"That's the guy," Vince said, pointing across the parking lot of Joe's Bar and Grill.

Pino looked to where the Audi had just turned into a spot, watching the red LED lights go out. Opening the back door of his Escalade, he scanned the half-lit lot for potential witnesses. Nobody. "Wait here," he grunted to his cousin.

Treading silently across the pavement, he kept his eyes on the target and reached the dickhead just as a hand extended out and the Audi flashed its lights with a chirp of the horn. Grabbing one shoulder, he whipped the idiot around and slammed the backside of all that youth against the car door. His grip moved up to the man's neck.

It took the guy a few seconds to register the scar and realize who he was up against. But there was no fear in that manic gaze. It was almost as if he'd been expected. "You must be Trovato," he rasped.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"What?" The guy shrugged. "Gus told me to watch them, figure out their routines."

Pino closed his eyes with the hard exhale that blew through his nose. "Watch them," he hissed, "not crawl up their asses. You do understand that these men are Marines, trained to hunt people down and kill on command. And there you are, out in the open yelling 'over here' like a fucking moron."

The idiot had the nerve to crank his lips into a smile. "I want Spinelli to squirm."

Pino shifted his body closer to the man with a death wish. "I don't care about any personal vendetta you may have. What I do care about is the fact that you're a fucking simpleton and you're going to screw up this whole operation. I'd do the job myself, but they're all over me."

"They won't catch me. I know what I'm doing."

"I doubt it." He glanced at the car. "Just look at what you're driving."

"Don't worry about that. I changed the plates after I stole it."

Pino's head started to pound. "So now the cops are after you too. How many green Audis do you think are out there, genius?"

"I know. Cool, right?"

Losing patience, Pino reached under his jacket for his forty and shoved its barrel against the guy's forehead.

At least that got a reaction. Both hands came up with a mumbled, "Okay."

"I'm only going to say this once. You find yourself some piece-of-shit Ford that blends into the landscape and keep that pea-brained head of yours down. If I feel you've become more of a liability than an asset, the only thing you'll be riding around town in is a hearse."

There was a sloppy nod and a repeated, "Okay."

Pino stepped back, holstered the gun, and waved his cousin over while holding out his other hand. "Keys."

Bug-eyed, the man shook his head. "How am I going to get home?"

"I don't give a fuck."

He looked like he might argue some more—until he saw the man with the Beretta coming at him.

"Get rid of it," Pino told his cousin, nodding at the Audi.

"Consider it done."

As Vince drove off, Pino took a moment to get a good look at the ex-con he'd been saddled with. There had to be a story behind the resemblance, but he wasn't interested enough to ask.

With a glare the lookalike walked off, heading for the bar. Pino waited until he'd disappeared inside before making his way back to the SUV, cheering himself with a silent vow: If he ever had to lay eyes on the idiot again, it would be down the sight-line of a rifle.

)l(

Robbie closed the Calculus book and slid her eyes to Parker's grip on the pencil, wondering if he went to a manicurist. Rounded nails, trimmed cuticles, smooth skin—despite it being the middle of winter—that hand of his looked absolutely flawless.

She allowed her gaze to drift up and thought, Just like the rest of him.

"Hey, I think I'm getting this!" Mr. Perfect slammed the #2 down on the notebook he'd been laboring over and lifted his forehead from his palm, extracting his other set of fingers from the mop of curls they'd been shoved into for support. A few coils of wheat blonde slipped down in front of his eyes, and he brushed them away with one swipe of a pampered paw. "You really know this stuff."

She traced the gold helix on the cover of the textbook. Funny how it reminded her of Parker's hair. "I like math, its simplicity. Either you're right or you're wrong."

"Well, it's not simple to me."

No. Kidding.

"I'm impressed." He looked her over with a devilish smile as he leaned back, raised his arms, and laced his fingers behind his head. Parker knew what he was doing. Why else would he wear short sleeves in February? He worked out—even more so in the cold months with lacrosse season just around the corner—and it showed. "Smart girls are sexy."

Since when? Robbie asked herself. His stare lingered, and as a silence stretched on, she struggled to come up with something to say, something that didn't involve an equation.

