Dangerous Beauty: Part Four: Beautifully Broken (52 page)

“So … he held up traffic just to kiss you?”

“
And
to tell me that he loves me,” Reanna added, finding it extremely hard to keep the goofy smile off of her face.

For her. He’d held up traffic and ran through the streets for her … all so he could kiss her. Kiss her sadness away. The memory of it alone was enough to make her breathless all over again. No words, just a kiss. A kiss that left her feeling inebriated, a smile that caused her to lose her breath, and then a whispered
‘I love you’
, before he was gone again. Once again he was leaving her to long for the moment when she could be in his presence once again. It had been like a movie, and not just any movie either, but like the old time romances that Reanna had always loved so much—the ones filled with over-dramatic love declarations and grand romantic gestures that always left the heroine in the movie swooning at the memory of the blissful encounter with her beloved.

Reanna felt unworthy of such love … but she was going to take it since God so obviously wanted her to have it. She wasn’t an idiot after all.

From the front seat, she heard Michele chuckle.

“Quiet you,” she whispered softly, giving him the best scowl she could muster up as she adjusted the phone on her ear.

“Who you talkin’ to?” Ronaldo asked, recapturing her attention.

After pointing a warning finger at Michele, Reanna tuned back in to their conversation. “It was just my driver slash scary security man.”

“Oh yes, Mrs. Valente,” Ronaldo said in his best
uppity
tone. “Cause you’re hot shit now …”

Reanna chuckled. “No, I’m not.”

She was still convinced that all of the security they kept with her was a serious waste of resources; it was serious over kill. Nobody wanted to get her, and she was sure these men, being in the life style that they were in, craved a day full of a lot more excitement than following her around all day.

“Please girl, you are hot shit. You got a driver now, security, people fussing over you, and men stopping traffic to kiss you and what not.”

Reanna laughed. “Shut up, Ron.” He was such an idiot.

“I will not, Bubbles. You are living my dream life. Engaged to a fine, powerful, billionaire, bad boy who also happens to have a killer smile and a big dick …”

“Ronaldo!” Reanna exclaimed as her cheeks warmed. “Don’t …” she lowered her head, trying her best to not be heard by Michele. “Don’t yell things like that in public.”

“But you said he does—”

“I know that,” Reanna said sharply. “But you’re in a coffee shop, Ron. I told you that in the privacy of my office.”

“Girl, please. Stop actin’ shy. So what if I’m in a damn coffee shop? Nosey ass people need to stop looking at me and mind their own damn business anyway …” She heard him muffle the receiver of his phone slightly, but it hadn’t served well in muffling all of his words. From what Reanna could make out, he was yelling at a couple … or rather just the male. Reanna believed his words were something similar to, ‘Maybe if your ass wasn’t boring your girl wouldn’t be listen to what I’m doing!’; something along those line. Then he’d threatened to scratch the guy’s eyes out.

Reanna laughed. Ron was a mess.

“You are too much, Ronaldo,” she said, trying to regain his attention.

Luckily, he’d heard her and responded immediately. “Whatever,” he chuckled right as his voice suddenly became un-muffled. “People get on my nerves girl …” After laughing about it for a moment more, Ronaldo spoke again. “
Anyway
, you’ve done good for yourself, mama.”

Reanna smiled. Aww. “Thank you, Ron,” she sang, a slight giggle in her voice. “It’s so nice to finally have your approval.”

“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “My approval is what’s most important.”

Reanna rolled her eyes at the man’s arrogance. “Of course it is,” she said sarcastically.

Ronaldo laughed softly. “Now all we gotta do is wait on your damn sister to stop being a little pain in the ass, and then we can start planning this bachelorette party.”

Right at the mention of her sister, Reanna’s smile fell immediately. That wave of sadness that had been with her just moments before Kyle had shown up and made her day brighter came slamming right back into her.

Great.

“Yeah,” Reanna replied softly, a somber expression falling over her face.

Reanna still didn’t know how she felt about the disagreement with her sister. On one side she was sad, and on another she was hurt. She had no anger, just … a deep sadness that she was afraid to allow herself to explore for fear that she’d begin to believe her sister’s words. Doubt in her own ability to make a good decision, to know what she wanted and to go for it. She much preferred it like this, being sure of herself. She liked knowing what she wanted; not only that, but she loved where her life was headed, what her future looked like, and to give that up would be …
well
, devastating. Why the hell would she give up being with Kyle and Sofia when they were her heart?

“Alright now,” Ronaldo said softly, bringing her attention back to him. “Don’t be sounding all sad, Rea. I know what she said was-”

“Cold,” Reanna interjected. “Hurtful, petty and mean.”

Okay, maybe she
was
just a
tad bit
angry at her sister.

“She’s just scared Rea, that’s all.”

Rolling her eyes, Reanna sighed, turning to look out of the window toward Sofia’s school. “I know, I know,” she replied bitterly, hating the truth in Ronaldo’s words. “This is what she does when she’s scared.” She acts out. She’d been like that ever since she was a child. “I just can’t handle the thought of her thinking I’m … fragile, or an idiot.” Or a mentally unstable, depressed pill popper that needed to run every decision she made by her shrink. “I’m not incapable of making decisions on my own just because I made a few bad ones in my past. But I was desperate at the time. I did the best that I could …”

“You did amazing, Bubbles …”

“
Then why …”
She paused for a moment, feeling herself becoming too emotional. Once she calmed and regained her balance, she continued. “Then why is she so angry with me?” She almost cried, thinking about all of the things Tamara had said. “I mean yes, there is a … a little part of me …” Just a
tiny … more emotional
part of her. “… that may feel like I’m …” Reanna released a long breath, fighting once again against the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“Like what, Rea,” Ronaldo attempted to edge her forward.

