Pietor nodded, holding my eyes as he helped me to stand and get back to the bench. We sat down, putting the earbuds back in place, and Pietor gripped my chin.
“Let’s fucking nail him, sweetheart.”
It was my turn to nod, and I did. With a fury in my heart that burned brighter than a fucking volcano. “Then take me home.”
Pietor’s lips parted ever so slightly, his pierced brow arching up.
“Take me home, put me in your bed, and make me stop thinking about tonight. Yes?”
A devious smirk crossed over his face. “Anything you want, baby.”
We stared at each other as Teddy and Cohen finished their conversation. It became abundantly clear that my ex-boss knew everything about the mob and the various families in town. He’d also clearly been working for them for some time.
Teddy continued to complain about nonsense, and when the two of them ordered more rounds of drinks, falling deep into the cups, Pietor gave the signal that it was a good time to leave.
I followed him out through the maze of the club until we hit the main door. From there, I walked side by side with him as we strolled to Pietor’s car. A raw, jagged slice burned through my soul, but I could sense it began to knit itself back together as I considered the hell that Pietor would rain down on the man.
As I considered what my man would do to the people who so clearly wanted me dead.
They’d been a bit successful, after all. But all Nicholas had done was tear through the single thread that still tied me to my old life. I wasn’t going back there now, and it wasn’t because Pietor was keeping me hostage.
I’m going to squash you like a fucking bug, Cohen. Just watch.
Chapter 22 - Pietor
I could tell that Billie was still processing what she’d heard. It had been a few hours—and a few sessions in the sack—since, but her stare still drifted off into the middle distance whenever we were speaking.
Reaching out, I took her hand as it lay next to mine on the bed, lacing my fingers through hers. I leaned onto my side, facing her, and Billie looked over her expression, tired—just so fucking drained that my heart actually hurt to look at it.
“Are you all right?” I shook my head with a half-smirk. “I mean, as all right as you can be?”
She smiled, rolling over toward me and burrowing into my chest.
“I’m…better.” Billie’s voice was muffled, and I leaned back, pulling her chin up so I could see her eyes again.
“You know this is the right thing to be doing, yeah? Cohen needs to go down. He’s not just hurting you, though I’d like his balls in a vice for that one in particular.”
A short cut of laughter flew from Billie, and I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight.
It was still blowing my damn mind that this is where we were right now, but fuck, I had to admit that I was thrilled about it. The second I’d seen her, Billie had been the one I was going to keep forever. I just knew it.
And feeling her against me, knowing that she wasn’t fighting the pull between us or the truth of what she needed to do, was…incredible.
“I know that Nicholas is bad news, and trust me, I’m right there with you that he needs to be stopped. I just…”
Her words trailed off and I looked down at the top of her head, putting my lips to her hair and breathing deeply.
“Just…”
She sighed, her movements rocking my entire body as we lay against the overly soft bed in my room.
“This is a lot, okay? It’s a huge departure from the plan I’d made for my life.” She sat back to look at me, slowly leaning up onto her elbow, her fingers playing with the chain around my neck. “I’m not backing down. I’m not. Just…I guess I’m just grieving. For my old life, for the way I thought my career would turn out. For…everything.”
Understanding drifted through me, and I scooted back against the headboard. Sitting there, I pulled Billie close again, tracing my fingers through the curls of her hair.
“I never had a life plan, so I can’t say I relate. But I do understand. Is there…” I sighed, a mirthless laugh slipping free. “Can I do anything to make it easier?”
Billie joined me in the laugh as her fingers walked over the lines of the tattoos on my stomach and chest.