Worth the Chance

Chapter 39

Liv

It’s a four hour drive clear across the state from Chicago to Macomb, even at the speed that Vinny drives. The early evening sky is drenched in the last of the sun. It turns the horizon in front of us a deep mix of orange and purples. Scootching close enough to lean my head on Vinny’s shoulder, his arm wraps around me and pulls me even tighter.

“Do you want to talk about why we’re going wherever we’re going?” Tilting my head up, our eyes meet at a glance before his return to the darkening road ahead. Vinny exhales a deep breath, a long moment of silence before he finally answers.

“My mother’s a drug addict. Has been as long as I can remember.” My heart tightens in my chest hearing his low spoken words, even though he’s confirming what I already know. “Has a habit of getting herself into trouble. This time, it’s with a dealer that doesn’t screw around. Not a good guy.”

“What are you going to do?” There’s no disguising the worry in my voice, Vinny hears it too.

“Nothing. Don’t worry. I just need to find the guy who got her into this mess and drag him back.” His grip on my shoulder tightens. Realizing his words just aren’t doing it, he’s trying to assure me with his physical strength.

“Is he dangerous?”

“To himself. He’s a dirtbag. A loser. That’s who I was looking for the other night when I saw Krissy.”

My body stiffens just hearing her name from his lips. Vinny notices. “I’m sorry about that too. She knows him, I asked her to reach out to him. Nothing more.”

Inhaling a deep breath and exhaling slowly, I admit the truth, “I know.”

“You knew nothing happened?” surprised, he responds.

“Deep down I knew you were telling me the truth.”

“So why did you storm out?”

Unable to keep the truth from him when he’s being so open and honest, sheepishly, I come to terms with full disclosure. “I was jealous.”

“Jealous, huh?” I don’t have to look to know he’s smiling, but I glance up at him anyway.

“What are you smiling at?” I nudge him in the ribs playfully.

“You like me.” His smile widens.

“You’re just figuring that out now?”

“A lot.”

Rolling my eyes, even though he can’t see me with his eyes on the road, “You’re full of yourself.”

“Maybe. But you’re hot for me anyway.”

Isn’t it the truth?

Hours later we pull into a parking lot of a small hotel. “He’s staying here?”

“No.”

“Do you need to rest?”

“No. I’m checking us in so you can stay safe while I go find him.”

“I want to go with you.” I loathe the sound that comes from my mouth, whiney and grating.

He parks near the main entrance and reaches into the back and grabs our bags. “You’re staying here where I know you’re safe.”

“But…”

“Liv, these people are drug addicts and dirtbags. I can’t be distracted with you there and keep us both safe while I find this loser.”

“So I’m a distraction?” My voice rises higher.

Hooking his arm around my neck, he pulls me close to him. “You’re a big fucking distraction,” he says without remorse to my face.

Insulted, I try to pull back from his grip, but my effort is fruitless. “Not so fast.” There’s an edge to his voice. He waits until he catches my eyes before continuing. “I’m fucking crazy about you, so yeah, you’re a big damn distraction. So how about you give me this one. Cut me some slack. Because the faster I find him, the faster I can be back and show you just how much you distract me.”

A strong sense of feminine satisfaction rolls over me, making me forget what I was even fighting for. Everything that came after ‘I’m fucking crazy about you’ unnecessary, he already had me convinced.