"Listen," he dragged out, "I'm having a party tonight at my place. It would be cool if you came."

Bad idea. She wasn't Parker's friend, or part of his crowd, or any crowd really, and the sole reason she'd met up with him in the school library these last three Wednesdays was due to a request from Mr. Ashby, her math teacher. Parker was one failing grade away from not making the lacrosse team, and everyone seemed concerned.

Everyone but Robbie.

"I don't think so. But thank you."

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun."

Would it though? She knew the people he hung around with. They were . . . well, let's just say they weren't part of their high school's Key Club.

"Come as my date. I'll make sure you enjoy yourself."

Her mouth went dry. "Aren't you with Lauren?" Lauren was a bulldozer with hair extensions, fake boobs, and a vast collection of Dior—circa 1990. From eBay no doubt.

"We broke up."

Unconvinced, Robbie studied Parker's face for any sign he was joking. A wave of anxiety caused all the nerves under her skin to buzz, and she began rubbing her arms. His timing was uncanny. Hadn't she just had a heart-to-heart with her uncle about stepping outside of the safety net she'd tied herself up in? Hadn't she promised to start taking small risks on a daily basis? House parties, however, were high up there on the exposure scale.

Learning how to skate was risky.

Taking your first lesson on thin ice was suicidal.

Perhaps if it was a small group . . . "How many people will be there?"

"You know." He dropped his arms and shrugged. "Just my friends, Brad, Kerry, and a couple others. Plus their dates."

That didn't sound too overwhelming. She could drive herself, leave whenever she wanted to. And it wasn't far–twenty minutes tops–from her house to Pine Valley, the wealthiest subdivision in the school district.

As all the pros sounded off in her head, her imagination got ahead of her, throwing out images of being on Parker's arm as he gave her a tour of his parents' house, sitting beside him as he laughed with his friends, lingering by his door as he kissed her goodnight. Her insides warmed. The cons didn't stand a chance.

"Okay," was all she said before she grabbed up her books and ran toward the exit.

"I'll text you the address," he yelled after her, earning a number of "shhhhhsss" from nearby students.

It took Robbie nearly two hours to get ready. Ian did his best to fill in as proud papa, seeing her off and telling her she looked beautiful. As a precaution, she took her Lady Speed Stick with her in the car in case she found herself starting to sweat.

The first sign of trouble came as soon as she turned the corner to Tulip Tree Lane. Parked cars clogged the street, but she maneuvered around them, drawn to the thumping music up on the right. Number 42 was lit up from within like a hotel, the dark silhouettes of her fellow students flowing through the rooms, trickling out the open door, and dripping down the front steps.

She found a spot on the next street over and walked back, the distinct beat of the Black Eyed Peas and the sweet smell of cannabis growing stronger with each step. Once reaching the house, she stopped and stood on the sidewalk to watch four guys on the lawn do a keg stand.

She could leave now and Parker would never know she'd shown up.

Except what if he needed help? This could be a case of party details gone viral and things spinning out of control. He could be in there right at this moment trying to protect his mother's keepsakes or cleaning a spill from their Persian rug. She should at least go check on him. She could do that. Couldn't she?

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she fished in her purse for gum. A wave of strawberry watermelon flooded her mouth as she silently counted each chew and made her way across the grass.

Inside, the hallway was packed. After four failed attempts at "excuse me," she stopped talking. And started pushing. Her breathing became ragged, the feeling of suffocation setting off a panic as she squeezed her way further into the pool of bodies.

"Watch it," one guy yelled after being knocked forward into the girl he was with.

Parker wasn't hard to find–those wild beach waves were a beacon among all the Beckham faux-hawks.

"Parker," she called across the kitchen, catching his attention.

"Heeeeyyyyy." As he stumbled forward, his buddies behind him started laughing. "You made it." He was drunk, but he seemed happy to see her, and for a moment Robbie thought everything was going to be okay.

"What happened?"

He laughed. "I know, right? Word got out and they kept coming." Glassy eyes widened. "There are fucking seniors here." His gaze traveled the room. "Some of these people I've never even seen before. They must be from—"

A bent arm landed on Parker's shoulder, listing him to one side. "Parker, Parker, Parker," was chanted in his ear, drawing his interest away.

