Chapter Text
Shorty what you want? Shorty what you need?
My niggas run the game, we ain't ever leeeeavin'
Countin' up this money, we ain't never sleepin'
I.
Over glasses of chardonnay and an episode of Real Housewives, drinks at the Grande to celebrate a year divorced from Dean sounded like a fun idea, but now that Beth was dolled up and squeezed into a scarlet red dress sitting alone at the bar she felt kind of silly. Ruby was home with Sarah, Annie was running fantastically late, and Beth had already finished one whiskey on the rocks and started on a second.
The bar was crowded, filled with a mixed and moneyed throng of people who were—Beth hated to admit—mostly a good deal younger than her.
With a sigh Beth took another sip, savoring the burn as the aged grain alcohol slid down her throat, and looked around. Had Annie arrived and gotten distracted? It was a big place—and Annie was Annie.
The crowd parted, one group of young people converging with another, and an unexpected sight met Beth's eyes that made her heart jump into her throat. She would know him anywhere, of course, even in a well cut dark suit, his white shirt casually open at the collar. Even with two young beauties flanking him on either side, curled up on the booth and whispering coquettishly in his ear.
Rio.
The last time she saw him was that fateful night she'd thrown keys in his face—he told her to go home to her babies, and she did.
It seemed like things were going well for him—he looked good enough to eat, and it appeared that was exactly what the brunette to his left had in mind.
A wave of longing—and jealousy—washed over Beth, taking her by surprise. It made her bold, and at the moment she should have looked away for decency's sake she kept her gaze upon him. As though he could feel it from across the room Rio's eyes found hers.
It felt like lightning striking deep in the wastelands of her soul, in a dark place she'd taken pains to ignore these past couple years.
Beth knew that watching that woman kiss Rio would be like taking a dagger to the heart, yet she couldn't bring herself to look away. However, at the last moment Rio canted his head, denying the brown haired beauty her prize.
Beth's heart skipped a beat, but she knew better than to think it meant a damn thing.
She forced herself to look away, suddenly very interested in the amber dregs of her drink.
He looked well, and she was happy for him. She really was. He was smart and he worked hard and he deserved his success. She might have been right there beside him even, had she not freaked out about the empty dummy truck and lost her cool.
Looking back, it had been stupid. Rio had known it was empty, of course. He'd put it there—his canary in the coal mine to test if anyone in his organization was talking to cops. And he sent Beth—wholesome, innocent looking suburban mom Beth—to feel it out, because he'd had faith in her and knew she would be fine. She saw that now that she was not blinded by rage and hurt that it seemed he would use her like a pawn—too little too late.
Worse somehow—not only had she been stupid, but she'd been violent. For all his threats and brandishing of guns, Rio had never actually laid a hand on her.
She would have fired her too.
Thinking about all this again after so long—a drawer of her memory she usually tried to keep shut and locked—made her embarrassed all over again. In a few seconds her face would match the color of her dress—she had to go. She would text Annie to meet her somewhere else—if her sister was even coming.
Just as she was about to summon the bartender to close her tab a deep voice behind her that she'd never been able to get off her brain asked, "Buy you a drink for old time's sake, Red?"
A thrill ran down her spine.
Slowly she turned to find him leaning upon the bar beside her, casual and confident, that handsome smirk pulling the side of his full mouth.
Classic Rio.
Maybe some things never change, and suddenly Beth took some heart from that.
Perhaps she waited too long to answer, but he waited patiently as a predator of the jungle, those dark eyes drifting up and down her form.
The smile widened slightly—he seemed to approve of what he saw, and perhaps that gave Beth some well needed courage. She gave a totally suave and witty answer of, "OK."
For a moment Rio's smile widened just enough to flash straight white teeth, and Beth's heart quickened. He was still beautiful, and it still wasn’t fair, but here they were.
"Don't sound too eager, Mamma," he chuckled, and turned to summon the barkeep.
She gulped a little, hating and loving the way that little pet name still made her warm all over. Rio made Mamma sound like something sensual, something to be desired rather than taken for granted, over worked, and dismissed.
"I guess I'm a little surprised you want to talk to me."
Rio canted his head slightly, giving her that look that always made her feel like he could see straight into her soul. "No hard feelings on my end."
She pressed her lips, and her eyes strayed to the corner of his mouth. There was a tiny scar there—so faint one wouldn't have noticed if one didn't know what to look for. Before she could stop herself she lifted her hand to touch the corner of his mouth lightly with her thumb.
