14. Jian

14

JIAN

" A choo!"

I would follow Rocco into the darkest, deepest pits of hell. I would give my life for him in a heartbeat because he has every drop of my loyalty. I would pull the trigger on anyone he asked me to.

But the next time he asks me to come back to this town? He can go and fuck himself.

All these trees and nature and pollen were playing hell with my pollen allergies, much to Dino's amusement over breakfast. Unable to stop sneezing, my latest run of antihistamines had run out, so a trip to the pharmacy was in the cards. I'd popped two pills and driven here as fast as I could, unwilling to be away from Rocco and Dino for too long.

Things were tough with the Russians. Rocco had hit back hard for what they did at the funeral, but as far as I was aware, there hadn't been much retaliation other than the attempted defense of some of their territory. Not that it mattered. Rocco's anger was like a bulldozer and no one was safe .

Just like my poor nose and this fucking pollen.

Pushing open the door, I headed inside the pharmacy and tried my hardest to keep the next urge to sneeze under control. I needed the strongest pills I could get my hands on. Not just to keep my eyes from streaming, but I refused to go down in history as the bodyguard who got his charge killed because he couldn't stop sniffling.

That kind of infamy was dangerous.

Thankfully, the pharmacy was a cool respite from the summer heat outside, and I didn't even need to ask the pharmacist where to go. She took one look at me, flashed me a sympathetic smile, and pointed to the far aisle. I nodded at her and hurried in the direction she pointed.

Row upon row of pollen medication greeted me. I almost didn't know where to start and cursed myself for not refilling my prescription before we came here. Granted, in all the commotion after Aldo's death, a warning about the forest was far from everyone's mind. As I browsed, I dug out my phone and sent a quick text to Dino to make sure everything was good.

He texted back immediately with several skull emojis and then called me.

"Jian, relax," Dino said the moment I answered. "Nothing is going to happen because you're not here."

"That's exactly when shit will happen," I snapped back. "Shit always happens when we split up."

"Really? Like when?"

"Remember a few years ago when I took that bullet for you, the tall guy trying to assassinate you? Rocco wasn't with us. And when Rocco got hit by that car? You weren't there."

"By that logic, you're going to get murdered in the pharmacy because we're not there," Dino remarked, but the humor bled quickly from his tone. "Relax, Jian. Trust me. Rocco is fine. I'm fine. You just get your meds and come back. Easy peasy."

"I don't trust this," I muttered, running my thumb over a couple of boxes as I debated my purchase. "It's not like them to just sit and take shit from us. They're planning something. They have to be."

"Or," Dino countered, "we're hitting them too hard and fast to retaliate. Once Beatrice is finished up here with the house, we'll go back to the city, and then the real war will start."

"You think?" I chose a box with multiple Max Strength stickers slapped over it.

"Trust me." Dino sighed. "Look, I've got to go. Text me when you're leaving, alright?"

"Will do. Thanks."

As I hung up, a sudden soft presence appeared at my elbow and the sweet scent of vanilla filled my nose. I turned and came face to face with Mae. My heart immediately slipped off rhythm.

"You needed to phone a friend about allergy medicine?" Mae asked, eyeing the box in my hand with a light smile gracing her beautiful face.

"Yeah… I mean, of course," I replied as my brain quickly kicked into gear. "It's an important decision."

"How so?" Mae glanced up at me through her long lashes, then she tipped her head to the side and sent waves of her red curls cascading down her bare arm. She wore a light green summer dress, making her eyes stand out like gemstones. With no straps to hold it up, there were just miles of bare, creamy skin across her chest that was drawing my eye no matter how hard I fought to remain respectful.

"Well," I replied carefully, "it depends on what fight you're in the middle of. Is it dust? Pollen? Are you getting beat down by perfume chemicals or nature? "

"Like perfume?" Mae lifted her hand and pressed it to her chest just above the fabric of her chest, which clung to the swell of her breasts. "Are you allergic to me?"

"No." I laughed softly. "You smell amazing. I'm allergic to nature. These pine trees around here, specifically, are particularly harsh."

"I smell amazing?" Mae tossed her head as she laughed. "Thank you."

Had I really let that slip? Fuck, I had.

Mae was… complicated. She'd been on my mind ever since I first saw her, and knowing she nearly became a victim at the cemetery killed me a little inside. In such a short time, she had invaded my thoughts with her soft smile and gentle laugh. I didn't want to stop thinking about her, but I found myself trying to. She'd kissed Dino, and Rocco was basically in love with her. That wasn't something I wanted to get in the middle of.

And yet, at the same time, I did. I wanted to make her laugh. I wanted her eyes to linger on me and that smile to widen just at my presence. I wanted to taste what Dino tasted, feel what Rocco felt. Just two minutes in her presence, and I completely understood how infatuated they were.

And all she'd done was tease me.

"What about you?" I asked finally before the silence between us could drag on too long. "In the market for allergy meds?"

"Me? Oh, no." Mae smiled brightly. "Thankfully, I'm as strong as they come in that regard. I'm actually here for some fresh makeup because my adorable six-year-old decided that our dog could use a makeover. Let me tell you, if anyone tells you that Sweet Apple Rouge is the perfect color for an aging dog, they would be right. He did look rather dashing."

