Sinning in Vegas (Vegas Morellis 2)

I can’t even breathe, adrenaline is rushing through my body so violently. I try to comply quickly, clumsily uncurling my legs and going to move off the couch, but before I can, Rafe’s arm locks around my neck and he yanks my body back against him like a shield. He had a gun stashed under the coffee table and he has it now, but instead of training it on Sin, he points the weapon at my temple.

“Take another fucking step, Sin. I dare you.”

My eyes bulge out and I claw at Rafe’s arm locked around my neck, trying to get him away from me.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Sin demands lowly.

“If you’re not sure, take another step and find out,” Rafe says calmly.

Sin doesn’t move.

“This is disappointing,” Rafe states, almost casually. “All the way around. I’m disappointed in both of you.”

I’m so angry at myself for being so worried about him, I want to claw his face off. I know my anger won’t help anything, but Rafe is so calm, I want to kill him. “Fuck you,” I spit.

“Now, now, we’ll get to that later,” Rafe assures me, then he kisses the side of my face just to be a dick.

An idea occurs to me out of nowhere. I’m not sure from where, I have no idea if I can pull it off, or if it will work, but what do any of us have to lose at this point?

“Not you,” I practically growl, jabbing a finger at Sin. “Him.”

Up until now, Sin was vibrating with anger. His eyes were cold, his lip was curled with dislike, but now he blinks in real surprise. “Me?”

“I have been texting you all goddamn day. I thought you were dead.”

Sin stares at me for a second, then says, “This isn’t really the time, Laurel.”

“I’m sick of both of you playing with my emotions,” I rage. “Enough is enough.”

As calmly as ever, Rafe tells me, “This isn’t going to work, kitten.”

“You’re not going to work,” I shoot back. “I’m done with both of you assholes. I’ve got news for you, I’m going back to Chicago and I’m never coming back. You don’t think your men would respect you if you let me be with your enforcer, just wait. See how impressed they are when you can’t keep me here even without competition. They’re going to laugh at you when you can’t even get me back from your own cousin. Mia will protect me, Mateo won’t let you have me back, then they’ll realize how powerless you really are. They’ll know what a fucking shitty ass boss you are—”

His arm tightens around my throat, momentarily stealing the breath from lungs and the angry words from my mouth. “If your strategy right now is to remind me why I don’t want to shoot you, you’re doing a very poor job.”

“Go ahead and shoot me,” I tell him. “Then Sin will kill you and maybe a real boss can take over Vegas.”

Instead of responding to my anger, Rafe just chuckles. “Your claws are adorable, kitten. Ineffective, but adorable. Is that as mean as you can get? I can get a lot meaner,” he promises. “Want me to show you?”

Dread consumes me at the thought of how mean he could get. I’m not worried he would be mean to me, but now I know Sin has some tender spots and Rafe surely knows about them, too.

My mind races, desperately grabbing for words to throw against the wall. I don’t know where any of Rafe’s weak spots are—

Oh wait. Yes, I do.

“That’s why Cassandra left you, you know.” His arm tightens even more, but I keep going. “She knew you were weak. Look at this, you can’t even take Sin on man-to-man, you have to use me as your human shield. That’s pathetic, Rafe. No wonder she couldn’t get wet for you anymore.”

Even Sin cringes when I add that last part, so I know I’m hitting the right spot.

I can’t see Rafe’s face. I wait to hear fury in his tone when he speaks. He’s quiet for several long, silent beats, then he asks calmly, “Are you done trying to goad me, Laurel? If not, keep going. I’ll wait.”

I’m so mad that my words didn’t work, I do the only thing I can think of. Rafe has one arm locked around my neck and one hand on the gun. Since he doesn’t have a third arm, he can’t move quickly enough to stop me.

I reach back and punch him in the dick.

He grunts like he just got the air knocked out of him, then growls into my ear, his body hunching over mine. “That was fucking mean.”

“I hate you,” I inform him.