Page 23 of Charity's Redemption

Luca slammed his glass down on the metal tray with a loud clang.

“Now I’m starting to think she’s clouded your judgment with her pretty pink pussy.”

“Are you fucking kidding me, Luca?” I said, jumping from my seat. “You’ve got some nerve.”

“Charity.”

“Luca,” I said in the same condescending tone.

“Brother, you’ve never questioned my judgment. Why are you doing it now?”

“Maybe because you’re agreeing with her on a fool’s errand.”

“It’s not—”

Max pulled me back to my seat, my body vibrating with anger. “Let them handle it,” he whispered in my ear.

How could I let Luca speak about me like that? Had he not changed after he told me he loved me?

“The Sabinas Cartel is bigger than the US government. If you go after them, the worst that could happen is prison time. With the Cartel, we’re dead. Think about it.”

“I’d rather be dead than in prison for the rest of my life.” He brought the glass back up and downed the contents.

“So you are going to make that decision for all of us and sentence us to death because of your fear of confinement?” I lashed out, hoping my words would coat his wounds in acid. “I thought you said we were going to discuss this, but it appears you’ve made up your mind regardless of what strong points we bring you.”

“Charity,” Max growled in my ear.

But I’d heard enough. He wouldn’t get us all killed because of his pride. I stood as calm concealed the conflict inside me. “I need to feed my cat.”

“He can wait.” Luca turned on his heels, facing towards me.

“I’m sure he can for a little while longer, but I can’t sit here and listen to you make a terrible decision.” My chest fluttered, and my stomach turned. “Besides, you have your mind made up. What more is there to discuss?”

I walked out the door and swiped my keys and phone off the counter before making my way to my car.

How did we go from happy, light-hearted banter to a full-blown argument? We were so unstable together.

But I couldn’t stay away.

I couldn’t kill the love I had for them.

Cannoli wrapped his fatbody around my ankle, his loud meowing grating on my nerves.

From the moment I left Luca’s house to the time it took for me to get home, a deep-seated headache took hold like a vice grip across my skull and threatened to never cease control. The pounding pressure squeezed the sides of my head together until I was certain my brains would spill forth on the floor before me.

“Yes, I know, you little monster.” I held my head in my hands, hoping the support would ease my discomfort. “I’m sorry.”

Cannoli seemed dead set on revenge as he tripped me while I walked into the kitchen and cracked open a fresh can of chunky fish in gravy. I shied away from the smell, plopped it on the plate, then watched his husky form hunch over and gulp it down in large mouthfuls.

My stomach growled as I watched him eat, then nearly puked in my mouth. Just the thought of me eating while he had his dinner was enough to induce a round of telephone with the big white thing in the bathroom.

Instead, I grabbed a soda and sat on the couch. The can opened with a metallic snick and snap—the iconic sound of a can, then took a sip and moaned as I thought of my predicament.

What was I going to do?

I couldn’t go against Luca’s decision. If he said I couldn’t touch Adams, that was that, just like Jose. Although killing Jose was like a prolonged orgasm—satisfying in every way. Going against Luca now didn’t feel… I don’t know, acceptable, right, more of a betrayal than before?

But it was our only option. I’d need to get close to Adams without Nico being on his calendar the day he died. I needed any and all suspicion to be placed far away from him. That’s why I watched him night after night, studying his habits and perverse tastes.

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