Page 167 of Falling in Reverse

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“Things are heating up, it seems, and I don’t want you held up in the crossfire.”

Already happened.

Matteo grazed Nessa’s shoulder and she played dead the whole time.

Smart bitch.

“And what happens after this alleged time?” I ask, watching two little boys swing on a swing set, their giant smiles contagious if I was sitting on a park bench with someone who I thought that hell would need to freeze over first before I say here speaking with him today.

“That’s up to you,” the devil himself divulges. “This isn’t some sick trick to get you to convert to a side. If you don’t want to come live with me, or even be associated, that’d be something I’d have to deal with.”

Yeah, fucking right.

I’m here on a stupid inkling that I can come up with a peaceful separation from the man who holds my parentage. He texted me, calmly and short, and asked to meet me to go over a few things at a mutual spot. I can’t say my first thought was that I wanted to come. However, he’s already bullied me with threats about Ellie and Mae, is privy to where they go to school, where we all live, and probably my damn social security number.

Yet, this whole give this a fair chance chant is really starting to drive me crazy.

“You don’t come off as a man who takes no for an answer.” I steer my gaze to Emilio, watching the people in the park enjoy time with their families. And, dare I say, he almost looks disheartened by it.

“Normally…I’m not. However, I’m not going to force my only daughter into a life she doesn’t desire.”

“You’ve already threatened my sisters.” Emilio glimpses over his shoulder to peer down at me. His gray suit is perfectly pressed to his body, and it matches some of the grays that lace in his styled, shortened hair.

I can’t miss the blues in his eyes that match mine nor the tests that have come back that honor what he says to be true.

I am a Wildes.

Whether I want to be or not.

“Distasteful,” he replies with his deep octave. “But it seems to be the only way to get your attention.”

“What about Roger?”

“What about him?” He doesn’t pry his set of blues off mine, pending my answer, and to show me how supposedly he’s not going to make any more dumbass moves.

“You sent two masked men into my house to hurt us,” I remind him through clenched teeth.

He gives a dismissive shrug of his broad shoulders as if that was nothing, nor something I should be worrying about. “Call it a moment of weakness and pettiness. Torin gets that from me.”

They all get something from him.

Torin and his constant vendetta about me ripping him off with all the shit he’s been given. The night Cairo and his cronies lit up our—what once was—a safe place to store our stolen shit.

Now, Levi is searching for somewhere else, and he’s been in a mood about it for days.

The only person I haven’t seen an ounce of bullshit from besides his constant flirting is Reeve.

“No wonder I don’t like him.”

Emilio actually chuckles. “Torin has ideas of his own. He has a lot on his plate.”

“And Ramsey?” Call it curiosity or just preparing myself for the worst from my enemies, but I’d like to be aware of what I’m up against at any time of the day.

“Ramsey is what I told you. Since he’s traveled with me, the Forsaken Crew fell to Torin. Now, we’re building another force to protect The Landings.”

“From what?”

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