Don't Play With Fire

Chapter Two

New Jersey, Seven Am

"You feel that?" I said to Juno as she looked out of the window with a smile, her head nodding. "That's the feeling of frostbite and windchill."

"Yeah.. but I like it." I made a grunt of disapproval and looked back ahead of me, my hand on the steering wheel as we passed through Vineland. One more hour. "I don't remember much of New Jersey but I remember my mom taking me somewhere to get.. um.. what was it?"

"Rigatoni." I responded with a nod. "She did know the best food spots, didn't she?" Frowning at her silence, I looked over in time to see Juno sighing, her head resting on the window. "Hey, when was the last time I cooked us a meal huh?"

Her eyes lit up as she looked over at me. "Really? Will you really?"

"Sure kid, I'll make you some Rigatoni, or make some stuffed peppers." Her eyes closed and she sunk down into the seat with a nod. "Or maybe even-"

"Bruschetta with mozzarella." We said at the same time and I smiled widely as she dropped her head back laughing.

"You know what you guys can do?" I looked in the rear view mirror as Stefano sat up from his lengthy nap in the back seat. "You guys could not talk about food when I'm starving."

"Relax, we can grab a snack from the the gas station. We still have forty minutes left." I said as I signaled right before pulling off of the highway and taking the exit to the nearest gas station. "Okay everyone use the restroom, grab one drink and one snack." I looked over at Juno and gave her a look. "One of each. No tricks, no stealing."

"I won't sheesh." She said but I saw the small smirk on her lips.

Letting it go, I climbed out of the car and put the gas pump in before swiping my card with the outside machine and punching in my atm code. "Grab me a Gatorade and some skittles." I told Juno before handing her my card.

"Gotcha boss." She teased and pulled her beanie down before strutting off.

I leaned against the car with a sigh, scratching my head as I watched the numbers for the gas gallons go up in split seconds. Why was this shit so expensive?

"Excuse me?" I looked over and saw a girl walk up. I blinked slowly as her beauty stunned me for a second. "Do you have a light?" She asked and I looked down at her red covered lips where a fresh cigarette sat.

"Uh.. yeah, give me a second." I opened the front door and leaned over to grab the lighter from the cup holder. At the same time, I saw her hand reach out toward my back pocket. Smirking, I grabbed the lighter before quickly spinning around and grabbing her hand. "A little handsy huh?" I questioned with her wrist in my grip. I then grabbed the cigarette from her lips and placed it between my own before lighting it. I took in the cancerous smoke before blowing it into her face. "I see you're as cheap with your cigarettes too.. Get lost."

"Asshole." She hissed and grabbed my hand that was holding her arm and pushed it off of her before shoving my chest and walking away. I shook my head with a chuckle as I tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it, watching her climb into an old black Camaro. Seconds later, smoke emitted from the window as she held out a cigarette, flicking the ash on the pavement then driving off. You can't con a con artist. Just doesn't work, especially not on me.