Gine
Kevin was barely out the door when Gino pulled his phone from his pocket, thumbs already moving.
Gino: Your boy Kevin just got real handsy with Lola.
Gino: Grabbed her shirt to look at the bruises. Tried to get in her face.
Gino: I handled it. You’ll wanna handle the rest.
The reply came faster than expected.
Enzo: Is he still there?
Gino: No. I sent him packing.
Enzo: Good. Don’t let him back in.
“Enzo: I’ll deal with him.
Gino smirked at the last message. Yeah, I bet you will. He slid the phone back into his pocket just as Lola finished wiping down her station.
“You okay?” he asked.
She glanced up, blinking like she’d just remembered he was there. “Yeah. I’m fine.” Then, after a beat: “Thanks for stepping in.”
He shrugged, like it was nothing. “That’s my job.”
“No,” she said, her voice softer now. “I mean… thanks for making it clear. Some guys would’ve just laughed it off.”
“You’re family now,” Gino said simply. “Nobody gets a pass.”
That earned him a small smile–one without her usual sharp edge. “Guess I should start getting you a Christmas present then.”
He chuckled. “Just make it something Enzo hates. That’ll be enough for me.”
Her smile widened, all mischief again. “Oh, you’re all going to hate Christmas so much with me around.”
Gino laughed under his breath. “I’m counting on it.”
For the first time all afternoon, the tension in her shoulders eased.
The last client of the day was out the door, and the shop was quiet except for the hum of the front AC and the faint scent of green soap still clinging to the air. She wiped down her station one last time, tossed the gloves, and flicked off the back lights.
Lola
རྗ་ རྗེཪ་ ཆོ་ རྗེ
Out front, Gino was leaning against the counter like he’d been welded there.
“All done?” he asked.
“Locked up,” she confirmed, flipping the deadbolt with a satisfying click.
1/4
Chapter 69
She turned toward the door, stared at the stretch of sidewalk between them and the SUV, and sighed dramatically.
“What?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
“I’m exhausted,” she said, letting her shoulders slump. Then she tilted her head, big eyes locking on his, lower lip jutting out just enough to be dangerous. “Piggyback me to the car?”
He snorted. “No.”
She kept the pout, adding a slow blink for effect. “Please? My feet hurt. My soul hurts. The world is cruel.”
He groaned like a man under duress. “You’re lucky you’re small.”
“Is that a yes?”
“Get on before I change my mind.”
She hopped onto his back, legs hooking around his waist as he straightened with a muttered unbelievable. He took off in an exaggerated jog, swerving toward lampposts and trash cans just to make her squeal.
“This is the most efficient security detail I’ve ever had,” she laughed into his ear.
“Yeah, I’ll send you the bill,” he said, weaving down the sidewalk like they were dodging sniper fire.
By the time they reached the SUV, both of them were laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes. He crouched to let her slide down, then opened the door with a mock bow.
“Your chariot, milady.”
She curtsied before climbing in. “You know, I think you might be my favorite now.”
Marco glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “We?”
“Yeah. You, me, Gino. Low–effort food, dumb action flick. C’mon, you know you want to.”
Lola pouted. “Boo. I thought you were my ride–or–die.”
“That’s Gino,” Marco said, nodding toward the passenger seat.
Gino grinned without looking back. “And I’m in.” He was already pulling out his phone. “Dom and Nico?”
A few taps later, he announced, “Dom’s down. Nico’s in as long as he gets to pick the movie.”
2/4
5:57 pm P
Chapter 69
“That means we’re watching something with subtitles,” Lola muttered.
“Good for your brain,” Gino teased.
She smirked, settling back into her seat. “Fine. As long as the pizza’s greasy and the drinks are cold, I can survive foreign art cinema,”
Marco just shook his head as they turned into the hotel drive. “I do not envy Enzo.”
“Why?” she asked.
Lola grinned. “And worth it.”
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