by Bethany-Kris
“The only thing I want from this world, it can’t give me.”
Dulcea patted her arm, her eyes shined bright. “I know. Just take it one day at a time, okay?”
Melina nodded. “I am. Until next time.”
With a wave, Melina was off and going up the stairs. She’d just banked eighteen grand. This was the most money she’d ever made on a date. You’re really coming up in the world. Sure she was. This would be the first money she’d earned that wouldn’t be going to pay medical bills. A tear slipped down her cheek. For so long, she’d worked with the hope of crawling out from under the debt that had become a part of her life and now that part of her life was finally over. She should be elated for what that meant, but Melina would go out with jerks for the rest of life if it meant having her father back. There really were some things money couldn’t buy.
“All right, let me see those hands in the air. Run in place.”
Melina smiled at the kids spread out in front of her. Ranging in age from six to fifteen, they were regulars at the Boys and Girls Club, and she loved them all.
“Let’s do ten jumping jacks. Let’s get that blood flowing.”
“I’m going to be tired before we even get started,” fifteen-year-old Ursula said.
Melina laughed as she joined them in their exercises. This was exactly what she needed. Time with people still young and impressionable, not yet tainted by the bitterness of the world. After all the ugliness she’d seen, these young boys and girls were a ray of sunshine.
“I’m tired, Miss Melina,” six-year-old Ellie said.
“That was the last one, Ellie.”
“Yay,” a few of the kids yelled.
Waving her arms to signal them all to stop, Melina quickly paired the kids up in twos and helped them to put on the protective mitts and face masks they used whenever she taught them kickboxing.
“I’m ready to kick some butt,” nine-year-old David said, hitting his gloves together.
“I’m not teaching you guys so you can kick some butt. I want you to know how to defend yourself if something ever happens, remember?”
“Yeah, but do you know how badass the girls think it is when you tell them you’re a kickboxer?” fourteen-year-old Mykel asked.
“They must not be too bright if they believe you,” Ursula said before she started snickering.
Mykel glared at Ursula, but before he could say anything, Melina swiftly redirected his attention by telling the kids to all start practicing the punches and kicks she’d worked with them on last week. For the next half hour, Melina taught the kids. A smile never seemed to leave her face, but all too soon it was over. Glancing down at her watch, she brought the practice to a halt.
“That’s enough for today, guys. Put up the equipment and go get yourselves cleaned up. Pizza should be here in about fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you,” some of the kids said in unison.
“You’re welcome. Good work today.”
She watched as one by one, the kids removed their equipment, wiped it down with alcohol wipes, and put it away until the next class.
Renee, the main operator of the Boys and Girls Club, joined Melina. “You wear these kids out every time you come here.”
“I try my best, Renee,” Melina said.
The older, salt-and-pepper-haired woman smiled at her. “You do a darn good job of it. So many start off here but they never stay. You’re the exception.”
“I love the kids. Coming here is the highlight of my week.”
“I’m glad to hear that. They love you, too.”
“I know. Listen, I’ve ordered pizza and a few other things for them. Here’s the money to cover it.”
Melina handed Renee a wad of bills. The older woman cocked an eyebrow at her.
“This is way more than pizza costs.”
Melina shrugged. “I know, but things come up. Sometimes they need things. Just hold on to the rest of it for when they need something.”
“Melina, this is over three thousand dollars!”
“My dad always used to say “Be a blessing to someone else, and the Lord will bless you with even more”.”
“He was a smart man.”
“Indeed, he was. I’ll see you guys later.”
Before Renee could say anything else, Melina slung her purse over her shoulder and exited the building. Her heart felt lighter than it had in days. Walking down the sidewalk towards the epicenter of the shopping complex, she decided a treat was in order. She could almost taste the Caramel Macchiato she was going to order. The wind blew around her, whipping her hair around her face. Running a hand through it, Melina tugged the silky strands away from her face.
“You promised,” a female’s high voice said.
Melina turned her head in the direction of the voice. A blonde-haired girl had her arms wrapped around a man whose face Melina couldn’t see, as too many people were flooding the crosswalk. With hands stuffed in his pockets, he allowed her to drag him across the street. Melina kept walking until she was at the stairs to the entrance of the epicenter.
“I know I promised, but this isn’t my scene.”
“Well, it’s mine and today is all about me. That’s what you said. Get used to it.”
Melina shook her head. Apparently, guys were into the needy type these days. Speed walking in hopes of avoiding the couple, Melina missed a step and went tumbling. A pair of tan, muscled arms caught her before she fell.
“Hey, doll.”
Melina knew that voice.
Mac.
With a grin, Mac righted Melina to her feet, taking in the fact she had lost the tight dress, sky-high heels, and makeup from the night before. Today, she looked like a regular young woman dressed in Converses, skinny jeans, and a Henley.
Mac had to admit, the steel-tongued woman wore both looks well.
Goddamn well, actually.
“Mac?” his sister asked behind him.
Mac gave Victoria a wave without looking back, hoping she’d take the hint and be quiet for a second. He doubted it would work. Victoria Maccari didn’t know the meaning of “quiet” and she was nosy as hell. He loved his sister, to be sure, but she was one of a kind.
