by J. E. Parker
If he knew how pathetic and weak I’d been…
To my surprise, he didn’t get up.
Instead, his hands moved to my neglected leg and massaged my other calf. “I grew up in a good family.” My eyes slid open when he spoke.” I was a single child, and my parents spoiled me rotten.” He laughed to himself, and I couldn’t help but smile at the look on his face. Even if he hadn’t told me that he’d grown up in a good family, it would’ve been obvious from his expression. “My parents owned a pizzeria in the Bronx called Little Italy. It’d been in my family for three generations.” His smile grew brighter. “I used to go there every day after school and help them out. I mostly washed dishes as a kid but, when I got older, I helped Papa out in the kitchen.”
“So that’s why you said the only thing you could cook was pizza?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Pathetic as it sounds, it was the only thing I ever mastered.” Suddenly, the smile he’d been wearing fell, and his face darkened. My calf muscle tensed under his touch, but he didn’t seem to notice. “The day after I graduated high school was the worst day of my life.” His fingers tightened on my leg, and his knuckles turned snow white. “My parents were at the pizzeria when this guy came in…” His voice trailed off, and he exhaled harshly. “The son of a bitch was high, pulled out a gun on Papa and demanded he empty the register. Papa followed his order, but it wasn’t enough. The guy—” another exhale “—he was on the run for strangling his wife to death in front of their six-month-old daughter.” I gasped, but Anthony kept speaking. “He didn’t want to leave any witnesses so he shot my parents. Killed them both on the spot.” I swear I could feel my heart breaking for him. “They were the only family I had.”
“Anthony—”
“What happened to them, it’s the whole reason I became a cop. I wanted to help, wanted to stop others from having to go through the shit I went through. The loss; the pain. The fucking heartbreak.” His jaw clenched, and he shook his head. “Before coming here, I worked in SVU.”
“SVU?” My brows furrowed. “Special Victims? Like on Law & Order?”
He nodded again. “I thought I could make a difference, thought I could help, but all I did was lose one victim after another.” He visibly swallowed. “Yeah, I helped save a bunch, but I also lost some. I lost too damn many”—his head turned, and his agonized gaze crashed into mine—“ and I couldn’t handle it anymore. So I turned in my badge and moved on.” Silenced weighed heavily between us for a minute. “For the last two years I’ve bounced all around the country. Seattle. Phoenix. Memphis.”
“And now you’re here,” I stated.
He jerked his head down once in affirmation. “Now I’m here.” His fingers stopped moving on my leg. “You want to know something?” I nodded because I wanted to know whatever he was thinking. “Crazy as it sounds, Georgia feels like home. It feels like this is where I’m supposed to be.”
I didn’t know what to say to that so I stayed silent.
“I lied to you that day in my driveway, Shelby.”
My heart clenched in my chest.
He lied to me?
Swear to God, I was going to Taser him in the nuts, and then I was—
“When I told you that I wouldn’t tell you why I called you sunshine until you were ready, I lied. I still don’t think you’re ready, but I’m going to tell you anyway. I just...” His head dropped back and he stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Then his eyes met mine again. “I just hope you don’t run for the hills.”
I couldn’t breathe.
Could. Not. Breathe.
“Tony,” my voice was barely a whisper. “Tell me.”
He stared at my face, unblinking. My stomach flipped, and my heart pounded against my ribcage. Fidgeting on the sofa cushion, I looked away from him, breaking our mutual stare down.
“Look at me, Shelby.” Much to my dismay, my head whipped around at the speed of light.
Since when did I become so damn obedient?
“I’ve lived in darkness for a long time, baby. Between what happened to my parents and the rest of the stuff that happened when I worked as a patrol officer and then in SVU, I feel like I’ve been surrounded by nothing but darkness and evil for far too long.” His jaw clenched again, and I swear I could feel his eyes boring holes into my face. “But that changed the moment I first laid eyes on you.”
