LYNX TEXTED Mike when she was finished with coffee.
LYNX: I’m done with Nat. Want to walk thru hotel?
A few minutes later, the little bubble with three dots appeared on her phone.
MIKE: Almost done with Ash. Quinn wants to come with us. Cool with you?
Lynx hadn’t spent much time with Quinn since she’d left Vegas. She worried he knew what she’d done for a living. For some reason, she wanted to remain pure and good in his eyes.
LYNX: Are you sure? I can do it later?
This time, the bubble with the three dots came immediately.
MIKE: Babe, 110% sure. Come now. Quinn loves you.
He could read her thoughts. There was no other explanation.
Taking a deep breath, Lynx went to her car and took a moment or two behind the wheel. Tomorrow, she had an appointment with Dr. Jensen. She could do this, paint herself a new color. A bright one—yellow like the sun, or bright orange like the horizon.
A happy color.
I’M HERE. Parking.
I texted Lynx from downstairs, giving her time to prepare before seeing me. I knew better than to think she was ready for this. She was making me dinner at her place the day after her first appointment.
I didn’t expect her to go into a lot of detail about her session, but I wanted her to relax and be comfortable with me. Last night, she’d stayed home with Sammy, and I assumed they’d discussed what they needed to. Their relationship was at the core of this, and needed as much repair as Lynx and mine.
I buzzed at the front entrance, and one of them let me in. When I got to their condo, Lynx’s sister greeted me at the door.
“Hey, I’m Sammy. I know we met once, but still.”
“Mike.” I winked. We’d met when the two sisters first came back to the States. Landon was the hero then, but that wasn’t a happy occasion for anyone.
“Want to come in?”
“You bet.”
She stepped to the side and made room for me to come in. “Lynx is cooking, and I’m on tasting duty.”
“Sounds like an important job.”
She laughed. It was soft, not as full-bodied as Lynx’s laugh, but it was all Sammy.
I could tell they were sisters—their faces were remarkably similar. Must have been from their dad. But their bodies told the story of two different moms. Sammy’s frame was slight and less curvy, like her laugh.
I guess I was a full-bodied type of guy.
“Smells good in here,” I hollered, walking into the entryway. I hadn’t seen the inside yet, but it was your standard oceanfront condo.
“Hey.” Lynx stood in the kitchen wearing jeans cutoffs, a red tank, her hair on top of her head, no makeup, and barefoot.
I fell in love—all over again—in that moment. I imagined coming home every day to this. Of course, she didn’t have to cook, just be herself, pure and good.
“You hungry?”
I walked up to her, snatching her around the waist and pulling her close. “I am. Very.”
She stood on tiptoe to whisper in my ear. “For food?”
“Oh yeah, I am.” Pinching her side, I stepped back.
“I’m making tamales. Want a beer? Or something stronger?”
“Point me in the right direction and I’ll get it. Sammy eating with us?”
“Is that okay?”
“I was hoping.”
This got me another one of those big smiles. Huge, in fact.
“Where’s the drinks?”
“Right here,” Sammy said from behind me, standing next to a small wet bar. Of course, Asher spared no expense in setting up these two. They never worked for the Tunnel, but Lynx had babysat Quinn long before Asher knew he had a son. She was golden to him.
“Slide over,” I told Sammy. “What’s your poison?”
“Vodka and soda.”
I nodded and got to work. “Lynx, babe?”
She looked up from the stove and took my breath away. Christ, I was having some sort of out-of-body experience, watching my future life pass before my eyes, or some crazy, whacked-out shit like that.
“Wine, white.”
I grabbed a bottle of wine from the hidden mini-fridge and poured a glass before making Sammy her drink. Then I tossed two fingers of Jack into a lowball and said, “Cheers, ladies.”
“Cheers,” Sammy called out.
Lynx took a sip of her wine, and I pretended not to see how her eyes glistened.
Nodding my approval, I looked around me. “I like the place.”
