Page 86 of The Saint

“She okay?”

“She’ll be fine. A little upset is all. Her brothers helped calm her down.”

“I can’t believe that woman would show up here, after everything.”

Jet smiled. “You won’t have to worry about that again.”

Brow furrowed, I asked, “What are you going to do?” Devorah was the wife of Eli David, former lieutenant in my uncle’s syndicate. Even though David had parted ways with both Zio and Devorah, it had always been understood that they were relatively untouchable.

“I’m not going to do anything. I don’t need to.” Jet jerked his head at the door behind him. “But if I’m not careful, Jael and your mother are going to put me out of a job.”

I shook my head. “I don’t understand.”

“After Jael told Devorah off, Carmen went all mama bear on her,” he said, lowering his voice as he leaned in close. “Before Arik or I could step in, your mom told her to get the hell out and never come back. She laid claim to Jael and her brothers and said there’d be hell to pay if she ever bothered them again.”

“She did what?” I glanced toward the front door, as if it was going down now and I could see it for myself. “My mom did that?”

“She did.” He chuckled quietly. “Devorah wasn’t happy, but when Arik didn’t defend her, I think she realized she had no choice. She dragged Goldberg away so fast I wouldn’t be surprised if she pulled his arm out of its socket.”

“What’d Jael say about that?”

Jet shook his head. “I missed that part. Arik wanted to tell her. But when I got in there, everything seemed okay.”

Nodding, I peered around his head, trying to get a glimpse of Jael. Jet chuckled.

“Don’t worry, she’s on her way out. Just saying goodbye to—” The door swung open, and Jet spun toward it. A smile grew on his lips as his girlfriend, Eliza, came out, tugging Jael behind her. “There you are.”

The woman smiled up at him then turned to Jael. “We’ll talk later this week?”

Jael’s mossy gaze darted to me and back before she nodded. “Promise.” Then, shocking me more than everything Jet told me I’d missed, the two women gave each other a hug.

Jael was not a hugger. She was still getting used to me holding her hand and kissing her in public. She was more likely to punch someone than to embrace them, whether they were friends or not.

Yet there they stood, looking like they did this all the time.

Eliza worked at the women’s shelter my mother supported. I could only assume she’d learned something in her years there that could break through Jael’s insecurities and make her open up.

When the two stepped back, when Jet and Eliza took off, my parents and Zio and Jael’s brothers all walked us out. The two of us got into a waiting car while everyone else went their separate ways, and we went home.

Home, to Jael’s apartment. Where the bed was comfy, the place didn’t smell like paint and sea water, and we didn’t have to climb over easels and balled-up scraps of paper to get past the front door.

For the past month, I’d been here with her every night. I spent my days in my apartment, painting and drawing, or greeting my friends on the ball court despite the colder weather. I was free from my job at the docks, free to be with the woman I loved. Free to make love to her anytime I chose.

Once in the front door, I pulled her backward into me, dropping kisses along the back of her neck. “Thank you for coming tonight.”

She turned, wrapping her arms around my waist as she stared up at me. “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I’m sorry I was late. And that I wasn’t there for you.”

“You came,” I told her, dropping a kiss to her nose. “That’s all that matters. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you outside. I wanted to be with you.”

“You are now.” She rose on her tiptoes, her lips pressing gently to mine. I kissed her like not doing so would kill me. Slid my tongue into her mouth and swirled it around hers. She tasted like champagne, and it was utterly intoxicating.

With our mouths together, our hands roamed, sliding jackets off, unhooking buttons and undoing ties. Halfway to her bedroom, my hands slid across her silky shoulders and her dress fell to the floor.

She was naked before me, a sight I never wanted to miss because her body was my muse. But this time, I couldn’t stop kissing her, tasting her.

Consuming every last bit.

We fell into bed, a jumble of hands and legs and bodies sliding against one another. I finally released her mouth, but only so I could kiss my way down her throat.