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“Never,” he says, using the hand in my hair to pull my head back and look into my eyes. “I’m never letting you go. You try, I’ll chase you. I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth and drag you back, kicking and screaming, until you’re here where you belong.”
For a split second, I melt.
It’s strange, a little fucking unhinged, but his words are kind of sweet in a mob boss kind of way.
And then reality kicks in, and even I can understand that train of thought is undoubtedly un-fucking-hinged. Reality also reminds me of everything that’s happened, and I scoff.
Because I’m remembering how for two weeks, I’ve been the easy piece of ass he sleeps with at night in secret, the woman he leaves before the sun rises and has working at his strip club to pay off her father’s debts.
Jesus.
I’m an idiot.
“Oh, where I belong is some hidden woman in the corner, your little gumad, while you go off and rule? To do what, pray tell? Launder your dirty money through disposal companies and strip clubs and force men to take debts they can’t pay back?”
My body stills when I realize I gave myself away. A woman who is made of iron and fire doesn’t care if she’s being fucked well and used. She lets it happen while she plans her grand revenge, allowing it to be the source of her heat. A woman who complains, who lets the disrespect cut deep, is weak. A woman like that can be manipulated and hurt. But either he doesn’t notice the slight change in my body or he doesn’t care.
Regardless, his next words floor me.
“Where you belong is next to me, ruling alongside me, my daisy queen.”
Again, the room quiets, the world spinning just a bit slower with his words.
“What the—"
“I know who you are, Lilah. And I know why you’re here.” The blood runs cold in my veins, panic setting in.
“I’m here to pay off my father’s debts. To blacklist him,” I say, my voice going carefree and easy, repeating the story that I told Paulie.
“You’re here because your sister was nearly killed by one of my family’s men.”
Nearly killed.
Not kidnapped.
Not assaulted.
Killed.
“Johnny didn’t—" I don’t even think about the fact that I’m showing my hand knowing who and what he’s talking about.
“You and I both know if your sister’s man didn’t stop things when they happened, she would be dead or wishing she were.” I lick my lips, nausea bubbling at the truth in his words.
I know he’s right.
“You want payback on a family who destroyed yours. Who let your father get in too deep when you girls were already hurting from a loss. You want us to pay.”
“I just want to balance the scales. To get the debt cleared and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” I say, my voice low and quiet, nervous.
It seems he ignores me, continuing to talk.
“You’re not here to get even. You’re here to find a weakness to tip the scale in your favor. Have you found it yet?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say in a breathy voice.
“Oh, sweet, beautiful, bright girl. You don’t get it, do you? I’m here to help you.” The hand in my hair moves, tugging out the hair tie and letting it fall down my back before his arm wraps around the small of my waist.
With his words and the gentle movement, though, he lost me.
