“Oh I don’t know.” I sang as they dragged me in. “My pride, my heart, my unborn child, my—”
Mil held up her hand and rolled her eyes. “I get it. Now stop being a baby and let us whore you up.”
“Oh goody.” I clapped my hands together in fake excitement. “That’s just what I need to do, look like one of Tex’s whores.”
Trace pinched me in the arm.
“Ouch!” I rubbed the spot. “What was that for?”
Trace glared.
Mil answered for her. “Your head’s in your ass, but that’s okay. If there’s anything I’m good at, it’s pulling heads out of asses and setting things to right again. Take Chase for example…”
“Chase?” I repeated, as we walked further into the store, past the PINK section and into the lacy section that I had no business being in. “And just how did you help him?”
“Easy.” Mil shrugged and gave us a sly smile. “I offered my temple of a body, and now he’s too exhausted to be a jackass. Problem solved.” She laughed and then shrugged as if to say what else can ya do?
Trace threw her head back and laughed, giving Mil a high five.
I fought a smile and turned away from them.
Vinnie and Lou made their way into the store. Vinnie shook his head in disgust while Lou thumbed a nightgown with strings. It was meant to be sexy. He looked horrified; clearly complicated clothing messed with his head.
“This.” Mil tapped me on the shoulder and shoved a few hangers of lingerie into my arms. “Go try on.”
“How did you even—?”
“Go!” Mil stomped her foot. “And when he can’t keep his hands off of you, I expect a ‘thank you, Mil.’”
“You fit in too well.” Trace nodded. “I’m glad you’re keeping Chase and not giving up on him.”
“Takes work.” Mil winked and rubbed her hands together. “But who am I to shy away from work?”
“Just call it sex,” I grumbled stomping past them. “No more code words!”
I slammed the door behind me and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Every moment I’d spent with Tex… it had always been simple. We slept together, we talked, we laughed. I’d never actually tried seducing him. If he said no? Or if he made fun of me, or worse yet, was disgusted, I wasn’t sure my already fragile heart could handle it.
“Hurry up!” Mil banged on the door.
Cursing, I tossed my purse onto the floor and fumbled with the first lacy thing I saw. It was a black, completely see-through and had a halter top that tied around the neck leaving the entire back open. I wasn’t a prude by any means, but I felt more naked in that dressing room than I’d ever felt in my entire life.
“How’s it look?” Trace called.
“Good?” I said it like a question.
“You have a kick ass body. “Mil snorted. “Of course it looks good!”
I quickly tried on the rest of the things. I knew if I didn’t I’d be forced to let the girls in just so they made sure I followed through. I only had intentions to buy one of the outfits.
But Mil wasn’t having it. The minute I came out of the dressing room, she pulled everything from my arms and pointed at one of the cushioned black chairs, then went to the cash register.
“I think,” I huffed and blew a strand of hair from my face, “I like Mil in small doses.”
Trace laughed and sat in the chair next to me. “She’s awesome though.”
“Right. She’s also screwing Chase’s brains out, and he didn’t really have a ton to begin with. Should we worry?”
“Nah.” Trace shrugged and leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment. Her cheeks were flushed; she looked happy, relaxed. “We’ll just buy him more protein bars and Gatorade. He’ll power through.”
Mil joined us a few minutes later wearing a sneaky grin on her face.
“What did you do?” I groaned.
“What?” she asked innocently. “I may have thrown a few… products in with the clothes, but to be fair they were on sale and honestly nothing would make me happier than you driving Tex to drink. Just think, bringing the Cappo to his knees.”
“He’s not the Cappo,” I said defensively, then realized I’d jumped to his defense perhaps a bit too quickly.
“Um, yeah.” Mil nodded, her eyes narrowing. “He is. Trust me, I don’t know what Nixon’s been telling you guys, but my family’s been chomping at the bit for the announcement, meaning only one thing. That little hit of ten million? It’s going to double if he doesn’t make a choice.”
“Why does he have to choose?” I asked. “I mean we don’t need a Cappo! And his family doesn’t even like him.” I seriously wanted to break something. I hated that he was getting pushed into that position. Tex was strong but only as strong as he allowed himself to be. I was afraid for him. Afraid for us.
“Family is blood,” Mil explained slowly. “It won’t matter if he suddenly converts to Judaism and refuses to step on spiders because he believes they have souls. The truth is, they need to know where he stands.”
“And if he stands against them?” I whispered. “What then?”
Mil fell silent.
Vinnie and Lou opened the doors to the store. The wind gusted, hitting me square in the face. I took a deep breath and looked down the street. “Shit.”
“What?” Mil paused, reaching into her purse. “What is it?”
Trace reached behind her back and gave Vinnie a thumbs down.
Three men in suits climbed out of a black SUV as if in slow motion. They took their time sauntering towards us. A few people on the street stopped to gawk and then hurried into stores, slamming the doors behind them. A kid on a bike nearly collided with a telephone pole before high tailing it in the opposite direction. Mil stood in front of me. I tried to move her but she wouldn’t budge. In this little scenario she was a bit more important, being a boss and all, but I knew not to argue with her, at least not now.
The man in the middle was almost bald; he had a walking cane and a slight limp, and he looked pissed. I didn’t recognize him—that was until he came within a few feet of us. He had stormy blue eyes, just like Tex’s.
Not. Good.
They wouldn’t do anything out in the open, but that didn’t mean I was feeling the urge to break out into song and dance.