“You’re pushing it now,” she bites out. “I’m fine if you ask nicely, but if you get all demanding on me, I won’t fucking listen to you.”
She turns away from me, and I capture her hand, pull her back, and kiss the side of her neck. “I love you.”
She gasps at my words.
I let her go and see Joey staring at me with wide eyes.
I nod at him and we walk off.
When I look back, she hasn’t moved.
You didn’t really think I would keep him at my house, did you? Someone like me would learn early on that you keep your business out of your home.
Well, unless it’s holding a very attractive woman hostage, that is. Granted, that was the first time I’d ever done that. It’s what fucked me over right from the start.
I should have taken her out into the alley and shot her.
That was the plan.
But instead, I took her.
That was the backup plan.
I don’t regret that decision now in the slightest.
I’d take her again in a heartbeat.
“Tell me.” I lean over him, my non-delivery food guy, with my clothes now covered in blood. His blood. Joey sits to the side, a cigarette at his lips as he smirks at me.
“He took her.”
He’s already told me everything, as much as he can anyway, but I knew he was holding something back. They’re always in hopes they can use it for leverage.
“Took who?” The guy spits and it lands on my bare feet. Looking down to the blood that coats my toes, then back to him, I smack him hard across his face. He’s already missing two fingers, has been cut to shreds, yet he still wants to be a smartass.
He has some balls.
Pity I plan to cut them off him as well.
“Your fiancée,” he says, smirking through broken teeth.
“I fucking told you,” Roberto screams from behind me.
“Sit the fuck down,” I tell him and look back to my non-food delivery dude. “Where is she?” He shakes his head.
For fuck’s sake, I don’t have time for this. Reaching behind me, Joey slides a gun into my hand, and I push the barrel into the guy’s face. His eyes are half-closed, not able to open the whole way, due to the pounding I have given him with my knuckles.
“Hopefully in a million pieces, if Romarc has his way. He will send her to you piece by piece.”
“Thanks for the idea.” I place my hand behind me again, and Joey puts something cool in my palm. In two swift movements, I cut off the guy’s pointer finger. Screams echo through the hall, and Roberto pulls me back by my shoulder, which makes Joey step up next to me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Roberto asks, his eyes steady on me.
“You really have it bad for her, don’t you?”
“She’s your fiancée, are you not worried for her?” Roberto bites back. He has never been like this. Ever. Something for sure is up his ass. Yes, he had a crush on Paige all those years ago, but she has never had eyes for him. Paige is what we like to call a self-centered, cares about no one but herself, cunt. She couldn’t give two shits about anyone and only cares about what she can get out of any given situation.
“No more games, it’s time to find him.” Joey nods and leaves, and I look to Roberto. “Go!” His head snaps up and he follows, closing the door behind him.
I look back to my delivery driver.
“Your men hate you,” he says, smiling, showing me a mouth full of bloody teeth.
“What makes you say that?”
The asshole chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re easy to hate.”
“If you say so.” I lift my gun and shoot him right between the eyes. Blood and brains splatter everywhere painting the walls behind him in some sort of abstract artwork.
Romarc wasn’t this much of an issue years ago. He was tolerable but vindictive, but I never did trust him.
And now I know why.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sailor
He said those words.
Words I never thought he was capable of.
And he said them to me.
After everything that’s happened. And why on earth did I feel it everywhere when he said them? Like every part of me came alive at those three little words.
Then he left me standing there.
Lost.
Until Wren’s soft cry pulled me to move in her direction.
I spent all day in bed, barely watching television because his words wouldn’t stop repeating in my mind, over and over and over again.
Is he capable of love?
Does he understand how to love a woman?
I get it. He loves his mother and Wren, but they are different kinds of love. This is relationship love and with that brings in all kinds of feelings. The kind where our love will be different to what he’s used to.
The door bursts open and my heart rate picks up thinking it’s him. When I see Piper standing there, I deflate and it’s obvious it shows on my face.