Read Online Mob Boss 4: Romancing Trina Gabrini by Mallory Monroe - Free Book Online
Authors: Mallory Monroe
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her mind.
You can run,
but you can’t hide .
And it made her pray, over and over, that it
was a saying that didn’t find a way, especially in their new life in Georgia,
to even attempt to come true.
CHAPTER FOUR
Shanell Ridgeway stood at the back of her
Mustang, in front of her ex-husband’s home, and watched her son retrieve his
luggage from the trunk. Although his face
gave the look of a conservative, innocent young man, his clothes were all hip
and modern, even down to the baggy jeans he favored. Nell used to worry sick about him, and if he
would receive the wrong influences in his young life. But now she was at ease. She raised him right, and it showed.
“Got everything?” she asked him.
“Think so.”
“Did you remember to get the money I left for
you on the counter?”
“I’ve got it,” Jimmy Mack Ridgeway said with a
smile. He was well accustomed to his
mother’s check-off list every time they parted for the weekend.
“Make sure, Jimmy. I don’t want Fred Ridgeway claiming I sent
you over here broke.”
“I’ve got it, Ma, stop worrying. Dad’s not like that.”
Nell wanted to roll her eyes. Dad was exactly like that and worse, she wanted to say. “If there’s any problems at all,” she said instead, “you call me, boy. I don’t care what time of day or night it is. I’ll come and get you.”
Jimmy looked his massive greenish-gray eyes at
his mother. Although he was seventeen
years old, he was a small, shy seventeen year old with silky-rich brown hair
that flopped around his forehead in a pile of curls, making him appear as if he
was about to enter puberty rather than adulthood. And that same hair, and those same eyes, and
that light-oak complexioned skin, also made him fodder for local gossip. Ever since Nell returned to Crane with a
two-year-old baby in her arms, and Fred Ridgeway claimed that baby as his,
she’d heard it. “That is not Fred’s
baby,” some would boldly claim. “That’s
a white man’s baby.”
But overtime, and as times changed, most of
the gossip died down. Soon, most of the
locals just accepted Jimmy Ridgeway as nobody’s son but Fred’s. Not all. But most.
“Stop worrying so much, Ma,” Jimmy said. He loved the idea of going to Nebraska, and
being with his father. But he was going
to meet his father’s fiancée and her family, and he dreaded that part.
And having his mother so apprehensive wasn’t
helping his anxiety at all. “I’ll be
okay,” he said to her.
“But I mean it, Jimmy,” Nell said to him. “I’ll come and get you.”
Jimmy smiled. “You’ll come and get me? We’re
going to be in Nebraska, Ma, not around the corner.”
“And I’ll still come and get you! You don’t know those people.”
“But Dad does. He’ll protect me.”
Nell exhaled. He had such confidence in Fred, and rightly so. Although the man was a lousy husband who
cheated on her with abandon, he’d always treated Jimmy well. But the idea of her son
being so far away from her for the first time in his life . . .
She frowned, rubbed her son’s thin arm. “I don’t see why you have to go with him,
anyway.”
“He’s getting married, Ma. He wants me at his wedding. He wants me to meet his fiancée and her
family. Besides, he’s moving to Nebraska
for good, and I want to see where he’s staying and everything.”
“Why you need to see that? You aren’t moving there with him, I don’t
care what he wants.”
Jimmy stared at his mother. He’d give his right arm for her to find a
good man that could sweep her off of her feet. She was fast becoming a bitter woman with dwindling prospects,
especially when every man interested in her ended up being rebuffed by
her. But that was his mother. Most times
she was a calm , caring woman who loved
You can run,
but you can’t hide .
And it made her pray, over and over, that it
was a saying that didn’t find a way, especially in their new life in Georgia,
to even attempt to come true.
CHAPTER FOUR
Shanell Ridgeway stood at the back of her
Mustang, in front of her ex-husband’s home, and watched her son retrieve his
luggage from the trunk. Although his face
gave the look of a conservative, innocent young man, his clothes were all hip
and modern, even down to the baggy jeans he favored. Nell used to worry sick about him, and if he
would receive the wrong influences in his young life. But now she was at ease. She raised him right, and it showed.
“Got everything?” she asked him.
“Think so.”
“Did you remember to get the money I left for
you on the counter?”
“I’ve got it,” Jimmy Mack Ridgeway said with a
smile. He was well accustomed to his
mother’s check-off list every time they parted for the weekend.
“Make sure, Jimmy. I don’t want Fred Ridgeway claiming I sent
you over here broke.”
“I’ve got it, Ma, stop worrying. Dad’s not like that.”
Nell wanted to roll her eyes. Dad was exactly like that and worse, she wanted to say. “If there’s any problems at all,” she said instead, “you call me, boy. I don’t care what time of day or night it is. I’ll come and get you.”
Jimmy looked his massive greenish-gray eyes at
his mother. Although he was seventeen
years old, he was a small, shy seventeen year old with silky-rich brown hair
that flopped around his forehead in a pile of curls, making him appear as if he
was about to enter puberty rather than adulthood. And that same hair, and those same eyes, and
that light-oak complexioned skin, also made him fodder for local gossip. Ever since Nell returned to Crane with a
two-year-old baby in her arms, and Fred Ridgeway claimed that baby as his,
she’d heard it. “That is not Fred’s
baby,” some would boldly claim. “That’s
a white man’s baby.”
But overtime, and as times changed, most of
the gossip died down. Soon, most of the
locals just accepted Jimmy Ridgeway as nobody’s son but Fred’s. Not all. But most.
“Stop worrying so much, Ma,” Jimmy said. He loved the idea of going to Nebraska, and
being with his father. But he was going
to meet his father’s fiancée and her family, and he dreaded that part.
And having his mother so apprehensive wasn’t
helping his anxiety at all. “I’ll be
okay,” he said to her.
“But I mean it, Jimmy,” Nell said to him. “I’ll come and get you.”
Jimmy smiled. “You’ll come and get me? We’re
going to be in Nebraska, Ma, not around the corner.”
“And I’ll still come and get you! You don’t know those people.”
“But Dad does. He’ll protect me.”
Nell exhaled. He had such confidence in Fred, and rightly so. Although the man was a lousy husband who
cheated on her with abandon, he’d always treated Jimmy well. But the idea of her son
being so far away from her for the first time in his life . . .
She frowned, rubbed her son’s thin arm. “I don’t see why you have to go with him,
anyway.”
“He’s getting married, Ma. He wants me at his wedding. He wants me to meet his fiancée and her
family. Besides, he’s moving to Nebraska
for good, and I want to see where he’s staying and everything.”
“Why you need to see that? You aren’t moving there with him, I don’t
care what he wants.”
Jimmy stared at his mother. He’d give his right arm for her to find a
good man that could sweep her off of her feet. She was fast becoming a bitter woman with dwindling prospects,
especially when every man interested in her ended up being rebuffed by
her. But that was his mother. Most times
she was a calm , caring woman who loved
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