Page 104 of Driftwood Daffodil 2

She wouldn’t be getting that apology. Gio was too busy staring at me to pay attention to her. And he wasn’t just staring. He was searching. As if he saw something hidden in my expression. If he did see something, he didn’t say anything about it. Instead he looked up at Cindy.

“Does your father let you leave the house dressed like that, or is he using your holes too?”

My fists reballed as Cindy’s hand swung through the air. That slap should be mine, not hers. Not that Cindy managed to connect her hit.

Gio caught her wrist before that happened. Then he looked directly in my eyes and shoved her on the floor. It took everything I had not to grind my teeth in response.

A devious smirk spread across his face and that’s when I realized that last insult he threw Cindy’s way, was a test.

And I just failed.

NOVALEE

Tearing down the street, I yanked on the steering wheel and wove around Gio’s Range Rover. He yelled something at me through the window to which I responded by flipping him off.

Gio Mancini could kiss my ass.

He’d been a pain in my ass all day. Watching me at work, telling Memphis shit he didn’t need to know, and there was Cindy. Fucking Cindy Fassbender walking in the diner and shaking her stuff.

Why the hell did she have to show up? That girl had been ruining everything since kindergarten. Nap time, snacks, the braless look, and now Gio.

We had a perfectly good hate/bully thing going on, until she came along and showed me what he was capable of. Where was the thought in the insults he spewed my way? It was like he didn’t even try.

What kind of stalker parks in plain sight? I bet if he was following Cindy around, he wouldn’t be seen. Where was my effort?

Gio sped up behind me and honked his horn.

The loud beep graded on my nerves. Know what I got from Gio? A hand around my neck and a sound that a goose could make.

Cindy was still there when my shift ended, so I snuck out the back and peeled away before Gio could follow. It wasn’t long before he caught up. We’d been playing a game of road tag ever since. And now he was honking his horn.

Bastard couldn’t even put effort into making me pull over. I tried to ram Range Rover twice. Where was his violence?

My phone lit up and started buzzing on the passenger seat.

A phone call? Really?

I glared at Gio in the rear-view mirror. If he wanted to be an asshole to everyone and their dog, then fuck him.

My foot slammed down on the brake, sending a loud squeal through the air as my tires ground against the asphalt.

Gio had no choice but to follow suit and bring his Range Rover to a stop before it hit the back of my truck. Too bad. I would’ve liked to see his shiny clean vehicle get crunched to bits. Pretty sure my truck would’ve won that fight. Sheet metal had a lot more strength then whatever new aged crap his Range Rover had. Also, airbags were for pussies.

I sat there with engine running and watched as Gio got out of his vehicle. He did not look happy. Well, he was about to get less happy. I waited for him to take a few steps, then took off down the street.

That’s right. I could be a bigger asshole.

Before I left work, Memphis told me that I needed to calm down. That wasn’t a great thing to say to a pissed off woman. It was a good thing he was gay. He was lucky I didn’t slap him. I loved Memphis but he didn’t get.

My trusty truck got it. She purred with as much anger as I felt. We roared down the road like a ball of metal and wrath. She even coughed out a cloud of exhaust on Gio when he once again pulled up behind us.

“That’s my girl.” I gave the steering wheel a pat and turned onto the Mancini driveway.

Some guy standing on the balcony looked down as I peeled up and screeched to a stop.

I glared back at him and opened the door.

What the hell was his problem? Didn’t he have some big boobed bimbo he liked to insult too? I was sure Gio could help him find one.

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