He took a deep breath and exhaled as he watched her apartment complex. She lived in a fucking shithole. Why? If these men cared for her at all they would get her out of there. Why was she living here?
He couldn’t wrap his brain around it. He thought about Carlotto. Carlotto had found out about Frankie by accident. His connections wanted in on this tourist area and the strip of clubs in several consecutive towns. There were a lot of cops. He thought about the deputy that had his hands on Frankie’s ass as they walked to his patrol car. He’d personally put a bullet in the fuck’s head just like he’d done to Oscar, that fucking piece-of-shit friend of hers and her brother. Oscar Finery had wanted what Kevin owned. Frankie. Oscar had the fucking nerve to threaten him, to order him away from Frankie, or he would lock him up for the crimes he was committing. See how far that threat had gone. He was as good as dead even before he walked in on that drug deal in the warehouse.
Kevin needed to be patient. He needed a plan. Carlotto had sent him here to bring back Frankie and make things right. He wanted Frankie, too. She was that fucking special. But she was his and no one else’s. He couldn’t give her up to Carlotto. He saw the way Carlotto looked at her and wanted her. There had to be a way that he could get Frankie, take her out of here, and disappear together. He had funds. He had a bag of money with him now. He just needed to be careful and get it done in the next twelve hours. If he didn’t, then he would send in Pasqual. Carlotto wouldn’t keep Kevin alive this time. They’d get rid of him just like he’d gotten rid of all the others who’d betrayed him.
Kevin rubbed his hands together. When would she come out of there? It was nearly lunchtime. The minutes were passing by so quickly. He had to grab her and disappear. Come out, Frankie. Come on now. It’s time to be together again. I missed you so fucking much. I need you. Without you, none of it matters.
The minutes passed by, and soon another thirty passed. Finally a truck pulled up in front of the building. He clenched his teeth and growled low. One guy got out. He looked as though he was favoring his side as he stepped out of the truck. He was one of the guys she was fucking. Kevin looked at his watch then waited as the time passed by. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes. His blood was boiling. The guy was probably fucking her right now. Thirty minutes in an apartment with Frankie and that’s what he would be doing. Fucking her so hard, making her scream his name until her voice was hoarse and her body limp and spent. He was so fucking hard just thinking about having her. Those breasts, that ass, her sweet innocent glow. Twenty-three and perfect. She was his, not theirs.
“I’ll fucking kill you. I’ll kill you right now.” He gripped the revolver and reached for the door handle. He imagined his next move. Get into the apartment building, shove through the door, put a bullet in the fucker’s head, and snag Frankie.
He’d begun to click open the door handle when he saw the door to the apartment open up. He watched them closely. She was hugging the guy’s arm, smiling, face glowing, and the pompous bastard looked so fucking satisfied as he held her around the waist with his hand on her ass. Kevin’s heart pounded.
He watched the guy press her against the truck and kiss her deeply, plunging his tongue down her throat as he pressed her hard, tight against the truck.
He pulled back and smiled then helped her up into the truck. Kevin watched with daggers in his eyes, hatred in his gut, as the guy walked around the truck to the driver’s side, still favoring his side. Either he had an injury there or he was a lot older than he looked and something was wrong with him. Kevin didn’t care. He was as good as dead. Today that guy would meet his maker.
* * * *
Frankie smiled at Mike as he drove her into town.
“I told you I could have taken the bus. You should be resting still.”
He ran his hand under her skirt along her thigh.
“Resting? I’m fine. Didn’t I just prove that to you when I made love to you on your kitchen table?” he asked, all cocky with one of his eyebrows raised up.
She felt her cheeks warm. He drove her insane. One minute he was greeting her and telling her how beautiful she looked in the skirt and blouse, and the next thing she knew, she was on the table, thighs spread, and he was feasting on her cunt.
“I suppose so.”
“You suppose so? Honey, you were moaning, scratching at my chest, and calling out my name. I think I succeeded in showing you I’m fine.”
