Page 59 of Toxic Things I Love About You

“That wasn’t part of the plan.”

My phone vibrated, and I pulled it out to see a text. I showed Parks the confirmation that the plane had taken off and was indeed heading toward the west.

“Well, looks like I have a vacation to plan. See you round, brother.”

I turned to go play this little game. He wouldn’t just spill information if he thought I wanted it. He could negotiate and play twisted games with the best of the world’s villains, he just didn’t have the stomach to follow through on most of his threats. Well, except those pertaining to women. He’d never go toe to toe with a bigger asshole, hence why he was stuck bullying women.

I could count the seconds as the understanding finally met his pathetic brain.

“Wait. That asshole crossed me.”

Here we go. I slowly turned like I cared.

“And?”

His fists were all balled up, and I was waiting for the temper tantrum to start.

“He said she was fine. He said the plan was to help the Lords bleed her dry, force her to have no other options and then, you know. Rescue her or some shit.”

Parks looked at me and then at him.

“The Lords seemingly popped up around when I suspect Vincent Falco was released. Do you know anything about that?”

He shrugged.

“He has more connections than I do. But I had the money. We made a good team. We helped them expand.”

Parks was silent while I tried to connect a few dots.

“So you think you started the Lords?” I asked.

He shook his head.

“No. I already told you I don’t know who started them. I get my orders from Vincent, but we were able to give them purpose. Give them the means to do what they were meant to do. Take power from the Rossi family. The Rossi family has been the top of the food chain for too long.”

Parks reached out and my brother wasn’t fast enough, nor smart enough, to flinch away. Park’s fist met his face, and my brother went down like a fucking bag of rocks.

“My people or your people? I don’t care, but he isn’t being let go until she is back.”

I laughed at the idea he thought he might get a fight out of me.

“Already sent the text. In the meantime, we need to head to the roof now, don’t we?”

Parks grabbed zip ties out of who the fuck knew where and made sure my brother wasn’t going anywhere. Yeah. I wasn’t fucking fighting him. Something hadn’t sat right since seeing my brother at the fucking club. I was over his antics, and now? He thought he held claim over the woman I loved? He thought he could destroy her? He thought that he could act without me?

“For the record, he will talk without much work, I think. But let’s let him sit until we get back. Nothing like pissing yourself to motivate one to speak.”

My brother wouldn’t be able to handle the threat of torture, let alone the wait. I’d wanted to do this for years.

TWENTY

emilee

I took a really good nap.It was forced, but If I couldn’t remember what hell he might have put me through it was all okay, right?

I was fully dressed and being pushed in a wheelchair. Fun.

“Good news, Uncle, I learned to walk before I was two.”

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