Ashes, page 11
“When you’re done with her, come back out and see me in the garage.”
I nod and follow Tamara as she peels herself off her husband. “Will do,” I reply.
Tamara doesn’t say much, typing away on her phone as I follow her through the customer entrance of the shop to a small office.
“Sorry about that,” she says, setting her phone on her desk as she takes a seat. “So…sit. Sit.”
I do as she asks, sitting across from her, feeling completely awkward. “You don’t have to do this,” I tell her, sitting on the edge of the seat, ready to go. “I know how my family and yours…”
She shakes her head, holding up a hand. “Whatever shit you have with my uncle Joe doesn’t run down to me or to Rosie. That’s between you and him. What you did last night…” She stops and blows out a breath. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t been there. We owe you.”
“You owe me nothing.”
“We do, but we’re also in need of another mechanic. We’re busier than ever, and getting good workers hasn’t been easy. Most of the kids these days don’t know shit.”
“Well, I know my shit.”
Tamara tilts her head and studies me again as her phone starts to dance across the desktop as messages roll in.
I tick my head toward the vibration. “That about me?”
She smiles. “Maybe.”
“That’s a yes,” I mutter, scrubbing a hand across my beard.
She reaches into the top drawer of her desk, pulling out a piece of paper and sliding it across to me. “Fill this out so I have your contact information. It’ll be up to Mammoth after he knows a little more about your experience and skills.”
I grab a pen lying nearby and start to write, but Tamara isn’t going to let me do it in peace or quickly.
“So, you stayed the night last night. How’d that go?”
“You tell me,” I say, filling in the old address that used to be my home but is now temporary. “I’m sure word’s spread.”
“She said you were sweet.”
I growl and scribble a little faster.
“I like that,” she says, leaning over the desk with her hands clasped in front of her. “Mammoth’s a teddy bear. He can be a grumpy fucker like you, but around me, he’s nothing but kind.”
“I’m not grumpy,” I grumble.
“Said like a grumpy fucker,” she says with laughter lacing her voice.
“Ro’s sweet on you, you know?”
I glance up, my pen not moving. “You sure about that? Her father…”
“Doesn’t matter in the equation. You think my dad liked Mammoth? Don’t be ridiculous. My father wanted to murder Mammoth, especially after I went into lockdown and almost got killed.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Well…I…”
“So, yeah. It’s all about your good deeds and how you treat his daughter. Gallo men can be the biggest, grumpy fuckers on the planet, but they’re just being protective. Once they know they can trust you and that you’ll protect their girl, you’re in the fold forever.”
“I think you’re getting ahead of yourself.”
She leans a little closer, staring me straight in the eye with no smile on her face anymore. “Am I?”
I stare back and say, “I don’t know what the future holds, kid.”
“No one does, old man. You could get hit by a bus on the way home tonight, but I’m asking about your intentions and feelings toward my cousin.”
“I have no idea.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself,” she says, her smile back on her face. “When you know, you know. You just need to come to terms with that reality and let it sink in.”
“Fuckin’ women,” I mutter under my breath.
“You like her.”
“We’ll see.”
“Nah, you like her,” she tells me and starts to hum to herself.
I fill out the rest of the application in a hurry, scribbling down my answers to the basic questions. “We good?” I ask after I slide it back across the desk.
“We’ll see,” she says with a nod.
I shake my head, cursing to myself. Well, one thing is for sure, Rosie Gallo isn’t about to hide me, her father be damned.
Maybe I have a shot at her after all, and nothing about that thought makes me want to run.
13
Rosie
I stare at my reflection in the mirror, regretting letting Luna do my makeup for my date tonight with Dylan.
“I look ridiculous,” I say to myself as she stands off to the side, looking totally impressed with her work.
Luna fusses with my hair one more time. “You look hawt. Don’t you dare take it off.”
“I look like a clown,” I grumble.
She rolls her eyes before she turns me toward her and holds my shoulders. “You look like a badass bitch. Your girls alone will bring any man to his knees, but add in the smoky eye and the red lips, and he’ll be eating out of your hands.”
“And I want that because?”
“Because it’s better than you eating out of his.”
“You’re weird.”
“I’m smart.”
“He’s seen me without all this. It’s not like he’s seeing me for the first time in his life.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’ll be unable to keep his eyes and hands off you tonight.”
“This is a thank-you dinner, Luna.”
“Uh-huh.” She winks. “He can thank you with some good dick.”
It’s my turn to roll my eyes. “I don’t need good dick,” I tell her before trying to pull up my top to cover my breasts that are reaching for my chin.
I’m not two steps away from her when her hand lands flat on my ass with a load thwap. “Well, you most certainly don’t want bad dick either.”
I rub the spot on my ass that only stings a little, but I’m going to milk it for everything it’s worth. “We may be identical in looks, but after that, we’re not much alike.”
“We are, but you repress your inner goddess.”
There’s a light knock on the door, and Luna claps her hands, filled with so much freaking happiness. Me? My body’s buzzing, and my palms are sweating no matter how hard I concentrate on slowing my breathing.
