Page 134 of Prince Charming

THIRTY-THREE

“We didn’t know we needed a Prince to complete our family.” – Marianna

Tag wasn’t above bribing two kids into liking him.

He shoved the toys he’d bought for Pasha and Lily into his bike’s saddlebag and swung a leg over the seat. The engine was thundering to life on main street when a squad car drove by him.

When it backed up, he knew who it was.

Eyes rolling, he waited for Sofia, in full officer uniform, to climb out.

She put extra swing into her hips like she thought he wanted to see that shit. Hair tied back in a bun, she rested her hands on her gun belt.

“You haven’t been returning my calls, Tag.” There was a simple answer to that. He’d blocked her number.

In the squad car, he noted her partner was watching them. A weasel shit of a guy Tag had met only the once. The guy couldn’t shoot his way out of a chip bag, let alone protect the city. There was no doubt in his mind, Sofia held the big dick energy in that partnership.

“How about you stop by my place tonight for dinner? I get off at eight. I’ll grab some wine and that chili steak you like.”

Cozy. He’d pass.

“We’ve had this convo before, Sofia. I’m bored with saying the same shit. Why don’t you ask soft idiot over there, he looks like he’d pant for you.” He jutted his chin to her squad car. She didn’t spare a glance for her partner.

“Tag, come on. How long do I have to keep making things right? I told you I fucked up. I know you, you’re not serious about that Russian. You want to keep fucking her? Fine. I’m okay with that.”

He wasn’t in the business of being cruel to women, but she’d crossed so many fucking lines. Besides that, she was plain irritating at this point.

“You want me to party more at the clubhouse, we can do that… Just, give me a chance, okay? We were good together.”

Tag was a Neanderthal for hearing little begging words from his woman’s lips. He’d go to his grave with her sounds ringing in his ears. From Sofia, it was just pathetic and a little sad.

“Listen, I’ll tell you one last time, it’s not gonna happen. We fucked, and it’s been over a long fucking time. If you’re jealous of Marianna, then that’s something you have to work through on your own. Throwing out threats like you have been doing just makes you ugly, and it’s beneath you.”

Her scowl said otherwise.

“Don’t.” He warned darkly. Leaning into the handlebars, he stared at her, “before you spew shit, don’t. I don’t wanna have to deal with your jealous hysterics anymore. You’re gonna climb back into your car, you’ll get on with your life and forget everything. You’ll marry someone like officer bore over there. And if you see me and my woman again, you’re gonna act like a civil fucking person.” She had a facial tick near her right eye that told him she was a second away from blowing her shit up. He once got a gut feeling she’d been on the crooked mayor’s payroll but could never prove it. As erratic as she acted, she’d always been tight-lipped about her job. If she were willing to throw out threats to someone like him, it meant she had backing from someone high on the force.

Or she really was just that mad.

“You’ve threatenedmy womanone too many times. If I have to stop you, I will.”

Hurt flashed through her eyes. And then her corner lip curled.

“You’re making a big mistake, Tag. How you gonna feel when she’s tossed on a plane back toWherethefuckeverski. Yeah,your womanisillegal.”

He didn’t so much as show a facial flicker.

“Grasping now, Sofia. Give some thought to what I said. Unlike you, I don’t throw out veiled threats.”

Kicking off the stand, he moved his bike forward, forcing her to move, or he’d go right over her.

She was a problem he was going to have to plug up.

But that wasn’t his only thought today.

Not when he laid eyes on Marianna as she pulled open the door even before he reached the top step to her apartment.

Like last night, she came into his arms, and all was fucking right again.

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