Risking it All (37 page)

she was in danger. She wanted to stay

with him and she would get what she

wanted. Simple as that. The fact that her

presence in his life would make it worth

living came secondary. As her face

transformed with sleepy awareness, he

wondered if she knew. That he loved

her. Would kill for her. That even though

her naked breasts were making his dick

hard, he simultaneously wanted to hide

her under the covers and guard her.

“Too much, Sera. You make me feel

too much.”

Her smile dipped at the edges. “Is that

a bad thing?”

“No.” He pressed his lips to her

forehead. “Not as long as you’re with

me to shoulder some of it. Sometimes I

get worried I’m not enough to carry it

all.”

”You’re not the only one who feels

too much.” Her gaze searched his. “You

have to help me, too.”

A dizzying rush of love careered

through him. He couldn’t see anything

but her, felt nothing but her body beneath

him, molding to his so perfectly
. Perfect.

This is perfect.
He took her wrists and

pinned them above her head on the

pillow. “Then let me ease you now,

baby.”

A shrill series of beeps broke the

spell she’d placed him under. It took

Bowen a moment to place the sound, his

head was so fogged with Sera. His

phone. It vibrated and danced on the side

table next to his bed. Lust slowly

dissipated at the implications of a 6:00

a.m. phone call. No good news came this

early in the morning. Sera’s soft form

tensing beneath him told Bowen she’d

come to the same conclusion.

Knowing he’d never be able to

concentrate while lying cradled between

her thighs, he reluctantly sat up and

snatched up the phone. When he read the

caller ID, it felt as though he’d been

kicked in the ribs
. Rikers Island

correctional facility
. “Hello?”

“Bowen Driscol?”

A man’s clipped voice. Not his

father’s, as he’d been expecting. What

did it mean that someone else was

calling? “One and the same,” he

answered slowly.

“Your father has been taken to the

infirmary. We’re obligated to inform the

closest family member.” The caller

paused, as if letting that news sink in. It

didn’t. “Details aren’t available right

now, but we do know he had an

altercation with another prisoner. His

wounds are serious enough that you

should try to make it here as soon as

possible.”

“Fine.” He hung up the phone and

breathed deeply through his nose, trying

not to lose the contents of his stomach.

His mind whirled, trying to find

detachment so he could get to his feet

and move. But all he could come up with

was guilt. In order to protect his sister,

he’d played a part in putting his father

away. A small part, but a part

nonetheless. Now Lenny could die

because of it. No matter that their

relationship bordered on hostile. They

were still blood.

Sera rubbed circles into his back, her

lack of questions telling him she’d heard

everything. “Bowen,” she said, softly.

“Get dressed. I’ll come with you.”

He shot to his feet, already trying to

come up with an alternative. Her safety

came before everything else. Yes, even

Lenny. “Are you out of your mind?” In

the dimness, he searched for the jeans

he’d discarded the night before, tugging

them on with jerky movements. “Even if

the idea of you in that place didn’t make

me feel sick, I can’t bring an undercover

cop around my father. Not to mention

every other motherfucker who’s taken a

shiv this week. What if someone

recognized you?”

“No one will recognize me.” She rose

from the bed, her naked body still

flushed from his touch. He had to pause

in the act of dragging on his T-shirt to

watch her approach, she was so

goddamn beautiful. How could this girl

be in his room? Listening to his foul

words and still wanting him?

“You’re not coming with me.”

She obviously wanted to argue,

wheels turning behind her expressive

eyes. “You realize the only other option

is to leave me alone here?”

“No, it’s not,” he bit off. “I’ll take you

to Troy and Ruby.”

Fear coated her expression.
Fear?
His

body had a physical reaction to seeing it

on her face. “No, Bowen. No cops.”

“What happened last night, Ladybug?”

He had to work to keep his voice even.

“Before you came back to me?”

She looked down at the ground,

obviously still not ready to talk about it.

Her unwillingness to confide in him hurt.

Badly. He watched as she changed

tactics, tried to distract him. Even though

he knew her game, he also knew it

would work. She slipped her arms

around his neck and held him tight. “No

one can protect me like you. If you want

me to stay in the car, I will, okay? I

don’t want to be pawned off on someone

else.”

Her compact curves felt too good

against his, her confidence in him heady.

Did he want to leave her side for one

single second? Hell no. She would be

safest with him. And if he allowed

himself to see reason, the parking lot of

a correctional institution might be safer

for her than Bensonhurst right now.

“All right.” His fingers traced down

the slope of her back. “Go ahead and

take a shower. Much as I like having my

scent all over you, I want you

comfortable.”

“Bowen,” she murmured into his

chest.

“Today.

We’ll

talk

about

everything today, okay? That’s a

promise.”

He forced himself to release her,

watching until she disappeared into the

bathroom.

