Sal bolted out of his chair in reaction to that news. The guy was there all f**king weekend and he’d spent the night at her place? He ran his hand roughly through his hair. “And you’re sure it was Nevada plates?”

“Yep, I mean it could be a coincidence but—”

“Nah, it’s no coincidence that’s his car.” Sal couldn’t believe he could be so wrong about her.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so either. So whatta ya want me to do? I could still look into it but I mean… this pretty much says it all.”

Sal stopped pacing and shook his head. “No. Don’t waste anymore time on her. I don’t need to know anything else. But thanks.”

The second he hung up Sal picked up the coffee mug on his desk and flung it across the room. Hearing it smash into a million pieces was what he needed at that moment. But it did little to calm him.

Oscar rushed in the room. “You okay in here?”

Sal could barely breath straight much less talk. He nodded and pointed at the door. “Just close the door will you? I need a minute.”

Oscar stared at him for a moment without moving.

“Close the f**king door!”

Oscar flinched at Sal’s booming voice but reached for the knob and walked out closing the door behind him.

By the time Alex got there Sal had done nothing but obsess about Grace with that guy and even though he’d told himself he’d want nothing to do with her if she was sleeping with him he needed answers or he was going to explode.

Alex stopped and stared at the coffee stain on the wall and then the shards of coffee mug all over the floor. “What the hell? What happened?”

Sal grabbed his keys and phone. “I’ll explain later. I gotta go.”

He rushed past a still stunned looking Alex and out the door.

CHAPTER 35

After hours of trying to figure out how best to handle Grace’s latest dilemma she finally had to change the subject. She was so drained from this topic already.

“So Rose is mad at me.”

That obviously surprised both Joey and Taylor. “I thought you said you haven’t told her.”

“No not about this. It’s about Vincent.”

Joey nodded knowingly. “Ah, what happened?”

“Yesterday after she got home—mind you she spent Friday evening with him and most of the day yesterday—she asks if it would be okay if he picked her up from school instead of taking the school bus. So I told her no. Three days in less than a week is a bit much, don’t you guys think?”

Taylor made a face and she knew he would. He, as always, was on Rose’s side. God, he loved spoiling her. Before he’d start stating why he didn’t agree with Grace, she lifted her hand. “Remember, Taylor. She’s only fifteen.”

“But if they’re just hanging out and if you know you can trust her, and you know you can Grace, then I don’t see the issue.”

Joey shook his head. Finally someone was on her side. “I think you’re forgetting, Taylor, what it’s like to be a sixteen-year-old boy. Too much time together could be trouble. Not to mention that his own cousin warned Grace about him.” Joey turned back to Grace. “So she’s mad at you, sweetie?”

Grace nodded a bit saddened. “I hate for her to be mad at me but I told her it was for her own good. I knew the time would come when she would rebel even against me. I just didn’t think it would be after only a couple of times of hanging with him.”

“You really think she’ll rebel? Like maybe get sneaky?” Joey asked.

Grace hadn’t thought that far ahead but the thought was alarming. What if she did? As if she really needed more to worry about.

The knock at the door was loud and severe, making all three of them turn at once. “Grace? You here? I need to talk to you.”

Sal’s voice was ominous—demanding. Rose was the first thing that came to mind. School had been out for over an hour and she hadn’t checked in like she normally would when Grace wasn’t home at that time. Grace assumed it was because she was mad at her but with Sal banging at the door she wasn’t sure what to think. She jumped from Joey and Taylor’s kitchen table where they’d all been sitting the entire time.

Without even thinking she hurried to the door and swung it open, her heart at her throat then feeling the all too familiar rush of emotion at the incredible sight of him. She barely managed to say the words. “What happened? Is Rose okay?”

A strange expression washed over him. “Rose?”

“Isn’t that why you’re here?” Her heart and mind raced at the same time.

His expression went suddenly hard. “No. I’m here because of that ass**le you’ve been with all weekend.”

With the relief of knowing this had nothing to do with Rose, suddenly the anger and hurt that she’d worked so hard to keep sedated over the past month began to emerge. The front she had to put up for everyone else’s sake, out of fear of worrying them she could no longer contain. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Sal didn’t back down instead he stood even taller, every word more looming than the last. “Is he here?” Sal eyes searched the small apartment. “I saw his car out front. Are you seeing him now, Grace?”

“That is none of your business.”

“Are you? It’s been what? A f**king month since we broke up?”

“What I do now is none of your business! Do you understand? You have a lot of gall coming here—”