Suddenly feeling like I was suffocating, I gasped for breath.
Turning to the side, he placed his hands on the sides of my face. “In an instant, you became my light.” His calloused thumbs ran over the apples of my cheeks. “You became the good in a world filled with nothing but bad, sunshine.”
My mind blanked.
My heart stilled.
“You may be good looking Tony,” I wheezed, “but you’re crazier than I am. And that is saying something, sugar.”
I was trying to be funny, but he didn’t laugh.
“You’re my un colpo di fulmine,” he whispered as he continued to caress my face.
Blinking rapidly, I sat up and leaned closer to him. I expected him to remove his hands, but he didn’t. “And what does that mean? You keep speaking all this Italian knowing I don’t understand a lick of it.” Reaching over, I clutched his shirt in my shaking hands. “You’re going to drive me nutty; you know that?”
A small smile ghosted his lips, and he leaned an inch closer. For a second, I thought he was about to kiss me. “I’ll tell you one day. Just not today.”
This asshole!
“Anthony Moretti, how fricken dare—”
Ring, ring, ring!
“Shit,” Anthony cursed, dropping his hands from my face. “Hold on, baby.” Standing up from the sofa, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and lifted it to his ear. “Moretti,” he barked, his tone harsher than I’d heard it all night. “Where?” Running a frustrated hand through his hand, he paced between the kitchen and living room. “Secure the scene. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
I scrunched up my nose at his words.
Surprisingly, I didn’t want him to leave.
Anthony turned around and walked back to me. I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest. “Work?”
He stopped less than a foot in front of me. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. My fingers twitched with the need to touch him, to pull him close. I didn’t know why, but all I wanted was to wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his chest.
I didn’t understand any of it.
“You work tomorrow?” I nodded. “What time do you get off?”
I stared into his eyes. “Five.”
His face inched closer to mine. “Want me to pick you and Lucca up? I can take you to my house. I’ll order takeout, and we can watch a movie or something.”
A movie or something? He sounded as out of his element as I felt. “You want to have supper with us again?”
His arms slid around my waist, and he pulled me closer. “Yes.” One word. So simple yet so complicated.
I swallowed around the softball lodged in the base of my throat. “Okay.” I huffed out a breath. “But you’re not picking me up. I’ll drive to you. That way I have a way to escape if need be.” I poked him in the chest with my finger. “You know, in case you decide to let your crazy shine, and I have to make a run for it.”
Silence.
Then, “You’re a damn smartass, you know that?”
I shrugged and pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. “So I’ve been told.”
Shaking his head, Anthony chuckled. “Tomorrow. Soon as you get off work and pick up Lucca, I expect you to be at my house, Shelby.”
I took a step back and crossed my arms over my chest for a second time. “Whatever you say, sugar.” I winked at him. “Just make sure you’re home. I don’t want to be waiting on your front porch like a fricken fool.”
He pulled his keys out his pocket and clutched them in his fist. “I’ll be there.” Lifting his hand, he brushed a thumb across m
y jaw. Closing my eyes, I turned my face into his touch.
Jesus, what is it about this man?
“But just in case I’m not, use the spare key.”
My eyes popped open. “Excuse me?”
Taking a step back, Anthony smirked and then winked at me. “You heard me. Spare key. It’s taped to the bottom of the garden gnome in the front yard.”
He’d lost his damn mind.
And people think I’m nuts.
His phone rang again, and he continued moving backward.
“Tomorrow, sunshine. Soon as you pick up my little dude from daycare.”
His little dude? Had I missed something or…
“You, me, Lucca, takeout. Maybe a movie afterward.” His gaze never left mine as he opened the door and stepped outside. “You better be there, Shelby. Don’t make me chase you, baby.”
I licked my bottom lip, followed by the top. “What if I want you to chase me?”
His expression intensified and my skin heated. “Then run.”
It was the last thing he said before shutting the door.
14
Anthony
I’d just stepped out of the shower when someone started banging on my front door.