Bowen walked down the hallway of the

infirmary, where the harried nurse had

directed him. He didn’t spend a lot of

time in hospitals, but he imagined the

Rikers Island infirmary looked nothing

like the fancy Manhattan ones most men

his age went to to visit their fathers.

Lenny would hate being here, would

consider any kind of care performed on

his behalf as a weakness. A lessening of

his manhood. The number of times he’d

resisted medical attention reminded

Bowen he’d inherited at least a small

part of Lenny. Right at this moment, with

his potential fate staring him in the face,

it was an unwelcome thought.

To his left, two male nurses who

looked more like nightclub bouncers

played checkers. They eyed him lazily as

he passed, as if they knew something he

didn’t. It made him itch between his

shoulder blades, urged him to turn

around and leave this place so he could

focus on getting Sera somewhere safe.

Somewhere they could be together

without looking over their shoulders as

they walked down the street.

He stopped in front of the hospital

room door he’d been sent to, bracing

himself for what he would see on the

other side. A man who had once been his

hero and tormentor, hooked up to

machines?

Bowen pushed open the door and

came to a halt. Lenny sat in a chair

wearing street clothes, cursing at the

remote control he had pointed at the

television. The picture of health, not a

sign of injury marred his robust frame.

First came the relief, but rage followed

closely on its heels.

“Took you long enough,” Lenny

remarked

casually,

without

even

bothering to look at him. “Chrissakes,

daytime television sucks. You know

what I miss most about being on the

outside? HBO. Miss it even more than

you, in case you were wondering.”

“I wasn’t.” Bowen yanked the door

closed behind him. “What the fuck is

this?”

“This? This is a favor I called in.”

Lenny tossed the remote onto the unused

hospital bed. “I knew I wouldn’t get you

down here any other way. Still got a soft

spot for your old man?”

“Maybe I just came down to make

sure you were dead.”

“And if I wasn’t? Were you going to

finish the job?” Lenny laughed. “Sorry to

disappoint. The only thing capable of

killing me on the inside is the food.”

Bowen crossed his arms impatiently.

“Explain yourself or I’m out. A reunion

wasn’t on my to-do list for the day.”

“What was on your to-do list, son?

Besides the waitress.” He used his

fingers to symbolize quotation marks as

he said the word “waitress.” White-hot

heat punctured Bowen’s chest, traveling

down his entire body. Panic, fury, denial

hit him, one by one. When Lenny

laughed, Bowen knew the fire burning

out of control inside him was showing

on his face. How much did his father

know? Did he know Sera was a cop? Or

was it merely speculation passed on

from a suspicious Wayne?

He had to play this exactly right. “Let

me ask you a question. When did you

and Wayne become so fascinated by

what chick I’m bagging?”

Lenny stood slowly, his trademark

scorn contorting his features.
There he

is, my father. This is him, not the

affable joker I walked in on
. “I’ll tell

you when. Since you let a man get away

with a blatant show of disrespect. Let

him come into our neighborhood and spit

where you live. And you let him
walk
?”

Bowen said nothing. Lenny was

referring to the night he’d gone to

retaliate for what had happened outside

Marco’s. The night Sera had come

dangerously close to being taken. Hurt.

Ironically, he never wanted to kill a man

as much as he had that night, but the

promise

of

her

goodness

had

miraculously pulled him back.

“
Jesus
.” Lenny paced. “You know

what they’re saying about you?”

“You think I give a fuck?” Bowen shot

back. “We could have had this little

heart-to-heart over the phone.”

“No, we couldn’t have. I needed to

look you in the face to make sure you

understand.”

“Understand what exactly?”

Lenny came closer, bringing them toe

to toe. “I won’t be in here forever. Oh,

no. When I get out, if my operation has

been taken over by some muscle-head

with shit for brains, I will make you

sorry.” He swiped a hand over his

mouth. “Those men won’t listen to

Wayne. He doesn’t have the fight to back

up his mouth. Not like you.”

“Be careful, there might have been a

compliment in there somewhere.”

“What do you want? A dad who takes

you to Mets games? Teaches you how to

marinate a steak?” He spat on the floor.

“I taught you more valuable lessons.

How to fight. How to make money. You

should be grateful.”

“Yeah?” Bowen laughed under his

breath. “That’s going to be a tough card

to find on Father’s Day. Dad, thanks for

giving me the ability to put someone in a

coma.”

Lenny stared up at the ceiling, as if

imploring it for patience. That made two

of them. “Listen to me,” his father

enunciated through clenched teeth. “I

brought you down here to talk some

goddamn sense into you. Whoever this

girl is, she damn sure ain’t worth giving

up what you help me build. Sometimes

one gets under your skin and makes you

question yourself. Take it from the man

who was fucked over by your whore

mother. They’re all the same. So do us

all a favor and stop thinking with your

dick.”

Even against his iron will, a niggle of

doubt arose at Lenny’s warning. The

mention of his mother had done it. The

memory of Pamela leaving, tossing him

to the wolves, where he’d remained his