"I hope that's not from me."
Rio leaned into her touch slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "I kinda like havin’ somethin to remember you by," he deflected with that half smile, not about to admit that she’d hurt him.
At the time he certainly hadn’t been so amused.
Before she could take her hand away Rio clasped it in his, rubbing his thumb over her now empty ring finger. "I seem to remember you used to have a big sparkly rock on this hand."
Beth sighed. "Not for a while now."
"Sorry." He didn't sound it, and neither was she, anymore.
"I'm not."
"That's good, Red. You deserved better."
She couldn’t help but remember his assessment of Dean that one day in her bedroom. He don't look trustworthy. Even Rio had known.
"Thanks."
He didn’t let go of her hand, his long tattooed fingers clasping hers. His thumb continued to draw maddening little circles across her knuckles, sending a thrill up her arm as he slowly melted her with that midnight-eyed gaze of his.
Her eyes drifted down to the open collar of his shirt, the eagle neck tattoo on open display. Whatever he was up to these days, he wasn't concerned with hiding his roots. Somehow that made her happy, that he remained unchanged despite his moving up in the world.
"You look great," she said with a small curl of lips. "Business must be good."
He paid her a conspiratorial smile.
"You could say that."
She wanted to ask more but this wasn't the place, and she bit her lip to hold it back. Rio's black eyes glittered as though he knew her thoughts all too well. "You ever miss it?"
"Sometimes. Parts of it, at least."
Rio raised an eyebrow, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "What parts?"
Beth just sighed and rolled her eyes. "The thrill," she answered, purposely obstinate. His ego needed no help from her.
Rio just chuckled. “Not the money?”
“Well…that too.”
“Hmm.” He continued to weigh her with that heavy gaze, and Beth wondered what was the point of talking? She’d always been an open book to him. The bartender brought their drinks and Beth took the opportunity to gently dislodge her hand from his.
She couldn’t think while he had her in hand.
"I have to admit I didn't think this was your scene,” she said, taking a sip of her drink.
"Just mixing a little business and pleasure." He looked her up and down in that blatantly sexual way that she should have hated but it never failed to make her simmer all over.
Beth just rolled her big blue eyes, even if her heart made an honest effort at beating out of her chest. "What about you, Mamma? You celebratin'?"
"Something like that. Annie was supposed to meet me, but she's late as usual."
Rio smiled slightly. "Good ol' Annie."
Beth sighed. She supposed it was funny to him now that he wasn't depending on her to launder his money. "Yeah, good ol Annie."
"And how Ruby doin'? Now she was the thug. I got a few people I wouldn't mind havin’ shot in the foot if she want a job again."
Beth's hand flew to her mouth. "You knew about that?"
"I know everything, sweetheart." He paid her that shit eating grin. "Big Mike called me up to complain about you three but I told him he was lucky it wasn't me, I'da shot him in the knees for tryin’ that shit."
Beth's eyes went wide, but she couldn't suppress a giggle. She wondered how much Rio knew about their other amateurish blunders.
"Well...Ruby didn't mean to."
Rio just nodded, his eyes sparkling, clearly still amused. But his voice took on a graver tone when he asked. "Her little girl still sick?"
Beth turned her eyes up to his, surprised again Rio did know everything. "She needs a kidney," Beth imparted glumly. Sarah needed a kidney and needed it soon, and they'd been racking their brains as to how to raise the funds.
"That ain't cheap."
"No."
"I guess I see any grocery stores knocked over on the news I'll know what happened."
He was making light of it—but they had totally considered going back into business.
Beth calmly took a drink of her refreshed glass of bourbon.
"We would hate to be so unoriginal," she deadpanned.
Rio laughed, a genuine laugh that swelled her heart, and they continued to talk for the next hour. It was surprisingly easy like this, when they were just two people at a bar who liked each other.
Annie still did not show.
Rio noticed Beth looking at her phone.
"Hate to say it baby girl, but I think you got stood up."
Beth shrugged a little. It wasn't the first time, though she hoped Annie was all right.
"It can't be an emergency or she would have called me by now."
"You still takin' care of everyone, huh? Who's takin' care of you?"
Beth's heart fell a little, and for just a moment she looked away. No one was the answer to that, but somehow she couldn't bring herself to say that to Rio.