“It’s home for now,” Sammy said. “But soon, I’m going to head toward Lauderdale. I like that Las Olas area, the boutiques and stuff. I’m going to try and open one, sell handmade accessories . . . Jeez, I’m sorry. I’m rambling.”
“Hey, that’s awesome.”
“And Landon’s up there,” Lynx called out from the kitchen.
Sammy blushed. “Not all the time. He still travels for work. But you know, I got that whole Stockholm thing going, or whatever you call it. He rescued me, so maybe it’s not that. I’m just kind of infatuated with him.”
Lynx turned and grinned at her. “Sam, you’re still rambling.”
“Ha, I know. Tell Mike what happened today.”
“It’s not a big deal.”
Giving Lynx a pointed look, I said, “Try me.”
“I’ve been keeping a diary of all that happened, and Sammy got a wild hair to share it with some publishing guy she met at the bar. He offered me a book deal to write about what went down over there.”
I tossed back the rest of my drink, the burn taking away my trepidation. “You sure you want to?”
“At first I didn’t, but Sammy and I chatted about it. I went back again today to the shrink . . . two days in a row . . . look at me! She thinks it may be cathartic to help others, to teach or whatever.”
I lifted my drink to Lynx in a toast. “I’m behind you no matter what.”
“We’ll see. I still don’t know if that’s my calling. Plus, I’m going to be busy with tours for the hotel.”
“Babe, those tours can wait.”
“I need that job, Mike.”
“Want to eat on the balcony?” Sammy called from in front of the TV.
“Yes, so you get away from the news,” Lynx called back.
“Just taking a quick peek.”
“What can I do?” I asked, closing in on Lynx in the kitchen.
“Take Sammy outside. She’s not supposed to obsess over CNN. The world is still standing . . . that’s all she needs to know. I’ll bring the food out.”
“Ten-four, boss.”
I headed over to Sammy, my basketball shoes sinking into the plush carpet. Asher set these ladies up, which should make me happy, but I’d rather it had been me. I made a mental note to start taking over shit when it came to these two.
“Come on. Your sister wants us to go outside and wait.”
Sammy rolled her eyes before she flicked off the TV and opened the sliding door.
“Where you tending bar?” I sat in a lounger, leaning back and breathing deep.
“Primo Steak on First.” Sammy sat at the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.
“Nice place. You like it?”
“It’s the kind of place you go to if you’ve been in People magazine or read it. It’s a see-and-be-seen kind of joint. Big crowds means big tips, so yeah, I like it.”
“You want to get out, though? Do your crafting?”
“Jewelry making,” she said, correcting me.
“You should do that. You need a backer?”
Her laugh filled the air. “I didn’t know where you were going with all this, but I get it now. You think if I stay legit, there’s a better chance that Lynx doesn’t get sucked back into shit.”
“I do. I’m not denying it. I lived with her shit for a long time, played second fiddle to whatever negative notions she had about herself, and then her mission to find you. Now she did, and I want her to myself.”
Sa
mara shook her head. “I admit it’s a noble cause, but I don’t need a backer. I got money in the bank, just didn’t want to leave L until she got her shit together. Now that she’s seeing someone and decided to trust you again, I’m close to getting out.”
I leaned forward. “Appreciate you doing that. Staying here, waiting for Lynx to come around.”
“She’s my sister. Trekked to the other side of the goddamn earth for me, burdened herself with a lifetime of crap memories for me.”
I nodded. “They’re all going to be good from now on.”
“From your mouth to God’s ears, Big Mike. You have his cell number?”
We were both laughing when Lynx appeared with a huge platter of food. Jumping from the lounger, I ran over to help, sliding my hand over Lynx’s ass and giving it a pinch. Her answering grin made it all worthwhile.
“You both want water?” I asked, and when they nodded, I went in and grabbed three bottles from the fridge.