Bang, bang, bang!
“Damn it.” I dropped the towel I wore around my waist and pulled on a pair of black boxers and grey sweatpants I’d set on the bathroom counter before jumping in the shower.
I’d only been home from work an hour, and I hadn’t gotten shit done. I still needed to clean up the living room and install the baby gate I’d bought at the foot of the stairs. Toddler proofing the main floor was at the top of my agenda since I planned to have both Shelby and Lucca here as much as possible.
At least until I can move them in permanently.
I didn’t know who the hell was at the door, but I knew it wasn’t Shelby because it was only half past five. There was no way she’d had time to pick Lucca up from daycare and make the thirty-minute drive from Toluca to Kissler, where I lived.
Grabbing a T-shirt from the foot of my unmade bed, I stomped down the hall to the front door. The banging grew louder, more intense with each step I took. “Hold the fuck on!” I yelled in a pissed off voice.
I was ready to kill whoever was on the other side of that door.
Unlocking the deadbolt, I twisted the knob and pulled the door open.
“What?” I snapped, only to be met with the end of a double barrel shotgun. Freezing in place, I stared at the pissed off looking elderly woman holding up a gun that was almost bigger than her.
“Are you that new police detective I’ve heard all about?” I blinked, remaining silent. Without knowing what this woman wanted or how crazy she was, I wouldn't say a word, hell not even a sound. One wrong anything and she’d blow my heart out of my chest. “You hard of hearing, son, or are you being disrespectful on purpose? Because if so, I don’t take too kindly to that sort of behavior.”
She quirked a brow and waited for me to respond.
When I didn’t utter a word, she pushed the tip of the barrel into my left pec, making me sway backward an inch. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied through gritted teeth. “Name is Anthony Moretti.”
“I already know your name,” she responded, calmly. “I wanted to see if you had the balls to answer me or not.”
This woman must be off her meds.
“Well since you know who I am, I think it’s only fair you tell me who you are.” Her cold, blue eyes bored into mine. “And maybe it’s a good idea for you to tell me what you want.”
She didn’t move, didn’t flinch. She only continued to stare. “My name is Doris Davis.”
Doris Davis… Where have I heard that name before?
“But you can call me Grandmama. I live across the street with my son, Keith. You may know him; he’s the fire captain at Station 41 in downtown Kissler.” I’d never heard of him. “But I’m not here to make introductions or get to know you.” Her jaw tightened. “I’m here to ask you a question and, depending on how you answer it, I may be here to issue a warning as well.”
“Yeah?” I whispered. “And what question would that be?”
She shoved the gun into my chest harder, and I took an instinctive step back. Moving forward, she closed the gap between us. “I want to know what your intentions are with my grandbaby.”
What? I didn't know what she was talking about.
Then it hit me—this was Grandmama, the ‘sort of’ grandmother Shelby told me had adopted her and Lucca.
“I’m guessing you’re talking about Shelby.”
She nodded. “She’s the only granddaughter I’ve got that’s still single. The good Lord knows if you’d tried to mess with Maddie, Hendrix Cole would’ve put you six feet under by now.” She paused. “That’s if I didn’t get to you first.”
I took a steadying breath. “So you want to know what my intentions are towards Shelby?”
“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”
“Don’t think that’s any of your business, lady.” I either had balls of brass or was the stupidest man to walk the face of the earth. “I haven’t even had this discussion with Shelby yet. Why would I talk to you about it before her?”
The crazy old woman grinned.
“Good answer.” A second later her smiled wavered, and her eyes narrowed. “But I still want to know what your intentions are. That girl may not be my blood kin, but I love her just as much as I do Maddie.” Her grip on the gun tightened, and her shoulders shook. “And God knows Shelby has been hurt enough, so if you’re toying with her, you might as well stop while you're ahead—” she paused for emphasis “—else you’ll be dealing with me.”