Lauren.

Dressed in a barrage of criss-cross straps that gave everyone an eyeful of cleavage and bare legs.

The group of friends in the background came forward for a better look at the silicone sisters.

"Hey," she said, pointing at Robbie. "I know you. You're that odd girl who's always doing Sudoku."

Robbie's cheeks heated as all eyes snapped to her.

"I don't think I've ever seen you out after dark." Lauren laughed at her own joke and the oglers joined in. Which only encouraged her. "And what are you wearing? There's no hayride here, weirdo."

Embarrassed, Robbie looked down at the plaid shirt peeking through the open front of her peacoat. Then she lifted her gaze to Parker's sympathetic stare. His silence wasn't unexpected. He hardly knew her, and choosing between popularity and a near stranger was a no brainer for most.

Fighting off tears, all Robbie could mutter was, "I thought you two broke up."

"We just got back together," Lauren answered for him, her voice having gone up two decibels and turning heads. "Wait." Her eyes bulged. "Did you think—"

The bright red fingernail became a blur as it flew between Robbie's favorite shirt and their host's graphic tee.

"—You and Parker?" Lauren's mouth opened wide, sending laughter everywhere. Wider still, showing off row upon row of pointed teeth. When she stopped, the room went eerily quiet and Lauren's eyes seemed to roll back in her head. Right. Before . . . She lunged.

Robbie jolted awake, panting and on the verge of screaming.

Jeeesuuus. It was just a dream. Just a dream, she told herself, doing her best to slow her breathing. It didn't help that the nightmare had been so vivid. And accurate—right up to Jaws making an appearance.

Lifting the sheet, she slipped out of bed, trying not to disturb the soft snoring coming from the other side. The moon was full and bright, casting window shadows on the floor. She made her way across the room and looked out to the burnished darkness. There was no sound in the yard, not even a whisper of wind.

She would never forget Parker's party. Nor would Ian. Thank God he'd still been living with them and home when she got there. One tub of rocky road, a full bowl of popcorn, and four hours of being curled up next to him while binge watching Heroes was what it had taken to fully calm down.

There had been no more talk about taking risks. Ever.

Last she heard, Parker had gone to work at one of his father's car dealerships after knocking Lauren up senior year. Married and divorced within the next five. Neither one had made it to college. Why was she suddenly dreaming of them? Perhaps opening up to Paul had loosened the soil over buried memories. Great. Can't wait for the next one.

"Was I snoring?" Paul's voice was deeply male and thick with sleep.

She glanced over her shoulder, able to make out that he was up on one elbow watching her. "Barely. Sorry if I waked you."

"Don't be. Moonlight becomes you."

There was a soft rustle and seconds later he was behind her, close but not touching, his warmth radiating forward without restriction. He was naked, just as she was, both of them too tired and blissed-out to search for discarded clothing after another round of amazing sex.

"Bad dream?"

"No," she lied. "Just having a little trouble sleeping."

"Worried about the case?"

Better topic. "Five women shutting the door in my face today didn't help."

"So you go back to the ones who weren't home. You'll figure it out."

"Hopefully."

"You will." His fingers ran down her spine, sending a lick of heat through her body. "I've underestimated you Agent Westcott, every step of the way, and for that I apologize. From here on in, you get anything you want."

She slowly turned around, her breasts ending up inches away from the hard plane of his chest. Oh, Lord. The moonlight that reflected in his eyes and played with the shadows across his skin only made him look bigger. More demanding. Even harder to resist. She nearly forgot what she was going to say.

"Anything?" The word came out as a whisper.

He grinned at that. Then cocked an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"You."

"You have me."

"Do I?"

The smile faltered a little, but there was no stopping what she'd started. "Come back to bed, Robbie," he said in a soft growl, grabbing her by the hand. "I'll put your mind at ease."

END OF CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

What did you think of Robbie's dream? 😳The world sure seems like a small place when limited to corridors and classrooms, right? 

Anybody have a little crush on Pino?😍 I know you're out there 😉

I appreciate all of you who keep coming back for more! ♥️Please remember that little star ⭐️and let me know what you're thinking👤It helps!

See you next Sunday👋