Seated around the table, the three of us chowed down until Sammy got a call from Landon. When she bounded like a puppy on speed into the condo, Lynx and I stayed outside to give her some privacy. The food all gone, we relaxed at the table, enjoying the sound of the surf and the darkening sky.
“What are you going to do when Sammy heads to Lauderdale?” I was full of tamales and myself, blurting out my thoughts to Lynx when I should have been doing dishes. We sat across from each other, the table a nuisance, keeping us too far apart.
“Stay here in Miami. I’m not going to go with her. She’s chasing Landon.”
“You mean here by yourself?”
“I haven’t thought about that. I’ve lived by myself before. I even had my own apartment over—”
“I didn’t mean you couldn’t.” Taking her hands in mine and resting them on the table, I said, “I meant you could move in with me.”
“Michael . . .” Her smaller hand squeezed my large one. “One thing my therapist said is you need to be able to hear about what happened. It’s a part of my story. You can’t interrupt me or shush me every time I mention it.”
Shit.
For lack of any reply, I cleared my throat. “It’s because I want to leave it there. In your past. In a different world, one where you don’t exist anymore.”
“Me too.” She stood and came around to take Sammy’s vacant seat. “But we have to acknowledge it happened.”
“If that’s what we need to do, we’ll do it.”
As I spoke, she brought the back of her hand to my cheek and caressed my stubble.
Why was she comforting me? I was supposed to be the big brute.
Without thinking, I turned her hand, wanting to feel the coarseness of her scabs, needing to remind myself she’d been through hell. “Did you show them to her? Shit, I promised myself I wouldn’t ask a bunch of crap. I’d let you tell me.”
Her hand stilled on my cheek.
“I showed her. She wants to help me stop. She thinks talking will help, let some of the pain out of me rather than me doing this.”
“Good.” Grabbing her hand, I placed my lips over her knuckles, pressing kisses all over.
“Do you still love me?”
“More,” I said. “That’s why I want you to move in with me, which you never answered.”
“Do you think that’s smart?”
“I think it’s pure genius.”
A FEW weeks turned into a month. Staci officially moved into my office at the Wave, and I moved into my posh new one at the Firefly. I still checked in on the club every day, but Staci knew what she was doing. Let’s face it—I trained her right.
I was putting away some shit in my private bathroom at the Firefly when my phone rang.
“Mike?”
“You got me. What’s up, Sammy?”
“I got a lease up in Las Olas for the store, right next to a Brazilian food place. It’s perfect.”
“Sounds good. What do you need from me? Told you I’d back you.” I stepped out onto my patio, hidden by palm trees from the outdoor spaces of the hotel.
“I’m going to move. Soon, maybe this weekend. Landon offered me a room at his place, and, well, I want to give it a try.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see. “Lynx know?” When the line remained silent, I said, “Sammy, I’m not telling her.”
“Mike, come on. She’s working hard. I don’t want to be the one to break her heart.”
I paced the small patio. “I already asked her twice to move in with me, and both times it’s been a big fat no. She’ll have to stay at your place alone until she decides she wants me full-time.”
Sammy sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I’m being patient . . . as patient as a man can be, taking scraps.”
“I’ll tell her. Maybe she’ll come running to you.”
“Doubtful, but a man can dream.”
“You’re a good one, Big Mike. Glad I have you.”
“You got me, babe. You and your sister.”
She ended the call, and I went back into my office and sat down at my desk. Everything was so fucking plush. Leather and glass. I wasn’t in a strip club anymore, Toto.
My phone rang again, and it was Asher about the opening-night party. It was going to be some huge fussed-about deal, splashed on the society pages. Every shmuck in Miami was coming, my parents included. Separately, of course.
Lila was staying back and taking care of the Los Angeles club so Petey, Asher’s half brother, could come. It was meant to be a family affair, and Lila wanted that for Asher, even though he considered her family.
Lynx was giving me shit about my insisting she come too, but for this, I wasn’t taking no for an answer. My woman was going to be on my arm for this event.