"I can take care of myself."
Rio smiled a little at that and nodded, saluting her with his drink. "Don't I know it, Mamma."
It didn't feel like he was mocking her, and Beth lifted her glass too, feeling warm all over.
Rio looked down into his empty glass pensively, lifting one eyebrow. "You know, I ain't got many regrets, but I been kickin myself for never kissing you."
Beth felt the heat flush her face from her neck up to the top of her head.
"Rio..."
"You gonna tell me you ain't never thought about it?"
She sighed and bit her lip but damn if she doesn't hold his gaze. "Your little friends are missing you," she said in an attempt to divert him, her eyes sliding over to the booth where Rio had been sitting. Both of his companions were giving her the evil eye.
"Who?"
Rio's gaze never left hers, and Beth's bosom heaved just a little as she took a deep breath.
"It was...messy before," Rio mused. "I don't like my lady to be afraid of me, but you worked for me so you had to be. That's how it is, but it made things difficult."
It would have been a lie to pretend that forbidden element did not also fuel their little flame, but he was right in a way.
"Are you saying you're not really such a bad guy?" she teased.
"Somethin’ like that." There was a long moment of eye contact, and Beth forgot how much she had missed this little game of eye-fucking Rio. Yet maybe it didn't have to be a game anymore. The stakes were all too real. "So, you want to get out of here?"
Blue eyes went wide as saucers. Maybe she had never really done this before, but she watched enough TV to understand the code.
"You're serious?" A part of her just couldn't believe this was happening.
"I'm always serious, Red, you know that."
She met his eyes and she felt his gaze pulling at her, willing her to give in. She never had before. It had felt like a luxury she couldn't afford—a line she couldn't cross. But now there was nothing really to stop her. Before she really knew what she was doing she felt herself nodding, and for a moment his smile was as blinding as looking into the sun.
"Cool."
He immediately turned to close his tab, and Beth sat wide eyed, wondering what the hell she'd just done. Something crazy? Something wonderful? She would find out. She had to text Annie, and she shot off a quick message.
I had to go. If you are in trouble call me.
There was no answer by the time Rio returned to her, his dark eyes smoldering with a barely banked fire.
"Ready?"
"Yeah." She took the hand he offered, allowing him to help her off the high stool. Her legs felt a little unsteady, but it wasn't the whiskey or her four inch pumps. Playfully Rio tugged her a little, bringing her flush against the hard line of his body. She gasped, a hand flying to steady herself against his chest. He felt like he was carved out of wood. Mahogany, maybe. Something dark and fine...
Realizing she was oogling him, her eyes flew back up to his, to find his mouth curled in that wonderfully infuriating smirk.
"Alright?"
She narrowed her eyes, and for the briefest moment she considered kissing that smirk off his face.
"Lead the way." With an arm insinuated about her waist he was all too happy to do just that, pulling her towards the exit. She liked being tucked up against his lean body like she was something precious to him, something worthy of protection. She also liked the way he didn't have a problem with taking charge—she always had. Maybe because she was always at the helm, it felt so good to hand someone else the wheel for a change.
At the elevator Beth was surprised when Rio hit the up button. She paid him a questioning look, which he answered with a raised brow. "I got a room upstairs, if that's all right with you."
She couldn't miss the note of teasing in his tone. She was so used to being in charge that she didn't know how to turn it off, even with Rio. She supposed that had been a problem for them before, but now it just seemed to amuse him.
"Yeah, that'll do," she fired back, winning that smirk that kindled something hot and reckless low in her belly.
Their staring contest was interrupted by the dinging of the elevator door opening before them, and with an arm around her waist Rio pulled her inside. As the doors slid closed, affording them some modicum of privacy, Rio cradled her face in his large palm. Beth shivered as the tips of his fingers teased her hairline, tucking a stray lock behind her ear, and he looked down at her like something he would like to devour—and lick the plate too.
"Goddamn you are beautiful."
Beth's eyes widened a little at the vehemence of the declaration. Just that morning she'd counted three new crows feet at the corners of her eyes, and she kind of assumed that the rest of her body was betraying her in similar ways she didn't even realize. But the way Rio looked at her—she felt like Helen of Troy, and like no time and no bad blood had passed between them at all.
