My face scrunches in confusion. I’m not doing anything. I’m not sure why it’s so hard for Torin to understand. “Don’t do what?”
“Have a relationship with Emilio. Whatever you and Wallace are planning to take him out, it can’t be done. He’ll see it a mile away. And I…” He stops then, clamping his mouth shut and leaving me wondering about the rest.
“You what?” I press. “I’m not looking to develop any kind of relationship with Emilio. Do you understand me?”
“I hear you,” he confirms. “I just don’t believe you. You wouldn’t tell me what you were trying to do, even if I asked.”
“I’m trying to get away from him. Isn’t that clear enough?”
Torin lifts his bound hands and lifts my head by my chin. “Baby…I tried to protect you once. Listen to me this time.”
“Wildes,” Cairo barks out now. “Today, asshole.”
“You better get back to your folks,” I urge before stepping away and rounding his frame to get back to business. If I stand underneath those amber eyes for another second longer, I’m going to fall under his bullshit. “Let’s go.”
“He’s not going to stop until you either kill him or he kills you,” Torin retorts. “And the latter is promising to him, if you become a problem.”
I pivot and look up at him. And I’ve never seen Torin so damn overwhelmed before. All over a silly-ass seat. “You think he’s going to kill his daughter? The only blood he has on this Earth?”
I highly doubt it.
Emilio is desperate to have me within his clutches, and I know there’s more to the story.
“Does the King of South Shore know your little secret?” Torin taunts, and this guy really doesn’t know when to stop while he’s ahead. “It doesn’t look or sound like he does. And I’m sure he wouldn’t like his girlfriend being linked to his enemy.”
“Wanna tell him?” I slice my eyes up to his. “I’d love to see the outcome of how that’d work out for you when you do.”
“Finally gonna use those newly found balls of yours and off me?”
I slowly shake my head, a tease of a smile illuminating my face. “Nah, Torin Wildes, I’m going to fuck you. And you’re gonna fall madly in love with me to the point where you’ll just off Daddy for me.”
Torin’s face turns lethal, and it looks very good on him.
I’m not gonna lie and say that I wouldn’t mind if he did it right now. Behind all his pretty-boy features, his temper gives him an edge.
I just don’t think I’ve fully seen it yet.
I bet he’s vicious as well as good in bed and screwing over Emilio’s stepkids would be the perfect revenge.
“You think your pussy holds that much power, Wildfire?”
“I know it does,” I state, coming almost chest-to-chest with him. I raise my chin, finding him already looking at me with the same hunger in his eyes that I saw earlier in that dressing room.
“We gonna do this in front of your boyfriend, or…”
“You wish, baby.” I smack his cheek twice with my palm. “I’ll let the anticipation kill you.”
He snorts as movement from my peripheral catches my eye, finding Cairo moving forward with a gun pointed at Levi’s head.
“C’mon, Torin,” he commands sharply, and my blood boils that he’s holding anything to my best friend’s skull.
“Take the bomb off,” I command. “Right now.”
“Can’t.”
Reeve steps forward then, closing the distance, and I hate that his presence begins to sway the dread filling my veins. That he calms me in any way, shape, or form, because I don’t know him like I know anyone of importance.
“Lookin’ good, McQueen,” he greets with a smile, as though we’re not doing anything but hanging out here. This guy…this guy is going to get himself killed if he doesn’t take this more seriously. “Soooo Emilio…”