Swallowing and shaking her head, Reanna lowered her eyes to her crossed legs and began to pick at the soft fabric of her jeans. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “Like I’m abandoning her. Like I’m leaving her again, but I can’t deny what my heart wants, you know?” She asked Ronaldo, desperately seeking his opinion about her decision. “I want to be Kyle’s wife. I want to be Sofia’s mother, and I’ve wanted this for so long that I can’t turn my back on two people that I love so much that it literally
overwhelms
me sometimes when I think about it. And I’m not saying that I love them more than I love her; it’s just different.” Closing her eyes tightly then reopening them, she sighed. “I don’t know; it’s stupid.” She was still sad about the argument. It had been the worst they’d ever had. “I’m just being over emotional, I guess.”

“No you’re not, Rea,” Ronaldo spoke up. “You’re not stupid, you’re not over emotional, and you are definitely not abandoning that girl. I don’t know if you
or her
have noticed, but Tamara is a grown ass woman.”

Wiping away a stray tear and looking up to the ceiling of the car, Reanna chuckled softly. “I know that, Ron.”

“Then act like you do, bitch,” he snapped teasingly.

“But it’s been … well, you know. Us against the world for so long.” She shook her head. “I just don’t want her to think she’s losing me.”

“She knows she isn’t, Rea. Now stop…” She faintly heard him slap his hands on his leg. “Stop feeling guilty,
dammit
. You are getting married.
Married
. To a man that you have loved for-damn-ever. Not only that, but that baby girl, Sofia, needs a mother. A good mother. That’s you, Bubbles.” He sighed. “Focus on becoming Kyle’s wife and being a momma to that perfect,
real, actual baby,
Sofia. And I promise you girl, that big ass crybaby, Tamara, will come to her senses, then come crawling back to you, crying and begging for your forgiveness, alright?”

Reanna nodded her head, even as she laughed at the man’s silliness. “Alright, Ronaldo,” she murmured, loving that her smile had returned.

Ronaldo was good at that—making her smile even when she didn’t want to.

“Alright, Ron. I gotta go now.” Leaning forward a bit, Reanna peeked around the passenger seat to look at the time. “It’s almost time for Sofi and the twins to get out of school.”

“They got you getting the kids already, girl?”

Reanna’s eyes rolled. “I offered.” Plus, this, getting the kids and spending time with them, was going to be the best part of her day. “I’m spending time with Carter and the kids today.” She smiled. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”

“Not fair,” Ronaldo pouted, making Reanna chuckle again. “I wanna have fun with Carter, too. I have too many damn clients today, though. Everybody coming out of the weekend with their hair looking a hot damn mess.”

Reanna laughed.

She heard him huff. “I miss you, though, boo. So call me later, alright?”

“Okay, Ron,” she promised, giving him a loud kiss through the phone. “I love you, babe.”

“I love you too, mama”

Still smiling warmly, she ended the call and brought the phone from her ear, resting her hands in her lap. She felt better. Kyle’s kiss had been a quick fix. She smiled at the delicious memory. An incredibly amazing quick fix, but a quick fix nonetheless. But past experiences had taught her that when dealing with matters of the heart and mind, communication was the best way to get through the tough times. Talking to her family, her friends, her therapist. That had been the only way Reanna had ever been able to really pull herself through some of the hardest moments in her life.

Her door being opened by Michele immediately brought her out of her thoughts and back into the present.

The kids. It was time to get them.

Keeping his head down as he walked through the doors of the Salerno Organization, Kyle clenched his teeth together tightly as he motioned for his men to clear his path. He was attempting to get to his office undetected by anyone. Was it a long shot? Yeah, maybe, but that sad fact hadn’t stopped him from trying. Just a mere few
miles
through this massive ass building, then he’d be in his office. Safe. Where he could lock the door and think like a mad man until he figured out how the fuck he was going to fix his latest failure.

“Kyle!”

What? No!

Kyle looked up, his eyes darting around the lobby at the sound of the familiar voice. Shit … It had only taken him a second to spot her running in his direction.

Aniyah … And he was pretty sure she looked as if she’d been crying. Not only that, but she looked angry.

“Oh God no…” This was not the time. This was most definitely not the time for this shit. Shaking his head vehemently, Kyle kept his head low. “Almost there,” he muttered through clenched teeth, even though he’d been lying to himself. He was still quite a bit of distance from his office, but there was always the elevator. He wasn’t far from the elevator. Perhaps if he had his men push the woman off to the side once she neared him, he’d be able to make a run for it the rest of the way, thus avoiding the dramatics surely to come from stopping and actually engaging in a conversation with her.

“Kyle, wait.”

Nope, no waiting. Just avoiding. If he just acted as if he didn’t see her, then perhaps she’d get the picture and leave him the fuck alone.

“Kyle!”

Of course there was no such luck of avoidance, and Kyle should have expected it. He should have expected the woman to run up to him, make her way through the protective barrier he’d had shielding him from the world, to now stand directly in front of him, effectively cutting off his progress to his promise land.

“Shit!”

He’d nearly tripped into the woman, but she didn’t even seem to care or notice as she stood in front of him, her arms now crossed angrily over her chest.

Shit … This was
exactly
what he needed right now. A hysterical woman. What the hell was she doing in the lobby anyway. Was it lunch?

Kyle lifted his wrist to have a gander at his watch.

Shit. Yes, it was lunch.

Fuck his life!

He didn’t need this; he didn’t even want to hear what ever it was she wanted to say. He understood that she was angry, and if he were a better man, he’d care. But he wasn’t a better man. He was a man on the run from his boss. So ‘hysterical Aniyah’, needed to get the fuck out of his way so that he could get to his office and lock the fucking door.