Breaking Bones (Mariani Crime Family Series Book 2) (17 page)

We stood locked in that moment for what seemed like forever, and I really thought he’d take me up on my offer. I hoped. I prayed. I wanted to set him free, but Bones was too caged, too controlled. His expression shifted from hunger and lust to pain and torment, and then finally, resignation.

He released the bag. “I know what you want from me, Ari, but I can’t give it to you. I’m sorry.” Then he walked away. I watched him through the glass wall as he sat at a weight machine, back to me, and began lifting.

That was it. I was done. If Bones deflected one more pass I made at him, my fragile ego would shatter into a million pieces. I could tell he wanted me, but something held him back—something much more important to him than I’d ever be. Whatever. I was over it and over him. Picking up what was left of my pride, I got out of there.

I showered and got ready for work in record time, determined to take back my life and remember who I was. Dammit, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t let another jerk screw with my head, but here I was, pining after another one. I was so absorbed in my self-loathing that I almost ran into him on my way out of the apartment. Bones was suited up and leaning against the wall waiting for me, keys in hand, determination etched into his face.

Screw his determination. I was never ever going to put myself in a position to be alone with him again. I needed time to build walls. Walls not even his sexy crooked smile could knock down. “I’m taking the bus today.”

He sighed, rolling his head to the side and looking at me like I was the one acting all hormonal. “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

He couldn’t even look me in the face and he was still insisting on taking me? No way. Angel and Markie were perched on the sofa in the living room, eyes on their laptops, but I could feel their attention on us. I didn’t care. I took a deep, steadying breath and tried again. “I’m an adult, it’s a free country, and I’m taking the bus.” Then, because I’m a smartass who couldn’t seem to stop challenging him, I added, “Unless you're prepared to physically force me to ride with you.”

Then he did look at me, and I swear to God, he considered it. The little thrill that went up my spine was all the evidence I needed that I could never let that happen. Every ounce of self-preservation I had left was screaming at me to put as much distance between us as I could.

“Don’t touch me, Bones,” I warned. “You do, and you will never see me again.”

“Ari—” His voice was deep and soft, whispering to the crazy in me… the crazy who wanted him no matter how much he was unwilling to give me.

I turned to Angel and Markie, who were now openly watching us. “’Bye guys.” I waved. Then I stepped around Bones, careful not to touch him, and fled.

Bones didn’t follow me.

I don’t know what I was expecting. Maybe some sort of romantic scene where he ran down the stairs to meet my elevator only to throw his hot, sweaty body at me and profess his undying love. But when the elevator doors pinged open, he wasn’t there. I clearly wasn’t worth him running down the stairs for.

Sighing, I went to catch the bus with all the other loners.

As if my day wasn’t crappy enough, Matt was back in my secret hiding spot, waiting for me when I took my lunch break. This time he wore jeans, sneakers, a baseball cap, and an old sweatshirt. Not even trying to impress me anymore. Good, because I didn’t feel like being impressed. Still pissed about Bones, I didn’t have enough energy to deal with Matt. My heart had been run over too many times. Prince Charming himself could have shown up at that very moment and I would have put one of my heels through his eyeball. I was done letting guys sweep me off my feet only to drop me off a cliff into a garbage heap.

“What do you want, douchebag?” I asked.

“Whoa, rough day?” He stood and took a step toward me. “I got something that can help you with that. Take the edge off.”

“I’ve been clean since the night you almost killed me.” I backed up for his protection, not mine. I was more than willing to try out some of the fighting moves Bones had been teaching me. “How do you even know when I’m working? And when I take lunch? I swear, if you put some sort of tracker on me, I will shove it so far up your a—”

“Whoa.” He put his hands up. “Chill, babe. I missed you and came to see if you’ve thought any more about my offer.”

“Your offer? Whatever you’re selling I sure don’t want it.”

“About the audition,” he clarified. “I just got off the phone with the guy and he’s got an opening in an hour and—”

I had to hand it to the guy, he was persistent. Like a cockroach or the plague. “I’m working, Matt.”

“Working a dead-end job that you should blow off for this chance of a lifetime.”

“Blow off my stable income for a gamble?” I laughed. He was so unreal it was almost funny. “Been there, done that.”

“This time’s different. This is for real.”

Why wouldn’t he just go away? “Look, I don’t know what your game is, but I’m not playing. I gotta get back to work.”

Matt’s calm facade melted away, revealing concern, then anger. He switched tactics, grabbing my arm. “I’m trying to help you, babe, or are you too stupid to figure that out. Now come on, we have a meeting to get to.”

Then he started walking toward the door, yanking me along behind him. Shocked, it took me a lot longer than it should have to realize what was happening. But when everything clicked, I went ballistic.

“NO!” I screamed, jerking my arm away from him. I didn’t care if I made a scene, I was over men thinking they could tell me what to do.

His eyes widened in shock. He glanced around to the few people who were watching us. “Stop it. You sound like a crazy bitch.” He reached for me again. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”

He hadn’t even begun to see what a crazy bitch I could be. “Keep your hands off me, Matt!” I backed up. “No means no, you freaking horn dog.”

