"Who said I need protection?"

"Those men would rape you." Tex pounded his hand into the wall next to my head. "They would rip you apart limb by limb for as much as breathing their same air, you wanna keep tailing me? Fine, just don't expect me to be able to save you when they sell your body to the highest bidder."

Air whooshed out of my lungs.

"Alfonso's men?"

Tex froze.

I quickly did the calculations. "Will they be there Thursday?"

"Mo." Tex shook his head. "Go home. Go to bed. This is done. I don't know how else to tell you without freaking losing my mind. We are done."

His voice wavered. "We are nothing."

I stood on my tiptoes and gripped his face with my hands. "Liar."

His mouth opened.

And I kissed him.

CHAPTER SIXTY.

Kissing the enemy is always a rush. It's why people do it.

Tex MY MIND ONLY REGISTERED her kiss; nothing else existed, nothing else mattered. I gripped her elbows with my hands and slid her up the wall. I had nothing left, no control. There was n.o.body there to stop me, n.o.body there to tell me what to do.

And that's when it clicked.

I don't know how or why.

But by doing things Phoenix's way, I was still allowing myself to be a puppet. Used in order to put an end to something horrible.

But what if... I moaned as Mo's grip tightened around my neck, her hands dug into my hair. What if I trusted someone?

What if I trusted her enough?

What if I loved her enough?

"Mo." I gasped.

"If you say we can't do that again, I'm shooting you, Tex. I'm dead serious."

I laughed. I couldn't help it.

"Are you laughing at me? Swear I'll do it, Campisi."

"Cool your jets Abandonato." I set her on her feet and took a step back. The woman wouldn't stop.

I'd done everything I could short of injuring her to get her to understand that we couldn't be together.

And here she was.

Nixon hadn't tailed me.

Neither had anyone else.

Mo. Leave it to Mo.

"So." She crossed her arms. "You ready to tell me why you're being such a jacka.s.s to everyone and going all storm trooper while everyone else is Jedi?"

"Admit it, I'd look like h.e.l.l in white, Mo." I leaned back against the table and crossed my arms.

"Ah." She stepped forward and mimicked my movement, crossing her arms. "So this is about the Family color?

No one's gonna be mad if you wear black, Tex."

I hung my head, my smile growing to epic proportions. "Yeah, I've really been losing sleep over it."

"Just think... all those sleepless nights, solved by one fight with me."

"Right."

I.

swallowed.

"Mo Abandonato, the answer to everything."

My eyes widened at the sudden idea popping into my head.

"What's up crazy eyes?"

I opened my mouth then closed it.

"What if?"

"What if... what? The earth was flat?"

"You're a genius." I rushed towards her and grabbed her face, kissing her mouth so hard I felt her wince.

"Huh?" She almost tripped when I released her.

"Make it real." I laughed out loud.

"Well d.a.m.n, Phoenix, you could have just spelled it out for me."

"I'm Mo." She waved in front of me.

"Can Trace and Mil keep a secret?"

I asked.

"Yeah." Her eyes narrowed. "I can too, you know."

"No secrets from you. Well, I mean one secret, but what I need to know, is this... how good of an actress are you?"

She put her hands on her hips. "I once convinced Nixon I saw dead people, and he believed it for two years."

"Good girl." I held out my hand.

"Now, I need you to listen very carefully."

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE.

And the lies continue...

Mo "ARE YOU READY?" Tex asked once we pulled up to the house. It was dark and I knew that Nixon was going to be p.i.s.sed I'd been out so long. I'd texted him that I'd taken a drive after my run but I knew he was still going to unleash on me.

I popped my knuckles. "Yup, I can do this."

Tex laughed. "Right, more like you're going to really enjoy it."

"That too." I smiled. "Think of it as payback for breaking my heart."

"You know." He nodded. "If we weren't sworn enemies I'd totally love you."

"Aw." I elbowed him hard in the ribs. "I'd still hate you."

"Fine." He grinned.

"Fine." I chewed my lower lip.

With a curse he pulled me into the shadows and kissed me soundly, his mouth dancing with mine like it was meant for me, like he was meant for me.

My heart hammered in my chest as he kissed each cheek and then kissed me on the mouth again, his tongue sliding past my lower lip only to retreat as he stepped back. "Yeah, good thing we're enemies."

I straightened my leather jacket.

"Until the end."

He held out his hand and enclosed it around mine. "I'll hate you until the end."

I nodded. "Try not to cry."

Wincing, Tex stepped back. "I want to have kids someday, remember that, Mo."

"Can't make any promises," I sang.

"Now let's go."

I walked in the house, fury etched in my every movement as the door slammed in Tex's face.

"Mo! Get back here! Now!"

"No!" I roared turning on my heel.

"You sick b.a.s.t.a.r.d! How could you!"

Silverware clattered to the ground as every head around the dinner table was focused in on us. It seemed even Luca and Frank were visiting for a nice calm normal dinner.

Too bad, so sad.

Tex reached for my arm and pulled me roughly against him, I turned around and slapped his face so hard my hand stung. "Don't you dare touch me!"

"I'll touch whatever the h.e.l.l I want." He grinned crudely. "You keep forgetting... I could own you if I want."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nixon stand.

"Aw, baby." I angled my head and threw a right hook to his face. He staggered to the side. "You wish."

Tex rubbed his jaw. "Well now I don't, h.e.l.l you never brought that type of violence into the bedroom. I had no idea Mo... I could have totally tied you up -"

I slapped him again.

He gripped my hands. "Do it again, regardless, you're nothing to me. You, you're family, in a few days I'll be a distant memory."

I smiled sweetly. "Not if I kill you first."

"I'll sleep with one eye open."

"And one finger on the trigger, lover." I kneed him in the b.a.l.l.s for good measure then stormed into the kitchen and poured myself a gla.s.s of wine.