Kind of like the woman he was still holding.
Mac offered Melina a slow, easy smile as she turned to face him. “Well, well. Funny meeting you here. I didn’t expect to meet up with you again so soon.”
Melina took a step back and Mac let her, dropping his hold. “Uh, thanks. I’m not usually so …”
“Clumsy?”
“I’m not clumsy.”
“What would you call it?” he asked.
“I was trying to get inside quicker and missed a step; that’s all.”
“There’s lots of daylight hours left, doll. What’s the rush?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” Melina said coolly.
Mac let her attitude bounce right off him. He had a feeling that under her sharp-as-glass exterior was a woman who probably had a few things to hide. People who tended to keep others away usually had those kinds of secrets to tell.
Besides, he didn’t mind a challenge.
“You didn’t answer them,” Mac replied with a grin.
“I’m not required to,” Melina said, tossing him a smile. “I don’t know you and you don’t know me. I didn’t realize it was commonplace for strangers to have chitchats about their personal lives.”
“Actually, we know quite a bit about one another. I frequent fights and you entertain at fights. Apparently, we come to the same shopping center.” Mac waved at the building, ignoring the people who passed them by. “And lucky for you, I was here to stop you from bruising up those beautiful legs of yours.”
Melina’s mouth popped open.
Speechless.
Mac chuckled. “Was that all it took to quiet that attitude of yours?”
Melina’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Hey—”
Shit.
“Hey, doll, I was just kidding around. No harm
meant. It’s a joke, you know.”
“It’d help if you’d cut out the ‘doll’ nonsense,” she muttered.
Melina’s anger came in the form of fire-blazing eyes and pink cheeks. Mac didn’t think the woman realized how good she looked when she was pissed off. Angry women were fun women. They had passion and a hunger that most women lacked.
Maybe he liked that a little.
“What’s the problem with doll?” Mac asked.
He’d grown up hearing every sweetheart of every man he knew being called that on one occasion or another. It’d never been used in a derogatory way, and in fact, was held in regard for those who were special to a man.
“You mean the unintelligent, emotionless doll of a woman who looks pretty on a man’s arm and does very little else?” Melina asked sweetly.
Sugary sweet.
Like cyanide.
Damn, this girl was tough.
“Is that what you think it means?” Mac asked back. “What, do you have a slang dictionary on hand or something? Does every endearment a man might offer make you think it’s intended to lower you or dumb down your status to him?”
Melina blinked, her cheeks reddening. “Well …”
“Well, what?”
“Sometimes, yeah. And then sometimes endearments are just another way to disarm a woman and make her vulnerable.”
Mac appreciated her honesty, but she was ten shades of wrong. “Doll actually started as reference to a man’s mistress and a shortened version of the name Dorothy. Then, it was used to describe a woman who was of the pretty but silly type.”
Melina huffed. “Exactly.”
Mac laughed deeply. “But considering how silly you act over an endearment meant to show how much a man cherishes a certain woman in his life, and the fact you’re mighty damn pretty, I think doll fits you awfully well.”
Maybe that was the wrong thing to say.
Melina didn’t seem like the type to like a man who would challenge her, but it was hard to tell. Mac wasn’t the kind of guy who would roll over and play dead, just because a woman liked to sharpen her stilettos.
When Melina stayed quiet, Mac cocked a brow. “What, did you think I was all looks, with some fast fists, and no brains, doll? I’ve got a dozen more surprises where that one came from. Maybe you’ll let me show you sometime.”
Melina openly glared. “You are one cocky—”
“Careful,” Mac interrupted with a smirk. “A lady never swears in public.”
“Who said I was a lady?”
“Certainly not me.”
A hint of a smile graced the corner of Melina’s lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Mac thought she had a beautiful smile.
She did like this. Mac could see it in the glimmer still burning in her brown eyes and the way she looked him up and down. She was agitated, sure, but she damn well liked it. If he had to guess, Melina didn’t find a man willing to challenge her very often.
“Are you here for something particular?” Mac asked.
Melina pursed her lips. “Coffee, actually. I was going to get one before I headed home.”
“Let me buy you one.”
Melina lifted a single brow in response, but said nothing.
“Mac,” Victoria said again, more insistent the second time.
She was probably tapping her little black pumps on the pavement behind him.
Impatient little …
“I think your girlfriend is getting annoyed,” Melina said, a bitter twist lighting up her words.
Jealous.
It flared to life in her pretty features and in the way her lips tightened as she glanced over Mac’s shoulder at Victoria. Melina practically dismissed Mac’s younger sister with a flick of her fiery brown eyes and the coldness of a scowl.
“My sister,” Mac corrected quietly. “Victoria Maccari is my sister, not my girlfriend. Seems my mother thinks I’ve not been watching over Vic enough, so today was her day to do whatever she wanted, since I won the fight last night and could treat her to anything.”
Melina’s stance softened, but barely. “A spoiled woman is one who can’t care for herself. No woman should depend on a man for anything, much less spoiling her.”