That earned us a healthy dose of attention. People stopped what they were doing to catch the show we were putting on. One of the security guards made eye contact with me, silently questioning. All I had to do was nod or yell, and he’d rush over to help.

Matt looked from side to side, forcing a don’t-mind-me-I’m-harmless smile while raising his hands in surrender, like this was all just some big misunderstanding. “My bad. Sorry. I thought I was doing you a favor. Thought you were serious about gettin’ on a stage.”

I was serious—more serious than I’d ever been about anything in my life. Singing was all I had left. It was the only thing that hadn’t broken my heart or left me. I needed to commandeer a stage and a microphone, release all my pent-up passion and frustration, and let the crowd shower me in love and adoration. If I could just get a shot, I knew in my heart they wouldn’t reject me. Maybe they wouldn’t even leave me. But Matt had already had his chance to get me noticed, and he’d failed. He’d taken everything I had and left me with promises. Now that I had nothing more to give, he was back. Why?

“What’s in it for you?” I asked.

He startled. “What do you mean?”

“Cut the crap. You know what I mean.”

He shrugged. “The satisfaction of knowing I finally came through for you, that I—”

Bullshit. I started walking away.

“Fine. I get a fat finder’s fee. If you’re the girl they’re looking for.”

That sounded a lot more reasonable. “I’ll think about it,” I said over my shoulder, without breaking stride.

“Think fast. Time’s runnin’ out.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Bones

A
RIANA SLAMMED THE door on her way out. She was pissed and hurt, and I wanted to help her, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. No matter how smart and funny she was, no matter how good she looked or how amazing she smelled, or how she licked her lips and invited me to kiss her, I couldn’t risk her safety for a hookup. I wouldn’t let her end up like Dante’s girlfriend, caught in the crossfire of the mafia lifestyle. I needed to be strong and push her away, but I was so damn frustrated I felt like I was going to burst.

Markie and Angel sat on the sofa in open-mouthed awe, eyes darting from me to the door, no doubt dying of curiosity over what had happened between me and Ariana. I didn’t feel like going into it with them, so I put my hand on the doorknob, preparing to make my own escape.

“Bones, wait,” Angel said.

“Uh…” Markie stood, depositing her laptop on the coffee table. “I’m gonna go… take a bath. And read a book. I’ll be right in here if you need me.” She stepped into my old room, pulling the door closed behind her.

“I need to take a break from staring at this screen,” Angel said, setting his laptop next to Markie’s and turning on the television. He picked up two controllers and offered me one. “Join me.”

Coping skills at their finest. I accepted the controller and sat beside him. We didn’t talk—didn’t need to—Angel knew me well enough that I didn’t have to say a word, and that in itself was calming. By the time he went back to work, I felt much better.

“You heading out?” Angel asked.

“Yeah.”

“Still looking for Matt?”

I nodded. The bastard had been spotted multiple times over the past week—with a date at a diner, alone in a grocery store, with a couple of friends in a bar, warming up a slot machine at the Rio—but always managed to disappear before I got there. It was almost like he was screwing with me. Like everyone was trying to drive me out of my mind. Maybe the new Tech was as dirty as the old one. Or maybe Carlo was keeping Matt one step ahead of me to prove my incompetency. Or maybe all the families had teamed up to keep Matt out of my reach.

Or maybe I’m losing my touch.

“If you pick up that tail again, try to get the license plate. Call me with it.”

The first time Ariana had taken the bus, Angel and I made a quick run to the jewelry store. On the way there, we’d picked up a tail—a black Camry. I was pretty sure it was the same tail I’d picked up leaving Carlo’s a couple weeks ago. We were able to slip it and doubled back around to get the plate, but it vanished. Since Angel wanted me to call him—instead of Tech—with the plate, he must be doubting Tech’s loyalty as well.

The fine line between cautious and paranoid grew thinner by the day.

“Be safe out there,” Angel said, returning his focus back to his laptop.

The keys to the Hummer were in a dish on the entryroom table. My hand hovered over them while I thought about all the near misses, all the times I should have caught Matt. Beside the Hummer keys was another set, a set so rarely used that it still had the dealer tag attached. A dark-blue 2015 Jeep Wrangler. It had less than ten thousand miles on it and had cost me a small fortune, but it didn’t have any of the outrageous safety features of Angel’s Hummer. On the other hand, very few people knew about it, and Tech did not have direct access to it. It was the closest I could get to going out incognito, but if bullets started flying, the Jeep wouldn’t stand a chance. If I didn’t catch Matt soon, I didn’t stand a chance, either. Resolved, I left Angel’s keys where they were and took mine.

“Stay in contact,” Angel said as I walked out the door.

My Jeep was in the far corner of the parking lot, where it had been sitting for months. I scanned the vehicle, finding a tracking device under the rear bumper. All trackers looked the same to me, but Angel could usually tell when one belonged to the family. I considered running it up to ask him, but why? What difference would it make? The device could have been on the Jeep for months or hours. I stuck it to the cement wall, hoping whoever was monitoring it would believe my Jeep was still in the garage.