Page 21 of Make Me Your Hitta

A movement at the top of the stairs caught my eye. There she was, like a vision from my darkest fantasies. Xenobia stood there, head held high and eyes blazing, as usual. My breath caught in my throat.

“I’m going to my studio,” she announced, her voice ringing through the silent hall. “And you can’t stop me.”

Damn.How quickly she went from passionate lover back to bratty-ass princess. That shit gave me whiplash sometimes.

“Like hell you are,” I growled. “It’s not safe out there, Xenobia. You know that. They got into the garden last night. There’s a breach, and we haven’t found it yet.”

She descended the stairs, each step deliberate. “That’s your job, not mine. I have work to do.”

I clenched my jaw, torn between admiration for her fire and frustration at her stubbornness. A part of me wanted to throw her over my shoulder, carry her to the panic room, and lock her inside. Another part wanted to bend her over my knee and spank that fuckin’ attitude right out of her pretty, privileged ass.Maybe next time.The thought sent a jolt of heat through me.

“This isn’t up for debate,” I said, calming my voice. “You’re staying put until we neutralize the fuckin’ threat. End of story.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t control me, Adonis. I’m not one of your underlings to order around. You work for me.”

Xenobia was infuriating enough to make me want to call her out of her fuckin’ name. I refrained. She was deliciously irresistible like that. I stepped closer, crowding her space. “No,” I agreed, my voice low. “You’re much more dangerous than them.”

Focus, dammit. I was about to form a rebuttal when she sighed.

Then her chin lifted, and her eyes met mine. “Fine. But I’m not sitting around doing nothing. I need to move, to do something.”

A wave of nasty, freaky ass ideas struck me, but I kept them to myself. If it were up to me, I’d have her ass climbing the walls and yelling my name all day and night.

“Meet me in the gym in ten. We’ll do some sparring.”

Her eyes lit up with interest. “Really?”

I nodded, already regretting the suggestion. Close contact, sweaty skin, adrenaline pumping… this was a dangerous game. But if it kept her safe and occupied, I’d play it. As she turned to go, I watched her walk away, my body thrumming withconflicting desires. Protect her. Possess her. Keep her safe. Make her mine.

Fuck, I was in trouble.

I stepped outside, the cool evening air a welcome relief against my skin. My fingers shook slightly as I returned my father’s phone call. I expected another update—another reminder that his men circled the waters like sharks, waiting to strike again. They’d retreated to lick their wounds, but word had it my father was on the hunt for an assassin, and I needed to know the truth.

“Son.” A gruff voice answered on the third ring. “Why the fuck haven’t you been answering my calls?”

“Sorry. I was handling an issue with one of the guards at the warehouse.”

“What issue?”

I glanced over my shoulder, gears churning to come up with a lie quickly. “Just had to remind a couple of niggas who the fuck was really in charge now, that’s all. It’s handled.”

“Good. We don’t have time for any fucking rifts in the system.”

“Are you any closer to coming to an agreement with Don Hawthorne?” I probed.

“Fuck an agreement. It’s all or nothing as far as I’m concerned.”

“What do you mean?”

A low, evil chuckle crackled through the line. “Let’s just say it won’t be long before the Toussaints run all of New York.”

My stomach twisted as I gritted my teeth. “When’s the next move on the Hawthornes? I want in.”

“You’re right where I want you to be for now, Adonis. All you need to be focused on is preparing to expand our territory.”

“So you plan to move in on the Hawthornes soon?”

“I’ve ordered my men to stand down for now.”

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