I also didn’t want to be ‘that’ girl and expect more than what he promised, which was nothing at all. And even if Ciro…had feelings for me, there’s no way that man was a one-woman man. Phoenix was different because he fell in love with Frankie when they were kids. But I’d bet a month’s worth of paychecks that Ciro Mancini’s never been in love a day in his life.
A knock on the door snapped out of my musings, and ‘that’ girl I was striving not to be was hoping it was Ciro.
It wasn’t Ciro.
I opened my front door to Gary and Merrick, and my stomach dipped with trepidation.
“I…I thought we were meeting on Tuesday,” I said in lieu of a polite greeting.
Gary flashed me a grin. “We were, Robbie,” he replied. “But that was before we heard the whispers this morning that Ciro Mancini was seen leaving your house last night.”
I could feel all the blood drain from my face.
“Now, of course, you can imagine our concerns when we got wind that The Son of Morgan City was visiting our very own Robbie,” Merrick added.
Gary glanced at him. “Indeed.”
My hand tightened around the doorknob. “It’s…it’s not what you think.”
Gary cocked his head. “Why don’t you invite us in, and we’ll discuss what it is we think.”
I didn’t want to let these two men in my home. I didn’t want them in my private, personal space, but did I have a choice?
I stepped back and let them inside.
Shutting the door, I turned, and they stood in my living room, not moving. That’s when I remembered their strange mannerisms. “Please have a seat,” I said. “Would you guys like something to drink?”
They sat as Gary said, “Thank you, Robbie, but nothing for me.”
“I’ll take some water, if you don’t mind,” Merrick answered.
I nodded. “Sure, thing. Make yourselves comfortable and I’ll be right back.” I didn’t wait for them to comment. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a cold water from the fridge. I headed back into the living room and handed Merrick his water.
He smiled up at me. “Thank you, very much.”
So weird.
I sat in the chair next to the couch they occupied, and Gary leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Now, Robbie,” he began, “why don’t you tell us what Ciro Mancini was doing here last night.”
I was going to have to give them a believable story and, surprisingly, the real story line was close enough to the truth. “We…uh, see each other,” I muttered.
Merrick narrowed his eyes as he uncapped his water bottle. “You guys see each other,” he repeated, looking for confirmation. It was a lie, but I nodded anyway.
“So, Ciro Mancini is your boyfriend?” Gary asked.
I knew how this was going to make me look, but there really was no sugarcoating it. One night with a man’s fingers inside you did not make a relationship.
I chose my life over my reputation.
“Not exactly,” I admitted. “We just…see each other on occasion.”
“Ahh,” Merrick drawled out. “You’re his booty call.”
I tried not to flinch, but there was no way around the seediness of what we did last night. Ciro wasn’t my boyfriend-hell, the man didn’t even like me much. He just did what most men did. He took was I brazenly offered last night.
Gary shook his head before I could comment. “Nah,” he said. “I don’t believe it.”
“Wh…why?” I mean, I might not be as captivating as Frankie, or as sexy as Mona, but I wasn’t a complete dog.
Gary didn’t mince words when he said, “Ciro Mancini is The Son of Morgan City. He is Luca Benetti’s right-hand man. He is one of the most feared men in the state.” Gary’s eyes roved over my entire body until they landed back on my face. “Ciro Mancini can get any woman he wants, Robbie. And, not for nothing, you might be hot as hell, but Ciro Mancini doesn’t need to drive an hour away for pussy.”
In a surprising move, Merrick had taken exception to Gary’s words and tone. “Now, Gary, remember who we are. We don’t talk to women that way.”
Gary’s eyes slid to his partner. “You’re right.” He looked back at me. “My apologies, Robbie, if I’ve said anything to offend you.”
What. In. God’s. Name?
“However,” Merrick continued, “he does have a point, though he could have made it more eloquently.”
I was caught, and I wasn’t sure how to escape.
I couldn’t tell them I was friends with Frankie because, regardless of what The Holy Trinity might think, I learned my lesson on that one. There was no way I’d tell these men anything remotely related to Frankie.
I also knew they were right. Ciro Mancini didn’t need to cross the street to get laid if he was feeling the need. And, while I was decent enough, my looks didn’t stop traffic. I didn’t have men writing odes to my beauty and bombarding me with sonnets and roses. There was absolutely no reason for Ciro to make the trip to Cedar Creek for me.
Fuck.
“He…he drove through town a few months ago and stopped at Brighton to eat,” I lied. “I waited on him and…things kind of escalated in the women’s bathroom.”
Gary cocked his head. “And he came back for seconds?”
“That must have been one hell of a trip to the bathroom,” Merrick added.
My face turned red with discomfiture. Even if it was a lie, I was painting myself in a horrible light. Plus, I could see they didn’t believe that I was memorable enough to warrant a second helping.
God, how embarrassing.
“Look, all I know is that I spent one night with the man a
