I stood and gathered what little I had: my phone and the tattered remains of my jacket. Some of her crew looked like they were ready to jump me. After shrugging it back on, I met her eyes. “I should probably take my leave now, Petal.” Her brow rose, her expression twisting.
Part of me wanted her to pull me back, tell me I couldn’t leave, trap me there. But this was for the best. For now, at least. She was smart enough to know it, too.
Chapter 8
ADELINA
Cezar left, and my men exchanged brief glances, yet none dared to question me. After gesturing for them to vacate the room, Dorin settled on the bed. “What exactly happens now…Petal,” he quipped, putting extra emphasis on the nickname and fluttering his eyelashes with playful innocence.
“I will hurt you,” I retorted, pointing my finger at him. Holding his stomach, he erupted in laughter, finding my threat more entertaining than intimidating. “I guess we wait and see. Cezar is more than he seems to be, Dorin.”
Rising from my seat, I signaled for him to follow me, and we made our way out the door. I suddenly wanted ice cream, so I shoved Dorin into the car and informed him of our destination. The engine rumbled as we sped toward the nearest ice cream shop.
Inside, neither of us said much while we waited for our dessert.
“I can’t believe you eat that shit.” I slid his bowl away, nose wrinkling. To me, vanilla was the only flavor worthy of indulgence.
“All right, says the person who eats the plainest type of ice cream there is. I mean, have you no taste buds, Petal?” Dorinteased, staring down at his ice cream, deliberately avoiding eye contact.
“I swear to god, I will jump across this table and make you sorry for continuing to use the nickname he gave me,” I warned, my fists clenched around a broken plastic spoon.
“Sounds more like a pet name than a nickname,” Dorin remarked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
In a burst of frustration, I flung my half-melted ice cream at him. “Fucker,” I muttered, swiftly stealing his when he was still processing the situation.
“Real professional,Petal.” He chuckled, wiping it from his face and shirt. The red haze of anger clouded my judgment as I leaped over the table like a fucking cat, ready to pounce. Yet, Vasile intervened, wrapping his arms around my waist and thwarting my attack.
“Goddammit, let me go. I need to fuck him up. Let me go, fuck,” I protested, my fighting spirit gradually giving way to a resigned acceptance. In the car, I sat pouting, waiting for Dorin and the others to rejoin. Eventually, he got into the driver’s seat, presenting me with another bowl of vanilla ice cream—a tentative peace offering.
“I shall accept. But only because it’s you,” I conceded, taking it and savoring the cool sweetness, momentarily appeased by the familiar taste.
What had gotten into me? Why was Cezar able to get under my skin so easily?
Chapter 9
ADELINA
At the nightclub, Dorin and I stepped out of the car with some of my people trailing behind us. We were there to blend in and gather whatever information we could about an upcoming drug deal. A week had passed since Dorin first caught wind of it, and the more disruptions I caused within the underground networks, the better.
“We will go in and keep a low profile. Don’t do anything stupid.” I looked at a few of my guys who enjoyed dicking down women at places like this. Their carnal pleasures were not my business, but this wasn’t the time. Their shame at my warning was amusing.
As we reached the entrance, some obnoxious asshole stumbled out with another idiot beside him. The second I recognized the first one, my stomach dropped.
Cezar.
Before Dorin and I could avoid anything to do with him, he spotted us and staggered our way. “Heyyyyyy, frens… fancy meetin you hereee.”
Someone was chasing behind Cezar. Once he got closer, I realized it was Codrin. Unlike Darius, there wasn’t much information on the two younger brothers.
“Cezar, fuck, come on, man. Leave them alone.” Codrin tried to reel in his brother, but Cezar was bigger than him and not easy to move.
Dorin and I, along with my men, were trying to get around the situation when Cezar snatched my wrist. “Oh, come on… I knows you want all this.” He gestured to his body.
There it was, even in his drunken moments, the smirk never failed.
Before my men could act, because that would just cause a shit show, I got Cezar off me. “Stop being such an idiot.” I was talking to him like I knew him, which had his brother watching me a little too closely.
“Cezar, is this the fucking whore you were with the other night? The reason you got kidnapped? Fucking seriously.”
