“What?” Ridge’s shout doesn’t sound sleepy anymore.
“You heard me.”
“Are you fucking serious? I’ve been working this shit for too long for you to just bail.”
“Look, I hoped we’d be done.” And until tonight, I hadn’t dared to believe that Havana wanted a future with me. “But I’ve got to end my part in this fucking charade. I’m in love.” If anything happened to her because of this shit, I wouldn’t make it.
“You?” He sounds more than slightly skeptical.
That’s no surprise. I’ve been saying for almost two decades that I’d never settle down, never have more kids, and never let another woman have that much power in my life. Ethan’s mom, Lydia, was enough.
Then I met Havana.
As much as I hate to kiss and tell, I can shorten this conversation by being brutally honest. Then we can cut to the chase. “Yeah. I took her to bed last night.”
“Am I supposed to congratulate you? You fucked some woman. Whoopee… You can’t be serious here.”
“She turned eighteen yesterday. She was a virgin. I willingly fucked her bareback—more than once—and she’s not on the pill. That serious enough for you?”
Ridge is silent for such a long moment, I wonder if we’ve lost connection. Finally, he replies. “Shit. You’re not playing.”
“Nope.”
“But she’s your son’s age. You’re a grown-ass man. What are you going to do, finish raising her?”
“Fuck off,” I snarl into the phone. “I called to give you a heads-up. I plan to dust Paul Carboni pronto so he can’t come after me again. I can do Donzelli, too. Since I’m a ‘dead man,’ neither will see me coming and no one will suspect me. God knows they deserve it for selling human beings like sacks of groceries. It will also get you a step closer to getting out of this shitty mess. What you do with the opportunity is up to you. I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait! I didn’t mean to piss you off. I’m just saying Lydia did a number on you, and this girl—”
“Havana.”
He snorts. “With a name like that, I’m guessing she has a fuck-me mouth and great tits.”
“Shut up.”
“So she doesn’t?”
She does, and not for anything will I admit that. Ridge will underestimate and undervalue her. I refuse to let him.
“That’s what I thought,” my brother drawls. “You can’t be into Havana for her intellect.”
I grip my phone tighter, fighting a growl. “You don’t know her, so stop making assumptions. She’s way more mature than Lydia, who had everything handed to her as a kid. Havana has been on her own for two years. She’s got the biggest fucking heart. She wants to be a vet. She’s smart enough to do it, too. And by the way, I’m still here for you to bitch at because she saved my life last night. So back the fuck down. I’m telling you I want out, and this is how it’s going to go down.”
“Okay. Sorry. I didn’t know. It’s been a long night, and I’ve got major problems here.”
That worries me. Ridge always takes on a mountain of danger and never complains. “Do you need help?”
“If I do, I’ll let you know. Look, I think I speak for Rand and Rush, too, when I say we don’t want another girl to trample your heart and fuck up your life.” He sighs. “Does Havana really make you happy? Can you live with this girl for a month? A year? The rest of your life?”
Ridge means well. I remind myself of that and do my best not to bite off his head. “Yeah. I won’t say the age difference didn’t give me pause, man. I tried to resist. God, I fucking tried. But when you know, you know, at least according to Rand and Rush.”
“They’re right.” Before I can ask my youngest brother why he’s convinced of that, too, he goes on. “Listen, don’t touch Donzelli. He’s mine. The truth is, I need out, too. Like, now. I think I finally have enough evidence, and I have an idea. So let’s move on this.”
Ridge wants out of a case? Away from danger? That’s never happened. Ever. If I enjoy adrenaline, my youngest brother is an addict. In the past, he’s constantly thrown himself into danger, half the time just for the thrill.
“You’re serious?”
“Yeah, I, um…met someone, too.”
“When?” And is she the reason he’s been balls to the wall on this case since the start of the new year?
“Recently. And she’s fucking here now.”
“What?” He’s getting laid in the middle of an op?
What have you been doing all night?
“Long story. You be careful with this girl.”
“Havana.” It’s not lost on me that he’s more concerned about me getting serious with her than he is about the fact I was shot twice last night. Then again, I know a bullet wound often heals faster than a broken heart. “You be careful there, too, bro. Stay focused. Get Donzelli done soon.”
“Tell me when Paulie is dead, then I’ll make my move.”
We’re on the same page. “Is he around the casino?”
“Nah. He’s not due to show up for a few hours. It’s just Rudy, Sal, and some of the other guys. Let me know once you’ve iced that stupid bastard. Be safe. I’ve got to go.”
I don’t even get to say goodbye before he hangs up. I would have liked to ask more questions, but Ridge is a man on a mission. I hope like hell for his sake, and the woman he’s lost his heart to, that they stay safe. That place Ridge has been infiltrating is a den of wolves.
Then I put my concern for my younger brother aside. If he needs me, he’ll call. We reach out sparingly because no one we’re double-crossing on this case has any idea we’re brothers or business partners, but Ridge knows I’m here for him. I always have been, and I always will be.
Now, it’s time for me to take care of business, so I point Havana’s ride toward an old garage Ridge and I keep for our toys. I park her car safely and lock it inside, out of sight. Then I pick up some hardware, fold myself into a sleek black sedan with windows tinted every bit as dark as the law allows, and head toward the swanky end of town.
When I roll past Paul’s house, it’s dark inside. The sky is still inky black, and his Mercedes, which probably got scratched to shit last night, is parked out front.
According to Ridge, Paul Carboni is forever trying to get laid and always striking out. Probably because he’s a middle-aged fat fuck whose face looks like it’s been repeatedly slammed into a brick wall. So the likelihood that he’s alone right now is high.
But he’s a paranoid bastard. I won’t get in easily.
On the other hand, once this is done, I should be able to get out clean. Then I can finally tell Havana who and what I am so we can get on with our lives. I’ll have to rethink my future since it’s going to include her—and more children. I swore I’d never get married and do the whole kids and picket fence thing. But I’m more than down for that now. At least a version of it that works for us.
After I park at the end of the street and blend in with the shadows, I double back to Carboni’s house. I spot a newspaper out front. He still gets one delivered? How cute.