"Rio—" Before she could finish her sentence, or even her thought, his lips descended to hers. He held her face between his hands like she was something precious to behold and proceeded to kiss her silly, his full lips and clever tongue coaxing her open to him. Her hands slid beneath his jacket, investigating the trim outline of his waist, the ladder of his ribcage, the musculature of his back as she held him to her. A fleeting fear that she might appear too desperate came and went as Rio walked her backwards into the wall of the elevator, the length of his lean body pressing into hers. He stole the breath from her lungs with the weight of his body and his lips upon her neck, his teeth grazing the curve of her clavicle. They lost themselves so entirely in this long-coveted lock of lips that they failed to separate as the elevator came to a stop, only glancing up when the doors opened and a small group of startled onlookers gasped for the sight before them.
Laughing with an almost boyish glee, Rio took her hand and pulled her onwards, ignoring their audience completely with his prize in his grasp. The group of scandalized guests parted like water for them, and Rio led her down the hallway, their progress staggered as he paused every twenty feet to kiss Beth again and again. She really didn’t know how her legs were still able to function, he made her so weak in the knees. Again he trapped her against a door that she hoped was his, but his lips on hers made her forget all her trepidation. She forgot manners, decorum, the fact that they were still basically in public, as his mouth descended to her neck once more and sucked upon her pulse point, the scrape of his teeth tearing an embarrassingly wanton cry from deep in her throat.
With hooded eyes Rio drew back to look at her, digging in the inside pocket of his jacket and producing a plastic keycard. With a heavy breath he held it up, and it took a few moments for Beth to focus on something besides his eyes upon her. “You sure you want this, Mamma?”
With a shaky little laugh she nodded, her hands fisting in the lapels of his obviously expensive suit jacket. The fabric was smooth and fine beneath her fingers. This did not come from Men’s Warehouse, she mused.
“I’ve wanted this ever since…” She closed her eyes for a moment, willing her brain to think about something besides his narrow hips pressed against hers. She could feel that he wanted her and the long-forgotten power in that knowledge made her feel a little drunk. Far more than the whiskey she’d imbibed earlier did. “Since I left you the pearls.”
Maybe before that, even, if she was really honest with herself.
She’d always been attracted to men who were leaders. The alpha of the pack. Once upon a time that had been Dean, captain of the football team and the most popular guy in school. That glory had faded long ago, but she’d recognized that feeling of desire when she walked into Rio’s warehouse that day, the massive space teeming with people working on processing his fake money, and he the grand ringleader in the center of it all, so full of energy and decisive confidence as he spoke to the man in the suit and his employees.
That was the night she knew he was no average thug, and maybe the night she also knew she would never be the same. Never be able to go back to being boring Beth Boland, Mother of Four Extraordinaire.
Rio closed his eyes, a low sound escaping from deep in his throat as he recalled that night. “I mighta had an inkling,” he admitted humbly, that infuriating half smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. He thought back on that night when he’d sought her out, that strand of pearls heavy in his pocket. He’d kept them for days as a talisman, running his fingers over their cool smooth surface as he’d decided whether or not he wanted to get mixed up with this woman again. He’d known the smart thing to do would be to make a clean break—but in the end he hadn’t been able to help himself.
Only later would he find the strength to really let her go, but here they were again. Maybe there really was such a thing as fate?
Beth narrowed her eyes, poking him lightly in the ribs. In her current position she felt bold enough to retort, “As if I was the only one.”
Rio’s laughter was husky with desire, and he leaned down to steal another slow wet kiss. “Fine, I’ll come clean, baby. I didn’t think you wanted to talk business when you left me those pearls,” he said, the meaning sinking in as he looked at her from hardly an inch away.
He’d thought she wanted something decidedly morecarnaland he’d come running.
That acknowledgment that this crazy attraction hadn’t been some invention concocted in the imagination of a deranged soccer mom sent a thrill from Beth’s head to her toes.
Beth took a deep breath, inhaling the heady spiced cologne and clean skin scent of him. It all made her a little dizzy. Rio watched her hungrily, mesmerized by the electric blue fire of her eyes as she mulled all this over.
“Are you going to open this door?” she finally asked, hardly recognizing her own voice. “Or am I going to have to do indecent things to you out here in the hall?”
With a heated look Rio slid the keycard home and opened the door to his room, pulling Beth inside. She followed him gladly, and again she had that feeling, an excitement that thrummed in the very marrow of her bones, a certain knowledge that there would be no going back.
Gladly she followed the devil down this dark fork in the road, skipping all the way.