"Go on," Cage encourages.
"So, yeah, me and the guys just saw her in a commercial and Kennedy looked her up. You think you can get copies of all her movies and that TV show she's in right now?" Yep, total pussy.
Silence. One long beat of silence where I'm tempted to reach down between my legs and make sure my balls are still there.
"I think that can be arranged. I can have them to you tomorrow," he tells me.
"Sounds good, man. Thanks."
"Anytime," he replies, and with that he hangs up.
I stand there, leaning against the wall, wondering what the hell it is about this girl-no. She's a woman now. What is it about her that draws me in? I shake my head. I have no fucking idea.
"What'd he say?" Xander asks, coming into the kitchen.
"He's gonna hook us up. Should be here sometime tomorrow."
He nods. "Good. Maybe it'll be enough to distract those fuckers in there from all the bullshit they've been pulling."
I fist bump him. "Let's hope."
I don't want to think about the alternative.
"Damn, dude, your chick is awesome," Xander tells me as we take a break from our movie-a-thon. My chest fills with pride. She's not really mine-not yet-but I can't help but feel proud of Lucy. She's amazing.
Kennedy leans forward. "Her cousin, Serafina Manzini." He turns the laptop around and all of our jaws drop. Ben lets out a wolf whistle.
"A fucking model," Ethan says with a shake of his head.
"Yeah," I say, rubbing my hand over my heart. "I wonder if they're the same nice girls I met in Chicago or if this life has changed them," I speculate aloud.
"Don't know," Kennedy answers. "There's only one way to know."
"Yeah," I reply, knowing he means to see her and talk to her.
Xander scoffs. "Pussy."
"Fuck off, man. I'm not ready to find out the answer to that question. When I am ready, I'll find a way to make it happen," I tell him with a sneer.
"Whatever floats your boat," Xander tells me.
"I gotta piss before we start the next episode," Ben announces.
"I need a beer." And I need to forget about this woman. She's too young, I'm too fucked up, and I'd likely destroy her. Yeah. I need to forget about her-for now.
Chapter Eight
Cage
Past
Watching Sera turn on the runway, the scent of her perfume drifting over me, has my heartbeat picking up. The long, pale green gown flows perfectly with the lines of her body, flaring out to curtain her feet, gliding along like a silken cloud.
She's beautiful, beyond beautiful. At twenty-one she's gorgeous. They've put her hair up in some fancy twist, curly tendrils framing her heavily made-up face-too heavily. I prefer Sera when she's just her. Natural. She doesn't need all those cosmetics to make her stunning-it's simply Sera.
She spots me on the side of the runway with Giovanni and sends us a smirk and a wink. I'm tempted to wink back, just to see what her reaction would be, but I'm afraid she'd stumble out of shock. Here is not the ideal place to give her a hint as to my feelings for her.
"She's unaware of why we're here," Gio tells me.
I nod. "I know."
"Those fucking Manzinis need to watch themselves. They mess with my family and we will destroy them."
I merely nod again. "They come anywhere near Sera and I'll take them all out myself."
Gio smirks. "Are you ever going to tell her?"
I shrug. "In time."
He nods.
"How did you explain the extra security to Lucy?" I ask.
"I just mentioned it was coming up on the anniversary of Lily and Tommy's death," he informs me.
"Enough said."
"Exactly. But our Serafina, she's not so easily convinced. She knows when something's amiss. She gets that from Carlotta. They both know too much all of the time," he scoffs.
I grunt. "Nana Russo's mojo."
Gio looks at me, amused. "What?"
"Nana Russo's mojo. That's what Lucy and Sera call it."
Gio lets out a laugh. "That's perfect."
"And accurate," I say with a lift of a brow.
Gio nods. "Too true. The woman is amazing."
"And now that's passed on to Sera," I murmur, not sure if it's a blessing or a curse.
He laughs again. "Good luck, Nickels. You're going to need it."
Of that I've no doubt.
Lucy and Sera are on the set for Crashed's latest video-the ladies' first-and they're both nervous as hell. I hide my smirk.
"Ladies."
"Hi Cage," Lucy says.
