“Chase…” Nixon cleared his throat. “You look happy. Hope that smile’s for me and not because of your tardiness.”
“Shit.” Tex winked. “You cheating right in front of me, Nixon?”
“Huh?” That snapped me out of my stupor as I glanced between the two of them.
“Oh right, you weren’t there. Let me catch you up…” Tex leaned in and whispered in Nixon’s ear. “Loverrr…”
“Stop purring in my ear, or I swear I’ll cut your tongue out.”
“Rawr.”
“Tex,” I interrupted. “If you ever — and I do mean ever — touch me the way you just touched Nixon, I will end your life and send your body parts back to Sicily in greeting card form. Capiche?”
Tex merely shrugged and ordered another beer.
“Luca and Frank still here?” I asked.
“Yeah.” Nixon leaned back in his chair. The bar was located right next to the casino, meaning it was noisy as hell, but at least people weren’t paying a lick of attention to us. “They’re here for reinforcements, nothing more. Too many loose ends now.”
I grunted. “Tell me about it.”
We sat in silence.
“Chase.” Nixon leaned forward clasping his hands together. “It’s your call.”
“What is?” Confused, I leaned forward, thinking I hadn’t really heard him correctly.
“What you want to do.” Nixon shrugged.
“I’m sorry. I still don’t know what you mean.”
“We could all go home,” Nixon said in a low voice. “Live our lives, wait for them to come to us. Or we can draw them out.”
My eyebrows pinched together. “How do you figure we draw them out?”
“The wife,” Nixon said offering a casual shrug. “Tanya knows Mil. That was her connection.” He popped his knuckles. “Obviously she knows how to contact her. Maybe the wife has information on what to do. It’s possible we have more than one family after us. The dots need to be connected, and until we have any leads, we’re sitting ducks. It’s the only other way, beside going home and waiting to get shot at, which to be quite honest, might do Tex some good.”
“Heard that,” Tex grumbled.
“You were meant to,” I fired back.
“So.” I swallowed. “Get Mil to give me Tanya’s information?”
“Simple, after all, the last thing the Campisi family wants on their hands is more blood, you know? I imagine they’re hoping we’ll just drop it.” He took a long swig of beer. “Mil’s mom has been estranged from the De Langes for such a long time. They’re probably assuming she doesn’t matter.”
I groaned into my hands, hating every second that ticked by, because it meant I was that much closer to having to talk to Mil about her past — about her mom — things I knew she’d tucked away into her own personal Pandora’s box. Her mom and dad had separated soon after Mil and I’d had our little Vegas romp.
Feeling a headache coming on, I drained the rest of my beer and stood. “I’ll do what I can tonight and text you when I have answers — how long before everyone’s flights leave?”
“Seven p.m. the day after tomorrow.” Nixon rubbed the back of his head. Weariness wore at the edges of his mouth. “Good luck.”
“Right. I think I need prayer more than luck.”
“Well, I’ve got the Rosary memorized.” He smirked as if hiding some private joke. “Couldn’t hurt.”
“Why’d you go and memorize that and make yourself a better Catholic?”
Nixon waved me off. “One of the Seven Deadly Sins got to me.”
“Dude,” Tex piped up laughing — he’d been silently listening the whole time. “One? How about all seven?”
“I’m too tired for this. See you guys later.” I stood and gave half-hugs to both of them then made the trudge back to my room.
I had to keep myself from killing Nixon.
Keep my hands off my wife.
Keep it in my pants.
Discover all her secrets.
Get her to confide in me.
And do it all without looking at her br**sts or thinking about sex.
Yeah, Rosary was right.
Chapter Thirty-One
Nixon
I watched her.
Like a damn stalker from Criminal Minds.
She twirled her hair around her fingers and then threw her head back and laughed, exposing that long delicate neck — just one of the things I was obsessed with.
“Trace?” I licked my lips, suddenly nervous as hell to interrupt her girl time. “You ready for bed?”
“I think,” she said, standing and wrapping her arms sloppily around my neck, “the correct answer is are you ready for bed?”
“Don’t you mean question?”
“That’s your answer!” She laughed and sagged against me.
“Shit. Who gave her wine?”
Mo and Mil both pointed at each other. I glared at my sister. She covered her mouth with her hand and hiccupped.
“Damn shame for a Sicilian to get drunk off two glasses of wine,” I muttered.
“Sorry.” Trace nuzzled her face in my neck. “I was just so stressed, and now I’m sleepy.” There went all plans for seduction.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead. “Why don’t I carry you?”