Jesus.
This woman was something else.
“Or maybe the kind of men you’ve been dating haven’t been spoiling you right, doll.”
Just like that, Melina’s invisible wall slammed back up again. Her gaze hardened and all amusement on her features left, leaving a cold mask in its wake. It took Mac all of three seconds to realize his mistake. He knew she was an escort just from her date the night before, but his words hadn’t actually been directed towards that.
“I’m—”
Melina held up a single, manicured hand, silencing Mac’s apology before he could even get it out. “Don’t bother. There’s really nothing left to say.”
With that, Melina pushed past Mac on the epicenter’s steps and walked down without even looking back once.
Pride was an awful thing. It was the kind of thing that could make or break a man. Especially a man like Mac, in a profession where pride made the man. A man had to have some kind of pride in being who he was, or he was fucking nobody.
So, when Mac felt his pride take a hit from Melina’s rejection, he couldn’t let it go like that.
“Hey, doll?”
Melina’s back tensed and she stopped up short in her walk. Flicking him with a stinging glance over her shoulder, she asked, “What?”
“I’ll be around when you get tired of playing with pups.”
“So …”
“Shut up, Vic,” Mac warned.
Victoria smiled slyly. “You know I’m not going to.”
“Shut up and get your nails done like you wanted.”
“But—”
“Victoria, I swear to Dio, I will leave you here to pay for this spa day all by your little pretty lonesome.”
Victoria frowned. “You would not, Mac.”
All right, so he wouldn’t.
Still …
“It’s none of your business. Leave it alone,” Mac said.
She wouldn’t. Mac knew it. Nosy Victoria was at it again. She’d sniffed something in his personal life and like a shark, she would bite down and wouldn’t let go until she’d ripped out a nice bloody chunk to chew on.
When she had wanted to come to the epicenter—to visit her favorite spa and be pampered for the day—Mac had been more than happy to drop his sister off with a thousand dollars and let her go batshit crazy. He figured he didn’t have to be right there for her sessions, or the clothing shopping she wanted to do after.
He was wrong.
She wanted to spend time with him. Mac didn’t know how to say no.
Family was everything.
“So, who is she?” Victoria asked.
“Someone I met last night and met again today,” Mac answered honestly.
“Is that seriously all you’re going to give me?”
The nail technician clicked her tongue chidingly and grabbed Victoria’s finger, which she had waved at Mac.
“That’s all I have to give, honestly,” Mac replied. “I just don’t know the woman, all right?”
“But you want to,” his sister pressed.
Maybe.
“Leave it alone, Vic.”
“Where did you meet her last night?”
Sighing, Mac wished the wall would swallow him whole. “Out somewhere.”
“Where?”
“Do you have some kind of tape to shut them up when they don’t quit talking?” Mac asked the technician.
His sister glared. “Asshole.”
“Vic, where I go and what I do when I’m there is none of your business. It’s better you don’t know, anyway. That’s how it works. You know this.”
“How la famiglia works, you mean,” his sister muttered.
Mac forced his mouth to stay shut and not bark off the retort he wanted. Like his m
other, his sister always had something or the other to say about his choice in being involved with Cosa Nostra.
“I chose this, Vic,” Mac settled on saying.
“Have you gotten what you wanted from it yet?”
“It’s not about getting something you want from it. It’s about becoming a part of something that’s bigger than just you. I’m damn good at this.”
Victoria blew out a quiet breath and thankfully, dropped the topic. “That girl seems like a nasty one, Mac. I never knew you to go for the ball-breaking type.”
“I don’t usually.”
“Then what’s up with her?”
Mac shrugged. “I don’t know, Vic.”
“You don’t know?”
“Nope.”
“Boo, you suck,” Victoria crowed.
Mac chuckled. “What do you want from me?”
“You seem to like talking to her.”
“Because just talking to the woman is like foreplay. And you can’t find many women like that.”
Melina also made his dick harder than steel with just a look, made his blood hot just by being close, and got his darker urges thrumming deep with the sound of her voice. Mix that all up with her sharp tongue, and he’d bet she was crazy in the sack.
The crazy ones were fun.
Mac liked fun.
Victoria’s face crumpled. “I don’t want to hear that.”
“Then stop asking.”
Before Victoria could say another thing, Mac’s phone rang in his pocket. He recognized the tune instantly and pulled the device out of his jacket pocket.
“Skip,” Mac answered as he picked up the call. He turned his back to his sister and took a few steps away from the station, hoping she couldn’t overhear his call with the Capo. “What’s up?”
“That shit with the trucks you worked out is happening tonight, Mac,” Guido Vasari said. “You need to be in on it to make sure it gets done. You’ve got the contacts with the trucks, so make sure the drivers are well paid for the hell they’re about to receive in the Kitchen. Make it look good. Stop by my restaurant later and I’ll give you some cash to cover feeding their mouths so they can cover up their bruises. The stuff better be hidden in the warehouses by morning. I also hear you’ve got some dues to be collecting down in the Trifecta with Carlos. Dallying around like a fool isn’t going to earn you any money, kid.”