“I can’t do this,” I announce, standing near the doorway of my bedroom and looking at the hallway like it’s made of lava.
Luna pushes me forward, not letting me back out now, and I hate her for it. “Oh no, you don’t. You’re going. You said you wanted to thank him, and you’re gonna thank him.”
Only a few people know about my dinner with Dylan tonight. It has been a few days since the night he rescued me, and my bruise has faded enough that full-coverage foundation made it virtually disappear. Thank God. Gigi was kept in the dark about the date for obvious reasons—that girl would snitch on me to Dad in a heartbeat. Tamara and Lily don’t know either because the three of them are thick as thieves and I like to keep my secrets on the down-low, and nothing stays hidden when it comes to them.
It takes everything in me to make my legs move, my shoes feeling as if they’re filled with lead. Every step takes effort and concentration, especially since Luna made me wear her highest and sexiest stilettos. If I don’t fall and break my neck tonight, it will be a win…dick or no dick.
I take a deep breath, plaster a smile on my face, and open the door. My heart immediately skips a beat. Dylan Walsh isn’t dressed in a T-shirt and jeans like I expected. He has on a white dress shirt, black tie, and a pair of what look like new blue jeans. He looked damn good before, but right now, standing in front of me all cleaned up, he looks fucking hot. He’s even trimmed his beard, but it’s not short, just tidier than before.
“Wow,” I whisper, but not as quietly as I wanted.
“Wow yourself,” he says, his eyes leaving my face, catching on my breasts before heading lower to my bare calves and high heels. “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
My cheeks heat, and I fidget for a minute, unsure of what to say. Luna has always been the one to be described as beautiful. I am the “cute one,” but the way he’s looking at me, I feel every bit as beautiful as Luna. “Should we go?” I say, somehow keeping my voice even.
“It’s going to be an interesting ride,” he replies, and my stomach flips.
Fuck. I forgot he said we were going to take his bike. I didn’t think about that when I let Luna pick out my outfit, and she grabbed a ridiculously short skirt.
“I don’t think I can…”
“You can,” he replies with the most devilish smirk I’ve ever seen on a man’s face. “You sure as fuck can, wildcat.”
“Bye, kids. Have fun,” Luna says from behind me, rubbernecking to see Dylan around my side. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That doesn’t leave much off the list,” I say to her, along with giving her my middle finger.
“Exactly,” she replies. “Byeeee.”
Dylan steps to the side, holding out his arm, and I take it, locking elbows with him. Without his help, I’m not sure I’d even make it down the sidewalk without catching a heel and making a giant fool of myself. I don’t know how Luna walks around in these all the time. I prefer flats and flip-flops over high heels and wedges, but my center of gravity is different from hers.
“Tonight, I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive,” Dylan says. “Nothing like a beautiful woman, a short skirt, and the road.”
I look at the ground, carefully watching where I step and trying not to pass out from nervousness. “Maybe we should take my car.”
“I promise to be a complete gentleman until you ask me not to be.”
I stumble, but he holds tight to my arm, keeping me upright.
“Don’t worry, wildcat. I’m not expecting anything more than a good meal tonight.”
“I wasn’t planning anything more than that,” I lie as we make it to his bike. In all reality, I like Dylan. I like him a lot and enjoy kissing him even more. I played off not wanting his “good dick,” but I do. I haven’t been touched the way every woman wants to be touched in so long I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like.
My phone rings in my purse, the theme song to The Godfather filling the air.
“The Godfather?” Dylan asks. “Mafia boyfriend?”
I shake my head, fishing out my phone because I will do anything to waste time to keep from climbing on the back of his bike, including talking to my grandparents. “Grandparents. It’s just a joke. We all have it as our ringtone for them.”
“Never had grandparents,” he admits, and my heart suddenly aches, trying to imagine what it would be like not to have them in my life.
I hit answer and speaker, letting him hear that it is, in fact, not my Mafia boyfriend. “Hey,” I say with the cheery voice I usually reserve for them.
“Hey, baby. Whatcha doing?” my grandma asks.
I stare at Dylan and say, “Nothing. You?”
“Oh, you know. Doing old people shit.”
Dylan laughs, his teeth sparkling through his beard.
“I don’t know what that is, Gram, but I’m sure it’s cool.”
“Your grandpa, on the other hand, is doing dumb people shit.” She sighs loudly.
“And what is dumb people shit?” I ask, but I don’t know if I really want to know.
“Sal, I told you to get the hell off that ladder. You’re going to fall and break something vital. I’m too young to be a widow,” she chides him.
“Woman, we’re older than dirt and held together by cobwebs and Bengay,” Grandpa says in the background.
I grimace and shrug at Dylan, who’s still laughing at their ridiculousness. “Sorry,” I whisper.
“They’re great,” he says, unable to stop himself from enjoying their free talking.
“Grandpa, you shouldn’t be on a ladder,” I say, speaking loudly because his hearing is shit at times, especially over the telephone.
“Girlie, I’ve been on ladders more years than you’ve been alive. I know what I’m doing.”
My grandmother gasps and starts repeating the same prayer she says when doing the Rosary.
“Do you need help, Gram?”