She slapped his shoulder. “Mike,” she reprimanded, and he pulled her by her inner thigh closer to him.
“Get over here. I want to feel you right next to me at all times.”
“You’re dropping me off so that I can have lunch with Cassidy. Don’t tell me that you’re going to be sitting somewhere nearby stalking me.”
“Stalking you?” he asked, sounding shocked but laughing.
“Well, you know what I mean. You all have so much stuff to do. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Hey, we watch over you because we love you and you’re ours. We want to be with you as much as possible.”
She hugged his side.
“I know that, and I love you guys, too.”
“Good. End of discussion. While you’re having lunch with Cassidy, I need to grab some stuff at the hardware store and will probably stop by Sullivan’s to have lunch with a couple of the guys from Engine 19.”
“Really? That’s great. When do you think you’ll get the okay to start up work again?”
“Probably today. At least I’m hoping today, even though I love spending the days with you in bed.”
“I love them, too, but I guess we need to get back to a routine. You know, I work late hours and need sleep. I’ve been dragging these last two weeks.”
“You’ll get used to it. Besides, it would make things easier if you would just move in with us. We told you we have that spare bedroom if it makes you feel better. Even though you’ll hardly use it, and when you do, one of us will be in it with you.”
She chuckled.
“I told you that it was a big decision. I don’t want to screw this up. I want this relationship to work and to last.”
“As do we. Take your time. I expect an answer by the end of the week.”
“What? The end of the week is two days away?”
“That’s right, baby. You seem to be a person who needs specific deadlines, or you just keep saying you’re thinking about it. Now you have a date to make a decision.”
“And if I’m still not ready?” she asked, feeling the instant anxiety.
“Then you’re not ready. But I think you know you are and you’re just letting the past get in the way of making this decision. We understand your fears now. We’re not going anywhere, Frankie. Just remember that.”
He pulled the truck along the sidewalk in front of the small café on the edge of town.
She leaned up and kissed him deeply.
“What was that for?”
“For being amazing.” She kissed him again. Their lips parted.
“And that?” he teased.
“For being patient.” She held his cheeks between her hands and kissed him thoroughly, plunging her tongue into his mouth and moaning against his lips.
“And that?” he asked, sounding out of breath.
“That’s for fucking me on my kitchen table this morning.”
She scooted across the seat and waved goodbye as Mike stared at her in shock.
“We’ll catch up later, Frankie.”
“I’ll be back in an hour.”
She waved and started laughing as she walked away from his truck. She felt so happy and giddy. She never would have said anything like that to a man, but her four boyfriends, the men she loved, made her feel so alive and special. She knew she could drive Mike as wild and crazy as he drove her.
She was headed toward the café when she saw Cassidy at the table. She waved and gave her a kiss hello and a hug.
“I missed you. How are you feeling?” she asked Cassidy as she took the seat at the table.
“Great. And how about you?” She winked.
“Pretty good.”
“Pretty good, huh? You look…satisfied.” Cassidy wiggled her eyebrows up and down.
Frankie chuckled.
“Well, you know I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Well, that’s going to change. You and I have a lot to catch up on.”
“We do? We’ve spoken every day for the last week.”
“But not about the juicy stuff. Do you find it hard to recover from having sex with four guys one after the next and together? Because, damn, I know fucking five of them is like a full-time job. I’ve never been so exhausted.”
Frankie started laughing. She felt so happy, content, and loved right now. She just couldn’t imagine anything bad or negative.
“Well then, I guess we better order some drinks and some food. Sounds like we’re going to be here awhile,” Frankie teased, and Cassidy chuckled as the waitress came over to take their orders.
They talked about their men, their protectiveness, and about moving in with them.
“They asked you to move in with them?” Frankie asked Cassidy.
“I’ve pretty much been at their house more than mine anyway. I’m just not sure it’s the right thing to do. I mean it’s been like a month of dating, well, mostly having sex and spending every waking hour with them. I don’t even want to go back to Prestige. I don’t think the guys want me to either.”