ON MY way home, I popped into the Wave to have a drink with Sampson. I was going to miss my bouncers. They felt like the brothers I never had growing up.
Seated at the main bar, he tossed back a rum and Coke. I was nursing a Jack straight up when I heard Jovi call my name. Lynx was by his side, good and pissed.
She stomped over to me. “Did you tell Sammy to move? So I would move in with you?”
“What? No fucking way.”
Sampson slid his empty glass toward the bartender. “I’m out. Good seeing you, man.”
“Sit down,” I said calmly, then asked Lynx, “Want a drink?”
“No, I want an answer. I’ve been doing everything that everyone wants.”
“Hey, no one is pressuring you. I told you to do anything and everything you wanted or needed,” I said, tossing her words back at her. “Sammy wants to move, be with this guy, start a new life. You’re still going to be a part of it.”
Her gaze focused on my shoes, and I tipped her chin up. “You have a big family now. Me. Sammy. I’m guessing even Landon. Plus, the Tunnel gang.”
“Mike—” Just as she was about to speak, she looked past me and a scowl formed on her face.
“Hey, Big Mike. Lynx.” Marta sashayed over, her tits and ass on display in some red strappy bodysuit.
“Hey, Mart, we’re in the middle of something important.” I wanted to punch myself square in the face for ever starting up with her.
“Oh, sorry. Wanted to say hi, that’s it. You look good, Lynx. Love the tank,” Marta said before walking away.
Lynx sucked in a breath before huffing it out. “Sometimes, I’m so pissed she helped rescue me, because I can’t hate her.”
I gathered Lynx in my arms and pulled her close, between my thighs. “Stop. Now, tell me what you were going to say.”
“I want to move in, but I’m scared. What if it doesn’t work out and I’m left with nothing?”
“Not possible.” Grabbing her by the hand, I said, “Come on. Let’s go to my . . . our place, and make it official.”
There was no point in dragging out this discussion. Lynx was moving on, and moving in with me, which meant I was getting my way.
Finally.
I’D MADE i
t my business to know Lynx’s schedule. Her routine was no secret to me when she moved in, but she didn’t know that.
She went to class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and worked for me on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A few days a week, she had coffee with Lisa in the middle of the day. What she didn’t do anymore was go to the gym.
“There’s an exercise room downstairs if you want to use it,” I told her as she put her stuff into drawers. It had been a week since she’d agreed to move in, and now she was here unpacking. “It’s not as nice as the place you belong to, but it’s cool.”
Kicked back on the bed wearing only mesh shorts, with my shoes and shirt on the floor after my run, I surveyed the beauty in front of me. It was Tuesday, and we didn’t have anywhere to be for a while.
I needed to hit up the club on my way to the hotel, check on payroll shit. Lynx had an appointment with the doc before coming in to the hotel. None of that started until after noon.
“Unless you’re not feeling it. Working out, I mean.”
Her braids fell like a drape in front of her face. “Are you saying I need to work out?”
“Nah.” I laughed. “You look pretty damn perfect to me. Just wondering why you don’t go anymore.”
She shrugged.
“Gotta be more than that, babe.”
She slammed the drawer shut and looked up at me, some of the fire I used to know her to have burning bright. “Last time I was there, I ran into Marta. Look . . . like I said, she’s nice. She saved me and she saved Sammy, so I shouldn’t feel this way, but you fucked her. Loved her. You still care for her, and I can’t reconcile that.”
There was nothing I could say. She was right. That’s how the second part of our story began, Lynx and mine, with me screwing Marta. This wasn’t a surprise. I knew all along it would come to bite me in the ass.
And now it was biting—like a hungry wolf.
“I can’t change that. It was wrong, shitty, stupid, whatever else you want to say. I was a dick. A lonely, scared dick. But I don’t ask you to change your past. I don’t care because you’re here now. With me. How we got here doesn’t mean dick. We’re here.”
Tinged (The Electric Tunnel Book 3) Page 13