"Oh, wow." I laughed. "A budding makeup artist? "

"I'd like to hope so," she mused, moving over to the other side of the aisle where rows of makeup were lit up by bright white lights. "Zack just likes to get creative with things, and my mother isn't the best at discouraging him."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Mae waved one hand. "They're just things at the end of the day. In a few months, I'll look back and laugh, and it'll make a great work story in a few years."

"What do you do for work, if you don't mind me asking?" Gone was the urgency to return to Rocco. He was safe with Dino. I knew that much. This was the first time I'd seen Mae since we first met, and I didn't want to leave. I wanted to soak up her presence for as long as she would grant me it.

All the while, wrestling with the urge to lean down and see if her peachy lips were as soft as they looked.

"I work in a lawyer's office," Mae replied.

My heart skipped a beat. "You're a lawyer?" Wouldn't that just be the kicker? Rocco and Dino fell for someone who could send us all to prison.

"Oh, no." Mae laughed and her hand landed on my forearm. "Not even close. I'm just an assistant. My best friend is training to be a lawyer, though, so if you're in need of some legal advice, I could hook you up. You'd need to wait until after her wedding, though."

"I'll keep that in mind."

With her basket full, we moved from aisle to aisle. It was strange how comfortable I was being next to her and how easily the conversation flowed. It was as if we'd known each other for years and were simply catching up after a long time apart.

"I heard you threw quite the birthday party," I said, curious as to how she had reacted to Rocco's floral apology. It had looked good on paper until I'd driven past and seen just how many flowers he'd ordered.

"You heard about that?" Mae flashed me a warm smile and her cheeks flared red and warm.

"It was the talk of the town."

"Fair. It was a really good turnout, actually. My mother's birthday. She's getting on a bit now, so I think having something like that was a good way to remind her what sort of community she has here, y'know?"

Mae spoke with such deep honesty that I found myself unable to look away. I didn't want to miss a second. "That's pretty sweet of you to do."

"Oh, she doesn't think so." Mae snorted, and her adorable nose scrunched up. "At the time, she loved it. The day after, it was all complaints about the food and the music and too much dancing. And the flowers. I got these…" She paused, and the flush on her cheeks darkened.

"Flowers?" I prompted, following her down to the next aisle where the sharp scents of soap and chemicals invaded my lungs.

"There was just a large delivery of flowers and it was pretty sweet. We gave them to each person as a party favor, but there were so many left over. Now they're in the garden, and she hates them."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." She stopped walking and turned to me again, her hand back on my arm. Just one touch and her warmth was searing through my shirt, teasing me with what it would feel like to have her fingers on my bare skin. "Trust me, my mother is very particular, so it was always going to end badly."

"I know that feeling." I snorted in amusement. "My mother is… very much as strict as you might see on television. Although apparently, sh e's an angel compared to what she was like before she met my father. I dread when I get a girlfriend."

"They just want the best for us, don't they?" Mae mused, her eyes never leaving mine. "Although it makes it more fun when we make mistakes."

"Isn't that the truth," I replied softly. Was that an invitation?

I'd happily be a mistake.

"So, what is it you do?" Mae asked, leading the way into the next aisle and bringing us much closer to the check-out counter. "You said before that you were new in town, right?"

That's when reality struck me. Mae didn't know who I was. Not really. She had no idea that I worked for Rocco, a man she was intent on avoiding. The excitement of being near her quickly soured in my chest, blooming into guilt as if I had lied to her in some way.

"I work in security," I replied, being as truthful as I could. "My client made an unexpected stop here. Hence, my battle with allergies." I shook the box in her direction, and she laughed lightly.

Then, her hand slid up my arm briefly before returning to her basket.

"I, uh…" The flush on Mae's cheeks swept down her throat, and I bit back a groan. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to follow that blush and see just how deeply I could make it go.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes." Mae nodded and pressed her lips together. "I was wondering, actually, if you'd like to get a drink? With me? Tonight? As like a… well, just a drink and… y'know."

Oh.

Shit .

She was asking me out. Mae was standing in front of me, asking me on a date, and every fiber of my body screamed at me to say yes. To take her out and treat her, wine her and dine her, and then sweep her back home to make love to her until she was a naked, writhing, beautiful mess.

She stared up at me with such wide, hopeful eyes that yes was the only thought in my mind.

But I couldn't.

She didn't know who I was. Who I really was. That kind of betrayal would surely hurt her deeply, and I couldn't do that to her. Not her.

"Mae."

"Please?" Her voice was so soft, and the gentle warmth in her eyes sadly started to fade.

I wanted so badly to say yes.

"I'm sorry, Mae," I said. My voice didn't even sound like it belonged to me. "I can't."

Her smile stayed, wavering in place with all the strength she had while her hopes shattered right in front of me.

"I understand. I'm so sorry."

Before I could say anything else, Mae hurried away around the next aisle. I followed her after a second, but the aisle was empty.

She was gone.

"No," I said quietly as a band of heat tightened around my chest. "You don't understand at all."