"I'm so nervous," Sera confesses. "This is Crashed. God. It's so surreal!"
"You'll both be fine," I reassure them. "Just do things how we discussed and you'll be great."
Lucy blows out a breath and nods. Sera clutches my hand like a lifeline and I wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into my side and kissing the top of her head. She smells so good, like coconut and pineapple.
The guys walk on stage and after brief introductions, we get underway. I laugh to myself when I see Sera and Lucy singing the song out loud, the guys from Crashed watching them with amused stares. When the two girls start dancing, grinding, and jumping around, I knew I was right. These two girls are perfect for this video.
When the music stops the guys clap, and Sera and Lucy blush and cover their faces when they realize what they just did. They both look to me. I'm sitting in a chair, my elbow propped on the armrest, my index and middle fingers sliding up my face while the others are curled beneath my jaw. Their fear is palpable. They think I'm going to be upset. These two. Such great women. Who can be mad at them for enjoying themselves? That's what the music videos are about.
"Oh my God, Cage," Lucy begins. "I'm so sorry."
Sera just groans and bites her lip. I'd like to do that for her. One day.
I get up out of my chair and walk to where they're fidgeting. "What are you sorry for?"
They both look confused, the band still amused.
"You've no reason to be sorry. Your enthusiasm and love of music is why you were chosen for this video. While you did get a bit carried away," I say with a grin, while the band members chuckle, "some of that will make good footage."
Lucy grins. "Yeah?"
I nod.
"Well then." She jumps around and hugs Adam Bentley, the singer of Crashed.
"You two are a breath of fresh air. No more uptight models who want nothing more than to claw their way to the top, thinking fucking us will get them there. You two are sensational," he tells them with a wide smile. "Cage, you did good."
I nod. Of course I did. I know my girls and I also know I wouldn't put them with just anyone for their first shoot. I considered putting them with Falling Down, considering their meeting in Chicago and the affect it had on both of them, but she's still too young and Jesse needs to find his way out of the hell the band has found themselves in as of late. I have faith he will, and when he does, then it'll be time to put the two in the same place at the same time.
"Places and let's go again," I tell them, and Sera smiles at me. My heart leaps. I give her a wink and her eyes widen, along with that beautiful smile.
She adds an extra sway to her hips and I catch the guitarist checking her out. When he looks my way I narrow my eyes and he nods in understanding.
This time when they start up the song, the girls are on their marks, but their enthusiasm is still off the charts. This video is going to be a killer.
After the filming of the video is finished, I don't see her for a while-nearly a month. She's been working and we've been holding the Manzinis at bay. We've formed a truce-which will be temporary, of course. The Manzinis never hold true to their word.
She doesn't deserve that last name. She's so much more than that name implies. Serafina Manzini. She's beautiful with her long dark hair, dark eyes, and pretty pink lips-lips that were made to be kissed. By me.
She's standing in the rain-correction: she's crying in the rain. I'm unsure if I should approach her or not, but when she sees me, her eyes widening, I know I have to go to her.
She's furiously wiping at the mascara-smudged trail of tears on her cheeks. I reach for my handkerchief. She just stares at me, while tears continue to fall unchecked from her eyes. I reach out and gently wipe away the makeup from her face, even as more tears stream from those gorgeous brown eyes.
"What's hurting you, Fee?" I ask, saying aloud the nickname I use in my mind. She looks at me confused for a second, then a small smirk forms on her lips. Thank God. I hadn't meant to say that, but seeing her distressed brought out the need to nurture her. The need to hold her close is strong, and if I could get away with it without there being any awkwardness afterward, I would do that very thing.
"I-it's the anniversary of my parents' death," she sobs.
"I'm so sorry, Sera," I murmur. I should have known what today was, but I'd gotten distracted by business. I look to her, hurting so deeply, and then I say fuck it, and pull her into my chest. She wraps her arms around my waist, fisting her hands in the back of the jacket of my suit. She pours her soul into this purge of pain. I feel the grief releasing from her slender body as she weeps with a heart-wrenching, body-shaking intensity that has me holding her up when her legs buckle beneath her.