“Yeah? And what are you going to do about it?” It was stupid to goad her, but I could tell she was testing me. She wouldn’t pull the trigger. Not yet anyway. She wanted to see what I was made of, how much I’d endure before I cracked. “You going to shoot me, Grandmama?”
Again, she shoved the gun into my chest, causing me to flinch. “If the need calls for it then I sure as hell will. I may be old, but don’t make the mistake of underestimating me. I’ve got two shovels, a solid alibi, and a backyard to bury you in.” Her shoulders trembled, and her hands began to shake. The heavy weight of the gun was too much for her to hold. “You listen, Detective Moretti—my grandbaby has been through hell and, although I don’t know all the details, I know it was bad enough to cause permanent scars.” Her eyes filled with tears. “And I’ll be damned if I let you hurt her too. She’s already been dealt more than her fair share of pain.”
“Lady, I’m not—”
“Close your mouth and listen to what I’m saying, young man.” She paused again. “If you cause a single tear to fall from Shelby’s pretty blue eyes, I will blow your balls straight out of your ass. You understand me?”
“Yes, ma’am, I do.”
Just then, an older man with blond hair that was greying around the edges sprinted up my driveway. “Mama!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. “What the hell are you doing?”
Grandmama didn’t turn to acknowledge him. Eyes still locked on mine, she called back, “Just talking to Shelby’s new beau.”
The man leaped onto the porch and came to a standstill. “Beau? You mean boyfriend?” His eyes moved from hers to mine. “Ah hell, this just got interesting.”
Moving to Grandmama’s side, he placed a hand on her shoulder. “Mama, put the gun down. I’m sure the nice man will treat Shelby right. No need to pull a gun on him.” He looked at me with pleading eyes. “Right?”
I nodded once. “Already told her as much.” I took a step back and crossed my arms over my chest, confident she wouldn’t pull the trigger. “Besides, have you met Shelby? If I hurt her she’ll kill me before you get the chance to.”
The man laughed. “Man, that’s probably the truth.”
Grandmama shoved the gun into the side of my forearm. “Don’t talk about her that way,” she hissed. “My girl is beautiful, smart, and kind. And, f
rankly, she deserves better than the likes of you.”
I didn’t doubt that for one second.
“Yeah?” I asked. “And how do you figure that?”
She dropped the gun and, for the first time in two minutes, I took a breath. “Because there isn’t a man on this earth that deserves Shelby. She may be broken, and she may be a little crazy, but she’s got one of the purest hearts I’ve ever encountered, and that—” she paused “—makes her too good for you.”
I couldn’t have agreed more.
Ever since the other night, I’d known Shelby had problems, but that didn’t mean shit. She was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever touched or seen. My only concern was finding out exactly what had caused those problems and nullifying it.
Needing to placate the woman standing in front of me, and wanting to assure her I wouldn't hurt our girl, I replied, “Shelby is too good for me—” I paused “—but I’ve always been a selfish bastard”—being an only child will do that to you—“and I’m keeping her anyway.” I took a step forward, placed my hands on each side of the doorframe, and looked Grandmama in the eyes. “Might as well get used to it now, lady, because Shelby and Lucca are both mine, and there isn’t shit you can do or say that will change that. You can threaten to shoot me, cut my balls off, whatever, but none of it will affect me.”
And it wouldn’t.
At that point, my mind was already made up and short of me dying there wasn’t a damn thing that would stop me from claiming either of them.
“What do you mean Lucca is yours?” she asked hesitantly. Before I had the chance to answer her, she continued. “It’s one thing to be laying claim to Shelby but when you bring my great grandson into—”
“The last time I checked they were a package deal.”
Did this lady think I was a fool? Because I wasn’t.
From the moment I saw Lucca perched on Shelby’s hip I’d known I couldn’t fall in love with her without falling in love with him too. And after spending time with him yesterday, he’d already wormed his way into my heart. Lucca may not have shared my DNA, but that didn’t matter; I’d still love him like he did.