“If I’d known you were coming looking for me, I’d have offered to take you to lunch.”
“I don’t need that much of your time. Just a few minutes will do.”
His smile faded and a harder, shrewder expression replaced it. “What do you need, Valentina? Another missing and reappearing employee? Some other mysterious crime the NOPD can assist with?”
I dropped my gaze to the ground and stared at the gum and other substances that the scrubbers hadn’t managed to remove this morning, gathering my courage. When I looked into his face again, one raised eyebrow dared me to spill. It was time.
“I’m sorry. I lied to you. I know that’s unforgiveable, but I had a good reason. And . . . I have to tell you, in all fairness, the other guy won before the game even started, and I just hadn’t caught up yet. I didn’t mean to lead you on. I really, truly didn’t. You’re a nice—”
Rhett held up a hand. “You can stop with the apologies. I might not lose the girl very often, but I’d already picked up on that clear as day. The lying? Yeah, that pissed me off, but I figured you weren’t the type to do it without a good reason. Wish you could’ve trusted me, but that isn’t always the case. Call it water under the bridge.”
He was making this easier than I’d expected. “I really am sorry.”
Rhett shrugged. “So am I. We could’ve been good together.”
This was the moment when I was supposed to add in the letting him down gently part. Where I said, If it doesn’t work out, I’ll let you know. But I couldn’t do that. I wasn’t even allowing for the possibility that things wouldn’t work out between Rix and me.
“I’m sorry,” I repeated.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. But if things don’t go the way you plan, you know where to find me.”
Damn it, I hated that he’d put that out in the universe. I dropped my gaze back to the sidewalk.
Rhett reached out a hand and tipped my chin up. “You don’t have a clue, do you?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You’re one hell of a prize, and don’t forget it. Make sure this guy appreciates you for what you are.” He leaned in and brushed a kiss across my cheek.
Shit. Rix was undoubtedly going to hear about that. I stepped back and surreptitiously looked around for whoever might be babysitting me today. There were too many people on the streets to pinpoint who it could be.
Rhett was watching me carefully when I dragged my gaze back to him. “Something wrong?”
I shook my head. “No. Sorry. I’ll let you get back to your lunch.”
“Take care, Valentina.”
I hoped he found someone. Someone who didn’t lie to him and wasn’t wrapped up in another man. He was a good guy and deserved better than I’d been able to offer him. But there wasn’t much left to offer when your heart was already taken.
I turned and headed down the sidewalk, my phone buzzing in my hand before I made it three steps.
RIX: We’re gonna have words, duchess. Only lips on you are mine.
I raised my hand in the air and saluted my mystery babysitter with the middle finger. Such a tattletale.
NORMALLY I NEVER SHOWED UP to a meet by myself, but since Johnny was MIA with the Escalade, I fired up my 1970 Chevelle SS that I’d picked up off Lord Robichaux over at Chains. It hadn’t been my first choice at the time, but now I was in love with the car. No one drove her but me, so Johnny checking out gave me the perfect excuse to get it out of the garage.
Still, it wasn’t normal for him to disappear like that.
“Can’t say I was surprised you wanted to meet today,” Hennessy said. “But it wasn’t necessary. I know where I stand. That shit is clear.”
“Ain’t here about that, and if I were you, I would pretend it never happened.” The fucker had known I would have eyes on Valentina when she went to meet with him.
Hennessy laughed, his smirk fixed firmly in place. “I bet.” His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out and read something before glancing up at me. “You’ve got a blacked-out Escalade, don’t you?”
I frowned. “Yeah, why?”
“Cops tried to pull one over but it hauled ass and disappeared. They catch up with it, you gonna need to bail someone out of jail?”
I pulled out my own phone and tried Johnny again. It went straight to voice mail.
Something was off, but I didn’t know what. I tried Evo next. He had eyes on Valentina today and would follow her until she was home. Hennessy watched me while I made the call.
“What up, boss?” Evo answered.
“She home safe yet?”
“Just pulling in.”
“See anything off tonight?”
“Nah, not a thing. Why?”
“No reason. You got plans tonight?”
“It’s my girl’s birthday. Taking her out to the club for table service. Fancy shit.”
Fuck. Part of me wanted to tell him to cancel and babysit Valentina, but I was overreacting. As long as she was locked up tight in her house with that alarm set, nothing could touch her. The cops would be there in minutes if someone tried, and I’d be right behind them.
The feeling in my gut settled. I was just overreacting.
“Enjoy your night, man. Pick it up in the morning like normal.”
I hung up and texted Valentina.
RIX: Make sure you lock up and set the alarm. I’ll be by later. If you’re going out, let me know.
“What?” I asked when I looked up to see Hennessy shaking his head at me.