Page 173 of Falling in Reverse

“Don’t lie,” he counters with amusement. “However, I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

“Really? Because you didn’t mind doing that before.”

“I was a young kid back in those days. My intention was never to have you experience Matteo’s wrath.”

“I beg to differ.”

“What did he say to you?”

I shake my head against his question because, for one, I can’t get into this right now. And, two, I don’t want to. “I just told you this was a bad time.”

“Don’t you have friends, Wildfire? That blonde girl who is always with you at the races.”

The one that is currently hella pissed that she got shot?

“And?”

“You’re talkin’ to her right now,” he offers up as the lie to tell Levi in case I’m caught. “So, tell me what he said.”

“For what?” I clip back under my breath. “Cairo told you to stay out of it, so do that.”

“I’m never going to fully stay away from De Leon. He’s already a dead man walking.”

“And you kill people?”

“I have.”

I scoff, though I’m not certain on that account. “Listen, Pretty Boy…I’m in the middle of something right now.”

“You are,” he divulges. “Me.”

“No, business.”

“Ah…yes. My female demise.”

“Stop it.”

“You said it,” he emits. “Are you in the middle of conjuring up a plan to take me down right now and I just happened to call?”

“Wouldn’t that be something?”

“It would. However, that’s not the way it’s going to go, is it?”

It’s as though Torin already knows that I’d never be able to murder his ass on the street. That we share this mutual pull between each other and—no matter if it would’ve ended or not—it’d always be there.

“Are you fishing for information?” I solicit evenly.

“No, I’m just stating facts. You can’t kill me, and I won’t hurt you. Whatever shall we do?”

“Separate. Never talk again.”

I swear until I see him smile when he says, “There’s never going to be anything or anyone that’s going to keep us separated, Wildfire. Just accept that and move on.”

“I’m trying to but here you are.”

“Baby…you fucked me and swallowed my load all down that pretty throat. If Wallace is near, he’s obviously not the one for you. He’s never been the one for you. I am.”

The revelation is actually scary as shit.

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