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My eyes glass over. “She looks so young and…pure.”
Brantley’s eyes drift over my head as he loses focus. “Yeah. I know. She’s younger than you, though. Not by much.”
“Her name is Saint?” I ask, tilting my head.
“Yeah. I named her.”
I study Brantley’s posture, how he positions himself in a defensive stance while we speak about her. Yeah, I wouldn’t breathe near this girl without his permission. At all. It’s frightening while being beautiful at the same time. To witness the scariest man I have ever met, ever known, with such a dark past and soul, soften toward a girl who is the opposite of him, is some sort of witchcraft.
“Okay. We don’t need to talk about her anymore, but I do want to meet her…”
Brantley relaxes. “Yeah. Well, since everyone knows about her, and Nate is owned, I have no problem bringing her around.”
“Aye!” Nate laughs, his head tilting back. “What, me? Little old me? You didn’t want to bring her around because of me?”
Brantley rolls his eyes. “Don’t fuckin’ play dumb, Malum. Chicks fall to your cock. Though I knew she wouldn’t, I couldn’t risk killing you just in case you, or she, did.”
“Mmm!” I whine, swiping my mouth after I take a sip of alcohol. “So Valentina staked her claim on you, since you’re owned now?”
The room falls silent, all that’s filling the space is the music from outside. When Nate doesn’t answer me, I bring my eyes to his. My stomach flips at the way he’s looking at me.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
I don’t want to admit that I want to know what happened when he and Bishop stayed behind, because that would show I care.
He props one knee up and rests his elbow on it, leaning his head back against the wall. He smirks. “You think I fucked Valentina when I stayed behind in Perdita…”
“—Okay,” I hear Eli mutter from somewhere in the room. “I’m going to get pussy. Mommy and Daddy are fighting again.”
“I don’t even care,” I answer with a level voice.
Nate reaches out and grabs my hand, tugging me forward. I end up on my knees in front of him as he looks up at me from sitting on the ground. His hand drifts up my cardigan and then he yanks me down so I’m face-to-face with him.
“Liar.”
I search his eyes. “Does it matter?”
He chuckles. “Not fucking really.”
I shove at his chest, pushing off him. “I don’t even know why I bothered.” He doesn’t let me move so I shove harder until I’m back on my feet. I find Bishop. “You need to get in contact with Madison.” Then I look at Brantley. “Thank you, Bran Bran. It’s been fun.”
Brantley’s eyes shift to Nate desperately.
“I feel so much fucking better now that everything is deciphered. Only took a few murders, some hot sex, and losing my best friend, daughter, the man I fucking love, but whatever. Sayonara, bitches.” I throw up deuces and turn, bearing straight for the front door. I need to run. One-thousand miles and clear my head.
“There’s one little issue with your big dramatic exit, baby…” Nate murmur-slurs from behind me. Khalid’s “OTW” thuds through the speakers.
I freeze, my fingers on the door handle. Slowly, I turn back around to face him, finding him a few steps in front of me.
“And what’s that?” I ask, tilting my head.
“Just before you walked your little ass up in here, I made a promise to myself.”
“Oh, you did, huh?” I humor him. “What was that promise?”
I’m tired and drained. I just want to finally mourn losing him. Losing him. I’ve never had to do it because we’ve always lingered together.
“Yeah.” He smirks, taking a tentative step.
I step back.
He counters that by coming further.
My back slams against the door.
His hands fly up to either side of my head, his head dipping down to mine. He runs his nose tip over mine. “I promised myself that I’d let you go—until you walked your ass back into a house that I’m in, then I’m not letting you go. Ever.”
I roll my eyes, shoving his hard chest, but he doesn’t move. “Stop being ridiculous. I’m tired of the games.”
His eyes narrow, then drop to my lips. “Not a game, baby. Gamechanger.” He comes closer, his body pressing against mine and leans down, his lips floating across my ear. “I’ll lock you in my room if I have to. You’re not leaving me this time, or ever again.”
I swallow. “I can’t do this, Nate.” I can feel all the emotions and feelings I have for him roaring to the surface. “I can’t continue to love someone who isn’t manufactured to love back. I can’t fucking compete with other girls when it comes to your affection, and I can’t fucking handle not having all of you!”
He slams me up against the door, his hands coming to my thighs. He lifts me off the floor and out of instinct, I wrap my legs around his lean waist. One hand rests on the front of my throat as his thumb caresses my collarbone. His other is wrapped around my lower back.
