Unspoken Rules (Rules 2)

“Like hell she is! You can’t seriously think it’s going to be that easy, do you? If so, you’re an even bigger idiot than I thought.”

Haze steps inside the apartment, a smirk settling upon his lips. He looks unbothered by Kendrick’s statement, his gaze locking with mine again as he lifts an eyebrow. I know he’s going to do something just by the cockiness radiating off him.

“If you’re making me choose between not breaking the stupid deal or keeping her alive, I know exactly what my choice is.”

I’m so conflicted. On one hand, I can’t ignore the butterflies literally destroying my stomach, but on the other, I also hate him in more ways than one. He’s here. He went through all this trouble to find us. Yet, he went to Bianca not even a day after I left. His mouth says that he cares…

But his dick said otherwise.

Haze continues. “So yeah, you’re right. I didn’t think it would be that easy.”

He glances at me. I know that look.

“Which is why I have to do this.”

I let out a gasp when Haze sends Kendrick flying with one strong and precise punch. My cousin drops unconscious, collapsing on the couch right behind him. It’s like he calculated it all. Like he knew Kendrick wouldn’t hit the ground.

That’s kind of nice of him.

Winter, stop finding a bright side to every shitty thing this guy does.

As senseless as this may sound, at first, I wonder why he doesn’t do this trick on all his opponents during the fights, but then I come to the simple conclusion that this probably would suck the fun right out of the street fighter experience. You’d assume the whole point is to win the old-fashioned way.

“Why the hell did you do that?” Panic consumes me as I kneel down next to my cousin.

“Oh, relax. He’ll wake up in a little while and still be a self-righteous imbecile.” His eyes wander around the room. “Where are your things? We need to get going.”

It doesn’t take him long to find what he’s looking for. Kendrick brought my luggage in when he was planning a realistic out-the-window escape.

“Wow. You’ve got some nerves. You can’t just casually ask me that after you knocked out my cous—”

He takes a step forward. “Hold that thought.”

Next thing I know, he’s out the front door, but this time, he’s walking out with something he didn’t have walking in: me. He threw me over his shoulder so quickly I couldn’t even put up a fight. With one hand carrying my stuff and the other supporting me, he walks around like I’m weightless. And I know I’m not. I’m pregnant with Chinese food. The boys spent the last month making sure of that.

He enters the elevator leading to the underground parking where I’m sure his car is waiting for us. I can’t help but wonder what he’ll say to the other residents of the building if they use the elevator at the same time and see him carrying me out.

“Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later.” I can picture him grinning as I wiggle around for freedom. I quickly give up. It’s no use. He’s stronger than me, and I only have one leg available.

Then, as the doors slowly close, he hits me with a sentence that brings back a thousand memories.

“I told you I wasn’t done annoying you yet, Kingston.”

5

Friends?

I wake up with a start, the honking of a car pulling me out of a dreamless sleep, and open my eyes halfway as the smell of leather and car freshener fills up my nostrils. I blink repeatedly and wait for my eyes to adjust to a light I did not anticipate. The first thing I see is a blue blanket covering me. We’re on the highway, and the sun is rising in the distance.

That’s when it comes back to me.

Haze showed up at the penthouse yesterday.

And knocked Kendrick out.

And sort of kidnapped me.

And I’m sort of pissed at him for all of the above.