Page 35 of Bully

When her body meshed with mine, I kissed her neck.

“Why aren’t you in bed next to me?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

“I’m nervous about your meeting.”

“You have no reason to be,” I assured her as I turned her and placed her on top of the island. “I can take care of myself, and even if I couldn’t, my brothers will be with me.”

She sighed and shook her head as a sad expression covered her face. “I just don’t understand why he won’t leave us alone.”

“I’m good at what I do, sweetheart. I am not surprised that he wants me to work for him again. The mistake I made was thinking he’d be a man of his word and expect a favor for a favor. Not favors.”

Innvy nodded her agreement. “This is one time I wish you weren’t good at what you do.”

Her soft smile comforted me. “I know you said you were okay, but could fear or anxiety be why you can’t sleep too?”

Swallowing hard, Innvy shook her head and ran her hands down my chest. “You know what’s crazy is Ma told me not to have faith in a man but to have faith in God. When you called me and told me who he was, fear filled me for only a brief moment.” She cupped my cheek. “There was no doubt in my mind that you’d save us. I had all the confidence in the world that we’d be okay because of God… and you.”

Her words surged through my heart and restored my confidence in myself to protect them. It fucked with me knowing Rocco had stooped as low as to fuck with her truck and approach my girls, but I shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d fucked up when he positioned himself to breathe the same air as my girls. Rocco wanted me to kill, and he had no idea how close he was to being on the other side of my Glock.

“Thank you for trusting me still.”

“Always. I know you’d do anything to protect us. I’m just glad you allowed them to cajole you into this meeting instead of taking matters into your own hands.”

I released a hard breath. “Yeah. Now that I’ve calmed down, I know that would have started a war and that’s the last thing I want. I want this shit to be over, so if Karrington has to step in for me, I will accept that.”

Innvy brushed her nose against mine then kissed me. “I know you feel guilty but it wasn’t your fault. You did your part. You honored your word. He didn’t.”

Gripping her thighs, I kissed up her neck and cheek to her lips. “Thank you, baby.”

“If you want to thank me, make sure this man never bothers us again.”

As I pushed her hair out of her face, a slow smile spread my lips. If I had any doubts that she was the one, this moment would have solidified it.

* * *

Later that Evening

The Sit Down

“Y’all didn’t checkthis man to see if he had any weapons?” Beethoven asked with a serious expression, making me, Asylum, Merc, and Karrington laugh. Blaze and Aspen insisted on joining us, but they were outside at the door with Loki and Wolf.

“You know he got that thang on ’em,” Merc answered with a grin.

“Probably got a few,” Asylum added absently as he looked at his phone.

“I told Rocco this would be peaceful so we gon’ be grown men about this shit,” Karrington started, “but if he wanna take it there…” He shrugged and allowed the essence of his words to fill the hallway.

I didn’t give a damn either way. Regardless of the means, shutting Rocco down was my motive. We could do it peacefully or blow his ass to pieces. I promised my girl I’d handle him today and I was standing very firm on that shit.

Two guards in brown suits stood in front of the double doors. Theirs hands were cupped in their centers, gaze forward. When we made our way in front of them, their attention shifted briefly before the one on the left tapped on the door with his knuckles.

“Let them in,” Rocco granted, which led to the other guard trying to search us, but I told him we had guns and that wouldn’t be necessary. He told us we couldn’t go in with them but Rocco told him it was okay.

As soon as we entered the room and my feet hit the mahogany floor, something shifted inside of me. My eyes landed on Rocco, and I couldn’t stop myself from pulling my Glock from my back.

“Whoa,” Karrington said, gripping my wrist, but my reach was firm.

“That’s how you gon’ play it, young blood?” Rocco asked with a crooked grin as guns cocked all over the room.

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