Page 2 of Bratva Past

“Anyway, I better go,” she said. “Don’t work too hard.”

“Nor you.”

She made her way toward the gate, and she had already broken the protocol they seemed to have.

Lucy stopped and turned toward him. “What about a drink after work?” she asked.

“You’re asking me out?” he asked.

She nodded her head and then shook it. “Not if you don’t want to go.”

“It’s a date, Lucy,” he said.

Her smile seemed to widen, if not brighten just a little.

“Thank you,” Lucy said.

“You do know that I am older than you, don’t you?”

“Does that bother you?” she asked.

“No.”

“Good, because it doesn’t bother me either. Bye, Flynn.”

And with that, she walked out of the gate and he saw the little spring in her step. Every part of his sensible brain was telling him he shouldn’t turn up. Lucy was off limits. She was too young, and she deserved someone her own age, at least that was what he kept trying to tell himself.

Another part of his brain didn’t like the idea of her being with anyone but him. He couldn’t stand the thought of another man even looking in her direction. There was no way he was going to be able to cope with anyone else dating her.

They’d been doing this little dance for well over a year now. There was no one else good enough for Lucy. He was the only one capable of taking care of her.

****

“And what did he say?”

“Marge, will you stop?” Lucy asked.

“What? I’m the one who encouraged you to stop waiting outside of the gate. What does a lady have to do to get an update?”

Marge was one of her favorite people in the world. For the last six years that she had been working in the local care home, taking care of patients, or clients, during the end of their lives. There were a lot of different people who lived in the care home. Most of them wanted to go about their own lives. Lucy cleaned for them, kept them company, and in all honesty, was just a friend to all. She had applied for the job a week after losing her parents. It had been a trying time for her.

Many of the patients had unfortunately passed since she arrived. Marge and Harry were two that were still alive. Harry was currently sleeping, though. He had a thick book pressed against his chest, and he looked completely out of it. As for Marge, Lucy had thrown a blanket over her lap, as the cold was starting to get to her, although it was the height of summer.

“We’re going out for drinks tonight,” Lucy said. “There, is that what you wanted to know?”

“Drinks? This is amazing news. Will you have time to go home and change? Update your makeup? Curl your hair?”

Lucy laughed. “Will you stop?”

“Nope, I am not stopping until I know you’re happily married with a baby on the way.”

“A baby?” Harry asked, yawning.

“Don’t be nosy, you,” Marge said.

“Me, nosy. You’re the one who’s butting into the kid’s life. If I was twenty years younger, Lucy, I’d take care of you.”

She couldn’t help but blush. Harry had always been a sweet man. He had told her on many occasions that if a man can’t treat her right, then it was no good keeping him around. There might have also been a couple of choice words along the way about what a real man is all about.

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