Page 39 of Privilege

“Rose,” he said. “She’s seventeen. Smartest one of us all, I think. Got a scholarship to a private school for the arts, so she stays there all the time. I just run her up cash or whatever she needs.”

Huh.

As fascinating as Lucia found that information, she couldn’t help but be a little defensive, too. She didn’t know why Renzo was here, but none of their previous encounters had gone particularly well.

“You didn’t come here to be an asshole again, did you?” Lucia asked. “Because I was only trying to help with your mom, and the night I offered you a drive. I mean, I didn’t intend to overstep your boundaries or anything. I was just worried—that’s all.”

Renzo cleared his throat, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and glanced down the quiet alleyway that led to the main street in front of the shelter. Maybe it was the fact that she’d grown up around a lot of men who took great effort in hiding their emotions when shit was rough, but she recognized Renzo’s movements for what they were.

Nerves.

“I didn’t come to be an asshole,” he murmured, glancing back at her. It was his eyes, she thought. His face was beautiful. He looked like something out of a magazine, and he didn’t even have to try. But it was in his eyes where she found her heart skipped beats. It was disconcerting and strange that she couldn’t even look at him without those damn butterflies coming back. “And I’m sorry I was a dick before.”

Lucia folded her arms over her chest as Renzo leaned against the brick of the building. “Go on.”

He laughed, and the sound was spectacular. All deep, rumbling bass. He tossed his head back, and she didn’t think he’d ever looked so careless, and happy. She really wanted to see if she could make him laugh again, but he broke her daze by meeting her gaze again.

Her thoughts went silent just like that.

All with a stare.

Lucia felt like she was frozen in place as Renzo’s gaze traveled over her face, lingering on her mouth before he looked away altogether.

“Not really sure why I came here,” he admitted.

Lucia swallowed hard. “Apparently, to apologize.”

Renzo made a noise under his breath. “I just decided to do that when I saw you inside, if I’m being honest. I wasn’t even going to come talk to you, or anything. I just wanted to … well, I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. What did you want to do?”

He sighed hard, and let out a dry chuckle. “Check on you, I guess. Make sure you were okay. I owed you that, didn’t I?”

Lucia’s heart skipped beats again, and she smiled a little. “I’m okay, Ren.”

He passed her another look, the heat in his stare obvious. “Yeah, I guess so, huh?”

“Was there any other reason you came looking for me?”

Renzo took a second, then two. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was stopped from saying anything at all when the door to the kitchen was opened, and Laurie popped her head out with a wide smile. The woman at least had the decency to hide her brief surprise at seeing Lucia and Renzo talking together.

“Renzo,” Laurie greeted, “how have you been, and how is Diego?”

Renzo cleared his throat, and straightened his posture. “He’s good. Took him to the school last week to meet the teacher he will have next year. Made him less nervous to start kindergarten.”

Laurie’s face softened. “That’s great, really.”

“Yeah.”

The woman glanced Lucia’s way. “Lucia, you’re needed inside for something. But Renzo, you’re welcome to join us for this.”

“I probably should head—”

“Come in,” Lucia told him before he could refuse. “For a second, anyway.”

She was pretty sure he was going to tell her something else just now, but Laurie had interrupted him from doing just that. She really wanted to know what he was going to tell her.

Renzo’s tongue peeked out to wet his lips, and he nodded. “Yeah, sure. For a minute, anyway. Then, I gotta head back out. Work to do, you know.”