“I tried calling your father and everyone else, but no one’s answering. It’s like they’re all in bed and don’t care if we die.”
“You’re being a little dramatic, Marie,” Grandpa says to her. “You only called Joe and no one else. Maybe he was busy. Ever think of that?”
“What’s more important than his own mother?”
“Maybe his wife. Maybe they were working on another baby.”
“He’s old and fixed.”
If I could crawl into a hole right now and die, I would. Dylan’s loving every moment of my mortification at the conversation my grandparents are having on the other end of the phone.
“They can still practice.”
“Oh my God,” I say to the sky, begging for a reprieve from the embarrassment.
“Your grandfather does need God in his life, especially when he’s climbing on ladders, trying to off himself before his time.”
“For fuck’s sake, Marie,” Grandpa grumbles. “Who the hell is going to hang this light?”
“You’re hanging a light now? Why not wait until tomorrow when everyone’s there?”
“You just answered your own question, baby. I need it fixed before dinner tomorrow. Can you maybe get in touch with one of my other grandchildren and have someone help us tonight?”
“We’ll go,” Dylan says before I can answer.
I cover the phone. “We can’t go.”
His eyebrows knit together. “Why?”
“We’re going to dinner.”
“We’ll go afterward. You can’t leave your grandpa to climb on the ladder, wildcat.”
I stare at him, looking for any clue that he’s kidding, but I see nothing. “I’m not with any of my cousins,” I tell Grandma.
“She’s at home by herself tonight, Sal. It’s okay, baby. I’ll try Mammoth or one of the other boys. Maybe someone will answer their phone.”
“Tell them we’re on our way,” Dylan tells me, giving me the cute chin lift he does occasionally.
“Is that a man I hear?” Grandma asks, never missing anything. Her hearing is sharp, unlike my grandfather’s. I swear she can hear the faint ping of a pin dropping from across a room.
“Yes, ma’am,” Dylan answers.
My eyes widen, and I know there’s no going back now. So much for keeping tonight a secret. “It is. I was heading to dinner with a friend, Gram, but we could stop by and help with the light.”
“Dinner?” she asks, her voice filled with unmistakable shock.
“Yeah. He did me a favor, and I was thanking him.”
“Well, you’re in luck. I have plenty of dinner here. If he’d be willing to help with the light, I’ll make sure he leaves with a full belly.”
“No need to feed us, Gram. We’ll stop by and then head out so you can rest.”
“Don’t be silly, child. Nothing gives me more pleasure than feeding my babies.”
“Darling,” Grandpa says, purring the nickname. “You sure about that?”
“At my age, Sal, I’m sure,” she says with a hint of laughter. “Anyway, we’ll be waiting. Take your time.”
The line goes dead, and I stare at Dylan, blinking a few times.
“Are you crazy?” I ask him, unable to move and still holding my phone in the air.
“No, babe. They need help, and we aren’t doing anything. Would you rather your grandfather hurt himself?”
I exhale a sigh. “No, but just so you know, they’re a little…”
“Doesn’t matter. They’re your people, and from what I hear, I’m going to get along with them just fine.”
“You really don’t have to do this. I can call one of my cousins.”
“Nonsense,” Dylan says to me, climbing onto the back of his bike and motioning for me to get on behind him.
“Nothing about this is a good idea.”
“Good ideas are never as much fun as bad ones.” He gives me a wink.
I take a few steps closer to his bike, debating on how to climb onto the back in a ladylike way, but I come up with nothing.
“Step there—” he points down to a spot on his bike “—hands on my shoulders and hoist yourself up, Ro. You got this.”
“My fucking ass,” I mutter.
“Your fucking ass is sheer perfection. Now get on the back and slide that sweet pussy against me so we can get where we need to be.”
“Slide my what?” I ask, my mouth suddenly dry and my stomach doing that weird dip again.
“Your sweet pussy,” he repeats, his mouth turned up at one side and looking so freaking hot I want to do more than slide my body against his.
“Is that how you talk to all your women?” I ask, trying to distract him as I hoist myself up and over, giving the entire parking lot a show and full view of my underwear.
“Wildcat, I don’t have any other women.”
Any other women.
That statement infers that in some way I’m his woman and his only woman.
Eep!
“Slide a little closer,” he says, moving on from his previous statement. “I won’t bite, babe.”
“Promise you’ll go slow,” I say, scooting forward until there’s no space left between our bodies.
He turns the key and revs the engine before he says, “On the road, I’m the boss.”
I wrap my arms around his waist, letting my fingertips slide against his tight, hard stomach. “So, then I’m the boss everywhere else?”
He pats my hands, and I grip him tighter, squeezing my legs together to stick to him as much as possible. “No,” he bites out and takes off before I have a chance to complain and correct him.
“Fuck,” I hiss as my heart flutters and my stomach plummets. I brace myself for what’s about to come.
14
Dylan
Rosie’s off the bike before I have a chance to cut the engine. “You drive like a freaking madman.”
I stare at the length of her, loving the way her face flushes when she’s angry. “Babe, I went the speed limit, and I liked the way you held me tighter every time you got even a little bit scared.”
