Santino returned to the table and remained distracted for the rest of their meal, but Riley was used to it. She didn’t mind, and the pesto was causing her stomach to churn anyway. After the waiter put their meal on Santino’s business tab, they left, her arm clasped in her husband’s.
Riley knew he missed her, and she let herself get lost in the moment, resting her head on his bicep as they walked. She didn’t even notice that he’d led them away from the car where Mickey waited, steering them instead toward the park.
He looked at her with a certain sparkle of mischief and adoration in his eye, faintly smiling as he led them through the trees and shrubs to a small clearing.
It was their spot. It gave the illusion of privacy while still allowing his men to keep an eye on them, just in case.
Riley started giggling like a schoolgirl as Santino pinned her gently against a tree, his hands starting at her shoulders and slowly finding their way to her waist before ascending back into her hair.
He’d just begun to work his intoxicating magic on that special spot behind her ear when she heard a twig snap. Riley looked over his shoulder and realized not a single one of his men had reacted, an uncharacteristic move. His bodyguards were supposed to hunt anyone who wasn’t approved to be near Santino, even a hapless rabbit.
“Sonny, we have to stop,” Riley whispered as his mouth moved around her neck and down her chest. “We’re exposed. We’re being watched.”
Abruptly, Santino pulled away and looked around them. His men quickly shifted back into their standard formation, but Riley knew Santino already suspected them.
Santino dropped a quick peck on her lips and grabbed her hand firmly, quickly leading them back to where Mickey waited. They only resumed their gentle kisses and soft laughter once they were safely in the backseat, and Riley resolved to tell Santino her news when they were home again.
Their giggling and kissing carried them through the front door, but as Santino turned on the lights to lead her to their bedroom and kissed that special spot below her ear once more, they were ambushed.
Chapter Forty-Three
The unexpected encounter with Adrian left Riley with a bittersweet feeling. She hadn’t been with anyone since Santino died, and while she hadn’t expected to live the rest of her life celibate, falling into bed with a cop ranked highly on the list of things she never expected to do. Although she was joyous that she wasn’t alone in her quest, she felt horribly guilty for dragging him into her world of street justice and crime, not to mention she felt like she was betraying Santino. Her husband had been the love of her life, and after losing him she’d vowed to focus on revenge and nothing else.
Returning to LinHill was partially a means of escape from what she’d done in the city, but also her way of going back to the beginning. The life she’d planned had ended when Santino died, and although coming back to her hometown wasn’t meant to help her forget their life together, Riley now saw a new life beginning.
And maybe Adrian was part of her new life, her next chapter.
“Hey, someone is looking for you,” Paige announced.
She looked up to see Marcus Jung lurking near the bar top. “The fuck does he want now,” Riley muttered.
Dropping the tablecloth on the counter, she walked toward the man with rage already building inside. “I heard you were looking for me. What do you want?”
“Wait, no insults this time? No, screw you Marcus? Wow, I’m shocked,” Marcus said with a cocky smile. Riley was really tempted to wipe that grin off with her fist.
“Don’t worry, I’m saving those for later. So, what’s this about?” Riley asked.
“Do you have a gun?”
“You know I do.”
“What kind?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. A black one? Please tell me this doesn’t have anything to do with this Vigilante dude, because I’ve really had enough of your accusations. First, Santino, then Santino’s men, and now this?”
“I have my reasons to believe–”
“You have reasons to believe that since my husband was a mob boss I’m supposed to be the same? What a judgmental asshole are you. There, you have your insult now.”
“He could have easily taught you many of his things. His business and way of life are just two of them.”
“The only thing Santino taught me was to defend myself from assholes like you,” Riley snapped.
“Well, if that’s what you’re saying, I’m gonna have to check your house just to be sure you’re telling me the truth.”
“Is that so? Well, do you have a warrant?”
“Well, you just admitted to carrying a gun, I believe that’s probable cause, given your known connections to crime bosses.”
“That’s a whole lot of bullshit, and you know it. It doesn’t give you cause at all. Don’t you think I have better things to do than going around killing some dudes?”
“Yeah, I’m sure you do. Like sleeping with Detective Castelló,” Marcus said. “I saw your little display of affection last night.”
“Wait, are you spying on me?” Riley questioned him, pretending to be offended.
“I was passing by, and you were making out in the middle of the street. Dozens of people saw you two, I just happen to be one of them. I thought you didn’t like cops.”
“No, I don’t like a cop who used to work in the city, and now he works here.”
Marcus rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re still holding a grudge for all that.”
“You want me to forget about how you let my husband’s killers go and how you even questioned me when they showed up dead? Riley hissed. She didn’t try to lower her voice; if anything she wanted everyone to know the kind of cold-hearted man Marcus was. “I will never fucking forget it. Never. You, Marcus Jung, are the sole reason why I despise cops.”
“But
