Making You Mine (42 page)

Both Sal and Alex waited as Sofia’s fingers tapped and glided over her touch screen phone then flipped it around for Sal to see the picture on the screen. He reached over slowly, staring at the picture of an almost unrecognizable Grace on the screen.

“That was last night at the Voodoo lounge. She was there with someone and he seemed very smitten from where I was standing.”

Slapped with the overpowering feelings of raw jealously, Sal pulled his eyes from Sofia’s phone to look at her. “What do you mean?”

Sal grabbed the phone out of Alex’s hands. In the picture Grace was on the dance floor, smiling at a guy who had his arm around her waist. A guy he didn’t recognize as the older guy with the roses who’d come to pick her up that night. Sal’s insides were ablaze. “Did you talk to her?”

“Yeah. I asked her if she’d moved on already and she didn’t say yes but she didn’t deny it either, Sal. She said he was a friend but she looked spectacular. Like she’s ready to move on. Why else would she be at a nightclub all done up with another guy?”

Sal stared at the picture of Grace and the other guy, feeling ready to explode. Business date his ass. “What do you want me to do, Sof?” His gruff voice did nothing to hide what he was feeling and he didn’t even care anymore. He was done playing the part of the in-control brother. Seeing Grace in the arms of another man made him feel things he didn’t even know he was capable of feeling. “I don’t even have her number anymore and she won’t see me. She begged me to stay away from her.”

Julie stuck her head in the door. “They need one of you out here to sign for a delivery.”

Sofia frowned, shaking her head, but turned toward the door. “I got it.”

Even though he didn’t care about being in-control anymore Sal still tried to collect himself. He needed to gather his thoughts. He swiped Sofia’s phone again and the next photo made him suck in a breath. It was of Grace and the guy walking off the dance floor holding hands. She was looking down but the guy gazed at her with an undeniable look of desire in his eyes. He tried swiping again but it was the last picture on her phone.

“Fuck!” He tossed the phone as if he held it any longer it would burn a hole through his hand. Either that or he’d be buying Sofia a new phone since he had a very strong urge to fling it across the room.

Alex picked it up. “Dude. Valerie begged me once to stay away from her. I was stupid enough to do it for over a year.” Alex stared down at the phone, frowning. “Yep. This is what happens. Damn she looks different.”

“Hot is what she looked like,” Sofia said, walking back into the room. “I told her about Melissa not being pregnant.”

Sal felt the hair on the back of his neck stand as he turned and stared at his sister. “And what did she say?”

Sofia chewed the corner of her lip. “Obviously she’s still hurt, but I really don’t think you should wait on this, Sal. That guy she was with last night was totally into her and I gotta tell you.” Sofia turned and opened the cabinet, giving her back to Sal. “She seemed sad for a moment there when I brought up Melissa but she got over it fairly quickly. This could be her rebound guy you know. Even if she is just using him to help her get over you, he certainly didn’t look like he’d mind being used and abused by the suddenly hot Gracie.”

His jaw hurt from how hard he’d been clenching it the entire time Sofia spoke. If Sofia’s phone had still been in his hands it’d be in a million pieces now for as tight as he was gripping the arm of the chair. “But she said he’s just a friend.”

Sofia turned to him making a face. “Yeah, you think she’d actually tell me if she was doing anything else with him?” She pulled her apron around her. “Though her behavior around him last night sure made it look like she is.”

Unable to sit anymore, Sal stood up, nearly sputtering his words. “What was she doing?” He wasn’t even sure why he was asking. Just the thought crushed heavy into his chest like a freight train. Did he really want to know?

Sofia smirked. “Not much more than what you saw in those pictures.” She patted Sal’s arm. “She just looked like she was having a good time with him. That’s all. But it made me nervous, Sal. If he can make her forget about you even if it is only for an evening, that could be how it starts.”

“She’s right, man,” Alex added, still looking down at Sofia’s phone. “This would make me nervous as shit. Hell, I ain’t you and I’m nervous for you. You gotta move, Sal. Before this guy does.”

As tempted as Sal was to look at the photos again he resisted grabbing the phone from Alex. Even another glance at the asshole with her in the pictures and he was certain Sofia’s phone would go flying across the room. Instead he pulled his own phone out of his holster.

“You calling her?” Sofia’s bright eyes were hopeful.

“No, I don’t have her number, Sof.” But they were right. He had to do something. “I’m calling Romero.” He walked past her and out the door with the phone at his ear. “I’ll be outside.”

He needed air—needed to breathe. If he stood in that room any longer thinking about Grace and the guy she’d been with things were going to start flying in every direction. For the first time Sal understood now how Alex’s temper could torpedo in an instant. He flexed his empty hand as he walked out the back door then paced, waiting for Romero to answer. When the call went to voicemail he hung up and dialed Vincent. He answered on the first ring. “Hey Sal.”

“Did Rose say anything else about this
business
date Grace was on last night?” The more he thought about it the hotter he got. He pulled on his collar and loosened his tie. His next call would be to cancel the meeting he had scheduled with the same investing group he’d been in the middle of negotiating with when Alex had called to tell him about Melissa showing up at the restaurant and dropping the bomb on Grace.

He didn’t care that day that he’d blown them off the moment he realized what had happened and he didn’t care now.

Vincent exhaled loudly, an indication that Rose had said something. “Out with it. Vin. Is she seeing this guy?”

God
that pissed him off. Sure she was under the impression he’d betrayed her but it hadn’t even been a month. He couldn’t even begin to think about seeing anyone else and she was out dancing with this fucker? And from what Sofia said, enjoying it?

“She didn’t say much about it last night,” Vincent said. “But this morning she texted me to say they’re going house hunting all day today. The guy she went out with last night I guess is buying the house with them.”

