Page 14 of Devil's Tulip

Seeing her sprawled on the ground, rain-soaked and helpless with that fucking asshole hovering over her, has cold rage pumping through my veins. But I’m not the type to let my emotions control me. I keep my gaze on her pretty amber eyes. “Need help?”

The utter disbelief on her face amuses me, and her response almost has me cracking up. “What does it fucking look like, asshole?” I can’t hear her voice through the heavy downpour, but I can read those perfect lips just fine.

“Keep driving, man. This is no business of yours.”

I move my gaze to the man holding my girl hostage on the floor and any trace of humor bleeds out of me. I pin him with a look that could freeze hell over, and sure enough, he flinches. That’s right, motherfucker.

Methodically, I slip the rings off both my index fingers, unclasping my Rolex from my left wrist and shrugging out of my designer jacket. Then I’m stepping out into the downpour, relishing the bit of the icy drops on my overheated skin. I roll my neck, the pop and crack of tendons and bones snapping into place barely audible over the drumming rain.

The man cowers back but keeps a bruising grip on my girl. “Let her go.” Lightning streaks the sky, punctuating my command with an ominous boom of thunder.

Beady eyes dart between Gianna and me, clearly calculating his odds. He’s an idiot, but even he can tell they’re slim to none. Yet, instead of backing down, he does what any cowardly piece of shit would do.

Shifting his grip, he yanks her up slightly, using her like some pathetic shield. Then he waves his fist at me like that’s supposed to scare me. “Back off, pretty boy. I don’t answer to you.”

I tilt my head, letting the rain drip off my face as I push my wet hair back. “You think I’m pretty?” My gaze drops to Gianna, and I flash her my most charming smile, which she doesn’t appreciate if her scowl is any indication. “Do you agree with him?”

She gapes at me, wide-eyed, like I’ve just grown a second head. “Are you fishing for complimentsright now?”

Maybe.

I mean, I need to know if she’s attracted to me as well. But I suppose that can wait for a more convenient time.

Rolling up my sleeves, I step forward as the bastard finally grows balls and shoves Gianna aside. She stumbles but catches herself, freeing me to focus entirely on him. I crack my neck, raising my fists, ready to make him regret every miserable choice that led him here.

But instead of squaring up like a man, he pulls something from his pocket, and the glint of a blade flashes in the storm.

“That’s how you’re going to play it, huh?” I raise a brow as I wipe the rain out of my eyes.

He sneers, slashing the air between us with his laughably small knife. “Just ‘cause you got some tattoos doesn’t make you some dangerous gangster. Get the fuck outta here before you get yourself killed.”

What did this motherfucker just say to me?

Before he can blink, I’m in front of him, disarming him with the same effort I might use to take milk from a baby.Too easy.His dark eyes widen in shock as my fist smashes into his face.

There’s a choked gasp behind me, nearly lost in the downpour, and I’m reminded I don’t have the fucking luxury of taking my time to kill this fucker with my bare hands, no matter how much I want to. I have someone to protect, and I can’t let him think he has even a sliver of a chance to survive this.

“You shouldn’t have accepted Aldo’s mission to find Gianna,” I whisper to him so she doesn’t hear. “You took the wrong fucking mission. But for putting your filthy hands on her, you’re going to die.”

Confusion flickers across his face, but I don’t give him time to respond. I pull my gun from the small of my back, and press it right into his temple and pull the trigger. His body jerks as his head explodes, spraying blood, bits of bone, and brain matter over my clothes before his body crumples to the floor.

Gianna lets out a terrified scream, and when I whip around, she’s scrambling backwards on her ass across the wet pavement, those amber eyes wide with horror. “Stay fucking still, Gianna,” I command her as I return my gun to its holster.

I head to the back of my car, pop the trunk, and heft the dead weight of Aldo’s man into it. Then I sweep my gaze over the scene. The rain is already working its magic, washing the little pool of blood mixed with his brain and other stuff down the storm drain, and I nod to myself. No cleanup needed. This area hasn’t had a functional CCTV in years, so even if some busybody reports the gunshot, there won’t be any evidence left to find.

But as I study the pool of blood, a flash of silver catches my eye. I crouch down for a closer look and realize it’s the necklace Gianna was wearing in the bar earlier. I glance at her—she’ssitting with her knees hugged tightly to her chest, head bowed as she slowly rocks herself.

She’s in shock.

I pocket her necklace and approach her carefully, like one might a wounded animal. “Hey, are you okay?” I ask softly.

She looks up at me through long, dark lashes that have water dripping down them, andfuck—I’ve never seen anything more alluring than her in this moment. My crotch tightens as my cock swells between my legs.Not now, you bastard. The girl’s in a crisis, and here you are popping wood.

“I–I—you—” Her lips tremble as she stutters, “You–youkilledhim.”

“He was going to kill you first.” I remind her, though that’s not entirely true. He wouldn’t have killed her—just dragged my little runaway bird back to her gilded cage. She doesn’t respond, so I add, “Come on, let’s go. Get in the car.”

She shakes her head, some of that fire returning to her eyes. “Get in the car with a psycho who just murdered a guy in front of me?” A semi-hysterical giggle hiccups out of her. “I don’t fucking think so, pal. For all I know, I’m your next target. Can’t leave any witnesses, right?

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