“Because I do love you, and,” she sighed, angry with herself and confused. What did she get herself into? “I do want to see you and be with you. But it’s going to take a while before we can bring this up to them.”
“You mean, meet on the sly, fuck like bunnies, and act like we don’t know each other?”
“That’s not what I mean,” she said defensively.
“What do you mean, then?” demanded Saks. “Because I don’t see it any other way when you say we can’t tell them.”
“I—I—” gasped Chrissy. She didn’t know what to say.
“I hate secrets. That’s what this whole gangster life is, secrets and lies told to the people closest to us to hide the things that we do. I never wanted any part of it and I still don’t.”
“Saks,” she said in appeal.
“Don’t ‘Saks’ me. Either we handle this like adults and let the chips fall where they may, or we forget the whole thing. I will not be your secret.”
“Even if that means your body found in a car by the river?” she said heatedly. “Because, let me tell you, my grandfather is a vindictive son-of-a-bitch when he’s crossed and he’d do that just to spite me.”
“You forget where I come from, Chrissy. There isn’t a Rocco who can’t beat a Serafini any day of the week.”
Saks’ eyes blazed with anger and she knew with a sinking heart that he wouldn’t back down. Stupid goombah. Stunad. He’d get himself killed over her and she couldn’t allow that. Chrissy slung her purse over her shoulder with a jerk. “Fine,” she hissed. “Then if those are my choices, I’m not interested. You’re a great lay, Saks. It makes my mind stupid. I’m done with being stupid.” Before Saks could say another word, Chrissy ran out of the apartment and to her car. Tears pooled in her eyes as she jerked the car into reverse and then in drive, peeling out of the driveway as fast as she could.
She had to pull over into a parking lot when the tears got too big to see through. She cried in long, gasping sobs that wracked her body as ti
me passed without notice. Suddenly police cars pulled into the parking lot, flashing their lights. She looked around in confusion and saw police cordoning off a section toward the back of the drugstore whose parking lot she sat in.
What the hell happened here?
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
What. The. Fuck.
How did that go so horribly wrong?
What an idiot.
Marry him. Yeah, like a high-powered woman like her would marry a grease monkey like him. Why wouldn’t she keep him a secret?
Saks lay on the bed, not able to get up. The sling on his arm and the pain in his shoulder pinned him to the bed. The pain wasn’t so bad when Chrissy...
He swallowed, his breath hitched, and he shook his head. He was a fool for this woman, is all.
Sharp raps on the door brought him out of his reverie.
“It’s open,” he called.
“Hey, Saks. It’s Luke.”
“In the bedroom. One sec.” He scrambled to grab the blanket to cover his naked body. Damn, he was pathetic, wasn’t he?
“Are you decent?” Luke called from just outside the doorway.
“No,” groaned Saks.
“What’s wrong?” Luke could probably hear the pain in his voice.
He gave up trying to move. “I got blindsided on the highway of love.”
“Uh-huh,” said Luke. “That’s how it usually happens.” He stepped into the bedroom and switched on the light. Luke gave a long, low whistle. “Damn. Who wrecked you?”