirty clothes, Vi continued. “A man head over heels in love with the baby’s mama, that’s who!”
“Vivian, that’s enough!” I slammed the washing machine lid down and the sound rattled against the white tile surrounding me.
“I’m just sayin’…”
“Well, stop,” I told her, moving back into the living room. The flowers taunted me, teased me when I glanced at them and I didn’t miss Vi’s snicker. “He’s…dangerous.” I nodded at Mateo, looking out the window until the knot in my throat cleared. “It scares me…the world he lives in and how he protects the people he cares about…” Mateo reached for me and I picked him up, kissing his forehead. “It’s one thing for Smoke to watch the baby for a couple of hours but living with him, being part of his life…if anything were to happen to us because of Smoke’s business...”
Vi’s expression shifted from doubt, to worry, then straight into pity. That one I hated the most, but it gave my friend a kinder, gentler cast to her features. She exhaled, moving from the sofa to stand in front of the elaborate bouquet.
“Seems a shame,” she said, bending to inhale the fragrant flowers. “A man with that much good taste and his bank account and you’re thinking he’s too dangerous.” She pulled the small white card from the center of the flowers, opening it when I nodded my permission. “And then these flowers. Like the first ones. Someone is trying to impress you.”
Vivian’s impressed, kind smile shifted as her gaze moved over the card. Then, she dropped her mouth open and gripped the chair in front of her, her fingers instantly beginning to shake.
“What?” I said, adjusting Mateo as I stood next to Vi. “What is it?”
But Vi didn’t answer. She was too shaken by whatever it was she read on that card. Instead of answering, she handed it over, reaching for Mateo, curling him to her chest like she needed his warmth, his scent to reassure her. Like she was petrified it would be the last chance she’d have to take in his sweet smell. When I read the card, I understood why.
Mami,
I’m coming for you.
I’m coming for my boy.
I won’t be long.
—Alejandro
12
Smoke
“What’s the problem?”
My kid brother’s hair flew into his eyes as he leaned against my Audi, his arms curled tight, mouth pinched, jaw clenched like he hadn’t gotten laid in months. I knew better, still the asshole had dragged me out to the park to have a conversation about the same damn thing that he’d been bitching about for weeks. What else? The fucking redhead. I needed him to get a grip but knew that would be harder than him just sucking up his nerves and getting to business.
He was still shaking off Rikers and I was starting to doubt