“I hurt him pretty badly. Let’s just say I broke him of his smug attitude, and then I dropped him somewhere. It’s up to him, with some divine intervention, to swim back without something eating him. Maybe that’s not what you wanted, but when he talked about you and showed no remorse, I snapped.”
“Can I confess a deep, dark secret and not have you think any less of me?”
“Nothing you tell me will change how I feel about you.”
“From the time Bob came into my life I’ve had a list of ways I’d like to see him die. The day you and I met I was well into five thousand, and all mine included lots of suffering.”
“That should be incentive for me to behave.”
“I’m sorry if I put you in a position you didn’t want to be in.”
“Bob is one of those people you’d like to kill more than once.” Remi ran her fingers along Dallas’s hips, obviously being careful because of the pain. “I’m glad I was the one who helped you get this idiot out of your life.”
Remi’s words made Dallas cry. “I know why you love those adventure books. You’re like a knight defending my honor—not that I have much left, if any at all.” Dallas wiped away her angry tears.
“Listen to me. Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes it’s because of circumstance, not free will. You had a sister to care for, and you could’ve taken the easy way out, but you didn’t.”
“It’s good to know that if you keep praying, eventually someone hears you. I’m not sure what I finally did right to be this well rewarded, and at this point I don’t care. You’re here and you’re mine.” Dallas kissed Remi and massaged the skin behind her neck. “If we went slowly, do you think we could make love?”
Before Dallas could change her mind and take the question back, Remi put her right hand between her legs, keeping the other one on Dallas’s hip. She went slow, using tender, soft touches that made Dallas let her head fall back and close her eyes. Perhaps the world didn’t associate tenderness with Remi, but Dallas knew no other kind of touch from her.
Remi’s touch branded her heart with a totally new sense of love and permanence. As long as Dallas lived, Remi would be the only one to move her to such heights. Salvation sometimes had nothing to do with churches and religious faith, but rather someone willing to find what was left in you worth saving.
Any other thought had to wait as Dallas gave in to her orgasm. Tomorrow she’d tell Remi the rest of her secrets. For years she wouldn’t have readily shared them with anyone except Kristen, but her days of hiding were over. In Remi she’d found someone not only to love, but to help carry the weight of her past.
“When I took Kristen and ran, most nights before I went to sleep, I prayed to my mom to send me something to make things better,” Dallas said as soon as she caught her breath. “Maybe it wouldn’t have taken so long if I’d prayed for a someone instead. I love you.”
“I love you too.” Remi scooted down and kissed the top of Dallas’s head when she reclaimed her spot on her shoulder. “It’s a good thing you’re no stranger to prayer,” Remi said in a teasing voice. “Once you’ve met my mother, she’ll tell you that to love us is to learn to pray for patience.”
“I can’t wait to meet your mother, but right now I’d like to talk about something else.” Dallas touched her and smiled when she found the abundant wetness. “Let’s start right here.” She moved down so she could use her mouth and be mindful of Remi’s injuries. Dallas knew they should’ve waited, but for her this was more than just making love. It was a celebration of life and living it in the warmth of the sun out of the shadows.
*
“Is it time?” Kim Stegal asked Nunzio. They were back in New Orleans to attend Remi’s funeral.
“Not until Remi’s in the ground. I’m not completely heartless. Let Ramon and his family have their time to mourn, then we’ll move to close the deal.”
“Your father called again last night while you were on the casino floor.”
Nunzio put his menu down and his fists on the table. “Why’d he call you?”
The waiter arrived with the orange juice they’d ordered, and Kim took a sip before answering. “You’re either going to trust me or I’m walking. I’ve been with you too long for you to put me through this shit every time I talk to your father.”
“You aren’t about to walk away from me.”
Kim stared at his hand on her wrist in a test of will. “Let’s get something else straight. I work for you. A paycheck doesn’t constitute owning me. Try and remember that.”
“Last night when I was deep inside you, it sure felt like I owned you.” He laughed but let her go when Kim didn’t join him. “I’m playing with you, so relax. What did my father want?”
“He’s stonewalled Rodolfo as long as he can, but Rodolfo’s demanded his money or his product back. Junior wants us to meet with him while we’re here and see if we can reason with him.”
The waiter brought out a basket of biscuits next, and Nunzio took his time slathering butter on one. “How does he expect us to reason with him?”
“Do you want to play twenty questions or have you forgotten how your father operates?”
“He wants me to lean on Rodolfo?” Nunzio laughed but his question sounded sarcastic to Kim. Half the biscuit disappeared into his mouth. “Does he want to just throw away our plans?”
“Maybe it’s time to assert yourself a little more and tell him that, because you’re right. If Rodolfo cuts you off, you won’t have a chance with the Delarosas.” Kim felt as if she were dealing with a skittish deer. Nunzio was usually aggressive, but acted like a perpetual five-year-old when it came to Junior.
“Let’s call Rodolfo but we’ll go easy on him.”
“Whatever you want,” Kim said, lifting her coffee cup in an effort to hide her smirk.
“You think I’m weak when it comes to Junior, don’t you?”
“I wouldn’t be with you if I thought that,” Kim said. She reached across the table and took his hand, but she didn’t plan to console him like this forever. “You want me to call Rodolfo?” After that she’d move on. Maybe