Sal stopped his pacing, his eyebrows shooting up. “They’re buying a house together?”

“I guess. She said he was going because he’d be part owner.”

Sal could barely bring himself to ask the next question but he had to know. Speaking through his teeth he barely got the words out. “Is he moving in with her?”

“I was just gonna say, it may take a while because I can’t just ask her you know? It’ll be too suspicious. I’ll have to work my way to the question.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

After hanging up with Vincent Sal paced for a few more minutes outside. He knew there was no way Grace could be sleeping with this guy, but what other incentive would he have to buy her and her family a fucking house? He tried making sense of it. They guy owned a casino in Laughlin. Why would he be looking into moving in with Grace in California?

Once he felt calm enough at least to speak without growling he called and cancelled his meeting. There was no way he’d be able to concentrate on anything now.

He tried Romero again. This time he answered.

“You got anything yet?”

“I was just going through some of her email. But fuck she has a lot. I was able to filter out the ones that were just business. All the court crap.”

Sal ran his fingers through his hair. “Doesn’t she have a personal email?”

“Yeah, problem is, she uses that one for all her court shit too. But I’m getting hot. I found a couple between Melissa and her cousin—I guess your friend’s wife.”

Sal winced remembering how he’d skipped out on Jason’s wedding. After everything that happened he didn’t even want to be in the same room with Melissa and since she was a bridesmaid she would be there for sure. He’d lied through his teeth, telling Jason he was sick as a dog but he knew Jason had still been disappointed. He hadn’t talked to him since. “Kat?”

“Katherine? That’s what the email says.”

“Yeah, that’s her.”

“So I’m sifting through this shit and your name has come up but only to ask if you’d be in Vegas. The report for the text messaging just came through; I was getting ready to switch over to that. Maybe I’ll have better luck there. It’s huge though. I can only imagine the amount of garbage I’m gonna have to go through.”

“Dude, you gotta find something. I need this
now
.”

Romero promised he’d do his best and Sal hung up with him, the frustration weighing even heavier. Then he noticed he had a text—from Vincent.

He took a deep breath before reading it. The first part was Vincent’s text to Rose where he cleverly asked her if she was blowing him off and if she really needed to go with her sister and her new
boyfriend
to look for
their
new place.

Her first response, although she didn’t comment on the boyfriend inference or the “their place” comment, was somewhat reassuring. She said Grace didn’t like to spend that much time with him alone so she’d asked her to come with them. Sal stared at the rest of the text conversation feeling sick to his stomach.

Vince:
?? Why would she go out with someone she doesn’t like being alone with?

Rose:
It’s complicated. All I can say is he’s going to a big part of our lives now.

Vince:
Really? So it’s getting serious?

Rose:
Something like that.
We’re here I’ll ttyl!

Rose:
Oh and remember don’t you dare say anything to Sal!

The last part of the text was from Vince addressed to Sal.

You better never tell Grace I forwarded you this. I already feel like I’m going straight to hell. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve assured her I would never pass on any info to you man! This is some bullshit! >=(

Sal stood there still staring at the text, his heart pounding in his chest.
He’s going to be a big part of our lives now
. What the hell did that mean?

There was just too much excitement going on this weekend—that’s what Grace kept telling everyone—and herself. From her Friday night out to her long day Saturday with Frank. Though she didn’t admit that seeing Sofia had been the most detrimental to her already fragile state. It only confirmed what she already knew. That she was nowhere near even beginning to get over Sal.

Her tiresome day of house hunting Saturday had also taken its toll. The heat wasn’t helping matters either. It was no wonder why she kept having dizzy spells. Somehow she couldn’t convince anyone that she was fine. She’d just been a little winded yesterday when her head spun after getting out of Frank’s car and she had to hold on to the door for a few minutes before she could walk. She’d seen the fear in Rose’s face and no amount of reassuring could persuade her not to worry.

Frank had been there the entire weekend. Her mom had everything to do with that. She’d invited him back over on Sunday. Grace had been lying in bed still when her mother walked in to tell her.

“I was with him Friday night, and most of the day yesterday.” Grace argued. “I’m sorry I’m not spending today with him, too, mom. He’s gonna get the wrong idea. This is a business partnership and nothing more.”

“I know this and so does he, Grace. We’re just being hospitable.”

“Well I think he’s beginning to get the wrong idea.” She regretted now that Friday night she hadn’t protested when Frank slipped his hand into hers several times. It just didn’t seem like a big deal walking off and on the dance floor. “You can be hospitable for the both of us today. I’m going over to Joey and Taylor’s.” She sat up and immediately felt lightheaded.
Shit
.

She glanced over to where Rose sat on a bean bag in the corner of her room glad she was too engrossed in her texting to notice Grace needed a moment to focus while the room finally stood still for her.

Her mother was busy still rambling about why Grace should reconsider staying and hanging out with Frank for a least a little while but she didn’t want to hear it anymore. She stood up slowly and carefully, hoping Rose wouldn’t notice anything.

Seeing her mother cross her arms in a huff as she walked past her did nothing to slow her down. She was done with this conversation. The only good thing that had come of this weekend was that they finally narrowed their choices down to two restaurant/homes that both Grace and her mother agreed were acceptable. Both were in Chula Vista which meant Rose wouldn’t have to change schools.

The agreement with Frank had been that he’d help Grace and her mom get the restaurant going but eventually, once the restaurant took off, she and her mother would buy him out, leaving them the sole owners. Her mother still insisted that there were no ulterior motives and that Frank was doing this out of the kindness of his heart and a few years of extra profit brought in by the restaurant was incentive enough.