Page 120 of Bishop

I drag my tongue along her mouth in a silent request for access.

She concedes, opening up to me right before her teeth latch into my bottom lip.

She bites down. Hard.

“Fuck.” I jerk back, tasting blood.

“You kiss me now, you piece of shit?” she whisper shouts, turning wild, legs kicking, hips jolting, wrists fighting against my hold. “Go to hell.”

She knees me in the thigh, too damn close to the family jewels.

“Calm yourself.” I release her wrists, giving her some semblance of freedom. “I only did it to get you to listen.”

Her eyes flare, a brief glimpse of pain shining in those ocean depths before I’m blindsided by the hard slap that lands across the left side of my face.

“Goddamnit, Abri.” I shove off of her and backtrack from the bed, my tongue prodding at the swelling on my bottom lip.

“Fuck you,” she whispers, crawling across the mattress.

Yeah, fuck me.

For helping.

For caring.

For obsessing.

Crunching gravel carries from outside, the untimely sound of another car pulling up.

She scrunches her nose, her look of betrayal killing me. “Let me guess—Salvo and Remy are here, too.”

22

ABRI

I sit at the head of the dining table. Lorenzo is at the opposite end. Matthew and Layla are to my right. Remy and Salvo on my left.

Bishop is the only one who remains standing, his frame tense near the glass doors, his back to us as he stares out at the hills.

I wish I’d taken that bump instead of throwing the open vial across the room in anger. Maybe then my lips wouldn’t continue to burn from his kiss.

I sniff again, just to increase his rage over the misconception of my drug use and suppress my delight when his spine stiffens.

“Bishop said you were in trouble.” Matthew gently breaks the silence. “Whatever it is, we’re here to help.”

I drag my focus to the coffee mug Layla placed in front of me a few minutes ago, the barely visible wisps of heat trailing into the air.

I swallow over the thick lump of my mistakes, trying to ignore the growing mass clogging my throat.

“What’s going on?” he continues. “Are you in danger?”

“I think we’re all in danger after what you did.” I meet his gaze. “Mom will come after us.”

“My sister will be handled.” Lorenzo gives a sad smile. “There’s no need to worry.”

“There’s no need to worry?” A vindictive chuckle escapes me. “Right… Okay.”

“I don’t know what’s up your ass, Abri, but Dad attacked us.” There’s anger in Salvo’s voice. “He made the first move.”

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