Page 121 of Duty

Valeria gave her a look from the side; one she didn’t entirely understand. Haven didn’t think on it for long as she was already out of the kitchen, and crossing the hall to grab her phone. She didn’t make it in time before the call cut off, but before she could even pick it back up, a text message lit up the screen.

Lunch at my restaurant in Manhattan?

That was all he asked.

Haven typed back, What time?

An hour sound good?

Haven checked the watch on her wrist—she had to be at the club before three to start all the prep for opening, but she had some time to spare. Andino was so goddamn busy all the time that she really only got to see him occasionally, and never for very long.

She wasn’t about to turn him down.

I’ll be there, she messaged back.

His reply came within seconds: I look forward to it.

Haven found herself smiling even when she headed back into the kitchen. “Sorry, you’ll have to eat without me for lunch.”

Valeria frowned over her shoulder. “Really?”

“Andino invited me to lunch. You know I don’t get to—”

“See him often, yeah.” Valeria shrugged, and went back to her work. “Well, I’ll make you a plate so you can have something when you get back from the club tonight.”

“Thanks, Val.”

Haven had already turned around, and was heading out of the kitchen to get ready to leave. She was still in yoga pants, and a sweaty shirt that needed changed. Plus, she had to do something with her damn hair. A messy bun was a nice look, but not when it was messy from running.

Still, her steps hesitated when she heard Maria say to her mom, “Haven’s busy a lot, right, Ma?”

“Yeah, baby, she’s busy.”

“Oh—I miss her.”

“Me, too.”

• • •

Haven paid the cab, and thanked him for dropping her off on the wrong side of the damn street. Nothing unusual for New York cabs, though. She had just closed the door on the cab, and moved to the edge of the sidewalk to cross the street where Andino’s restaurant looking to be busy with people going in and out was, when someone called her name.

“Hey, it’s Haven, right?”

A bull of a man came from her left. She looked him up and down, and while he seemed familiar, she just couldn’t place him. She only relaxed a bit because of the dog that was walking beside him—Snaps.

“That is my name,” Haven replied. “And you are?”

“Pink,” the guy replied. “Or, that’s what they call me.”

“Seriously?”

Pink shrugged. “It’s a long story.”

“Okay. Can I help you?”

“Just wanted to stop you and say hi—Snaps got excited to see you from down the way, too.”

Haven smiled, and bent down to give Snaps a rub behind his pointed ears. The dog’s tail wagged hard, and he huffed in her hands. She glanced up at the man quickly, asking, “Are you one of Andino’s men, then?”