Wild Open Hearts (Bluewater Billionaires) - Kathryn Nolan Page 0,95

though. MBA. Self-Made. CEO.

And she’s been using you all along.

I sat back in my chair. Funny how those insecurities came back as soon as I let my guard down. As soon as I… trusted.

I scrolled through the page, Luna still speaking about industry standards in her video. I felt so damn attracted to her in that moment and so damn aware of our differences.

Differences that would never change.

My mouse hovered over an article someone had left at the bottom. Just a reminder of who Luna da Rosa’s new boyfriend is, the comment said. My left fingers curled into a fist.

I clicked on it.

It was an old article from the Miami Dispatch. It was a timeline of the Miami Devils’ criminal activity in the city—when they’d started, when they’d first become a problem. There were a few old pictures, old videos. My stomach clenched as I scrolled, unable to stop. In the middle of the screen was a faded-looking picture of my parents, me standing off to the side. It had to have been taken by a member that had defected, like me. It was the inside of the clubhouse—just the sight of it brought back the smell of smoke and tension. My parents were deep in conversation; I was leaning against a wall with my arms crossed. Surly. About fifteen years old. Gangly, all limbs, already too tall.

I looked mean as hell.

I looked like I belonged there.

“Yo, Beck?” It was Wes, kicking in my office door in his usual manner. “Luna’s here, working with Penelope. Wanna see her?”

I nodded, clicking out of the website. I turned to see Luna smiling happily down at a dog that had changed beneath her care. Luna was all light, all hope.

Too successful.

Too different.

My heart begged me to keep trusting her—because we’d spent the last seven days fucking each other and sleeping together and talking till dawn and you couldn’t fake that kind of connection.

My head, however, begged me to be realistic.

50

Luna

Penelope stared at the treat in my hand like it was the only thing that mattered in all of existence.

Which, to a dog, was objectively true.

Still—I got a kick out of her golden eyes, trained on mine. Trusting. No more skittishness.

“Paw,” I said.

She presented it, pressed it into my open hand. Click went the clicker.

Penelope got her treat.

“Good girl,” I praised. I looked at Jem, who was nodding encouragingly. She’d dyed her lime-green mohawk hot magenta and had doubled-up on black eyeliner. She looked like a punk rock princess. And the covert glances she kept shooting toward Wes every time he walked past us had me wondering if he’d finally asked her out on a date.

“Down,” I commanded Penelope. She lay flat on her belly. “Roll over.”

She did, giving a wiggle that made me laugh. I gave her two treats and lots of praise. I sank to my knees and smoothed a hand over her head as her tail wagged. It was hard to believe her progress since Beck had rescued her the first day I’d shown up.

“Have you considered submitting an application to adopt Penelope?” Jem asked.

I fought a gigantic smile. “I hadn’t… I mean, I hadn’t thought about it much. In my mind, I pictured us doing this forever.”

“Well, you could do it forever. If you were her dog mom.”

I teared up at that.

Jem laughed. “Don’t cry, I’m just saying.”

“Do you think it would be a terrible idea? What if I don’t know how to be a dog mom?”

“It’s not a terrible idea,” she said. “I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever heard. You’d be a strong candidate.” Her wink was sly.

Glow went my heart.

Beck was walking toward us from across the campus. He and Elián had been busy this week. I’d recommended a few board members to Elián—people I knew with brains for long-term planning and investing for nonprofits. Beck was practicing his elevator pitch, had even spoken to a couple of church groups. A slow and steady progress.

“He’s really leaning into it more now,” Jem said, helping me up from the ground. I stayed next to Penelope, one hand on her head. “You were the jump start we needed.”

“You would have figured it out eventually,” I said, which I believed to be one-hundred-percent true. “I’m only happy I could help. Your social media game has been on point, by the way. You’ll have this place on the map in no time.”

“Learned from the best.” She winked. “I like everything you’re posting now. You always seemed real and like, approachable.