Technical Threat (Westin Force #4) - Julie Trettel Page 0,54
him that you don’t believe in fairytales or true mates. Though witnessing this, I’m beginning to wonder.”
I could feel her shake her head and was pretty sure she just rolled eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
I nodded.
“What happened?”
“You left me. I couldn’t find you.”
She sighed. “I had some things I had to clear up first.”
“Well, looks like breakfast is ready. I took the liberty of ordering for the both of you, so come on, back to the booth. You’ve caused enough of a scene to spur local gossip around here for weeks,” Nonna announced as she ushered us apart.
I reached for Susan’s hand knowing I still needed the contact even though I didn’t understand why.
Susan started chewing her lower lip as we slid into the booth.
“What’s wrong?” Nonna asked before I could.
“I’m not really supposed to be eating out here during a shift, which has been basically never. Shay doesn’t like it.”
Sapphire had followed us, topping off Nonna’s coffee. She scoffed. “The contract is signed Susan. I doubt that woman will ever set foot in here again.”
Susan nodded, but I sensed there was something she wasn’t saying. Something was weighing heavily on her.
“When you take a break, we need to talk,” she told her sister.
“You know me, I’ll take a break anytime. Just say the word.”
“You know Jimmy won’t put up with that for long. This place is his now. We can’t forget that.”
Sapphire rolled her eyes. “I don’t think he’d let us anyway. Give me five minutes and then we’ll talk.”
Nonna waited until Sapphire left to lower her voice and speak. “Whatever is weighing you down is going to be just fine, child. I sense you are a tough, strong, independent woman, but understand that all of you will be stronger with my boy by your side. That is the power of true mates. Don’t ever be afraid to lean on him. He will always be there to protect you, lift you up, and catch you when you fall.”
“He owns me now. I get it,” Susan said.
I started to correct her, but Nonna beat me to the punch.
“You are your own individual person, not some object to possess. I don’t want to hear any of that hogwash. True mates are equals. Two halves of the same whole. You function together and there is no room for such archaic bullshit in a healthy relationship.”
I smirked. Nonna certainly had a way with words.
“I couldn’t agree more. I can barely keep a goldfish alive. I’m not capable of micromanaging your life. I wouldn’t want to. Do you really think so little of me?”
“I don’t know to be honest. I was always told that if I bonded myself to another then I was giving myself to him.”
“As I give myself to you,” I whispered.
She sighed but scooted just a little closer to my side.
We ate in mostly silence.
“So how is the hunt going anyway?” Nonna finally asked. “Are we even close to bagging that cyber jerk you’re after? I was hoping to hit the road today. I’m feeling lucky and that casino we passed is calling my name.”
Susan stiffened but I just smiled.
“That’s already sorted.”
“It is? When? Did you kick his behind really good? I knew I should have stuck around yesterday.”
I tried to hide my amusement. “Something like that.”
Susan elbowed me in the side.
“What?” I asked innocently. “I will admit it was by far the hottest interrogation of my life.”
Susan covered her face with her hands and Nonna’s eyes grew wide.
“You mean she’s the reason we’re here?”
“In every way possible,” I said warmly.
“Well then, what else do we need to settle to wrap up this mission and get out of here?”
Susan looked at me and said softly. “We need to talk.”
Susan
Chapter 18
I wasn’t opposed to going with Tarron. Despite what he had tried to say, I knew what I had done when I tied myself to him. For me to believe otherwise would take time and examples. Shay had always warned me about it. “Don’t give away your soul and body to a man. Bonding it forever, Susan,” she would say.
I had done it in a moment of passion, but Tarron appeared to be a good man and for some reason I had no regrets. Logically, I thought I should, but I didn’t.
Tarron motioned for Sapphire to come back over.
“Check please,” he said.
“No,” she said.
“Look, I need to talk to your sister and not here in the open,” he said as if I weren’t sitting right there between them.