Omerta

Chapter 25

         We were silent for a long time. All that could be heard around us was the trickle of running water down the stream and the birds. Once in a while a small breeze would rustle the trees. I thought maybe he'd fallen asleep, but I hadn't bothered to check. I wanted to capture this lighting while I still had it. I took a picture of the scene so I could go in later and add more of the details without having to do so by memory. But right now was the best time to get everything down. It was right here in front of me. 

You could softly hear my brushstrokes or my dabbing the paint once in a while too. I don't know what caught my eye, but I happened to look back, and realized Nick was actually wide awake and watching me. "Have you been staring at me this whole time?" I asked. "No. I was resting. Right now I'm watching," he said so easily. I shook it off and continued to sketch out and paint the view.

        "Hey...are you and your brother close?" I asked. There was a long pause and it was probably because the question had come so out of left field. "Uh, we don't go around braiding each other's hair or anything, but yeah we get along," he said, "Why?" 

I pursed my lips for a moment trying to decide how I wanted to phrase this. "He just said some things in the car that didn't sit right with me. I can't explain it" I shrugged. "Like what?" he asked, and I could hear him shifting around behind me. I didn't look at him, I continued with what I was doing. "He asked my opinion on whether or not I thought you were capable of handling this operation" I said honestly.

Nick snorted. "Did he, now?" he asked me sarcastically. "He made it seem like you were a bit off the rails and that he thought he'd have to 'handle' you or something. I don't know. It just didn't sit right with me," I said again. 

Not that I owe Nick a single thing, but out of the two of them I only know Nick to an extent. And maybe it's because he brought me here when I needed this stream most, but I felt like I should mention it right now. 

        He was suddenly standing right next to me which made me jump. He chuckled, not having meant to scare me. "Well, thanks for telling me. He's full of shit anyway. He can't 'handle' me. I'm the one running most operations these days" he informed me. "What else did he say?" he asked after a moment. My paint brush paused as I said, "He thought we had something going on between us." He hummed and rounded the easel so he was now in the way of my view. "And what'd you say in response to that?" he asked. "The truth. Well, half truth" I shrugged.

"Which is?" he pressed on. I just gaped at him for a moment. "Which is, that we do not have anything going on between us," I gave him the 'duh' face. He'd said so himself earlier today. 

"Good. He doesn't know anything about us having sex, so if he pokes around saying he knows something he's lying and trying to trick you into spilling the gossip I won't tell him myself" he warned me. "Nosy guy, huh?" I noted. 

Nick walked out of my way and somewhere behind me. When I felt the feather touch of his fingertips on my bare shoulder I halted in my brushstrokes and glanced back at him without turning around. "You had a loose hair on you," he gave me a grin that told me he was full of shit.

        "If that's the reason why you brought me here, to like cancel out yesterday's horror show by bringing me something good, then forget it because I'm not having sex with you" I warned him. "I'm offended," he scoffed. "I know you. You aren't a nice person, so why did you do a nice thing for me? I don't believe you did all this for a tan," I rolled my eyes at him. 

He had me move away from the easel and face him for a minute. He looked too good in his sunglasses and perfect olive skin under such dark hair. He's a tattooed masterpiece chiseled from the finest stone. From his neck to his knuckles he was painted in dark lines.