Page 168 of Sweet Dominion

“Your blood runs through Banks’s veins but not Marcelo, Einstein, Gunnar or—”

“Now you’re telling me who my family is?”

“This is why we should table this conversation for a later time.”

“No. I want to talk about this now because it sounds like you’re on some bullshit.”

“Me? No. It’s them.”

“Let it go. Forget about the damn hug. I handled it.”

“I’m not letting that hug go.”

“I handled it.”

“You did enough for that moment, but I didn’t getmychance.”

“Lei, this is not high school. You will not be fighting Marcelo over me.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t want to do this right now. What I want is to kiss you and touch you for a few minutes before we head outside.”

“Promise me that you won’t fight Marcelo or plan any violence in the South.”

He pursed his lips.

“Lei. . .promise me.”

“You want honesty?”

“Yes.”

“And I want his blood and his brain splattered all over the fucking pavement.”

I widened my eyes in horror.

The silence in the library was deafening. Thoughts raced through my mind, colliding with each other so rapidly that they were turning into an incoherent mess.

“You can’t. . .do that,” I barely managed to whisper. “It would ruin me. . .it would ruin us.”

“I will never touch Banks, but Marcelo—”

“No.”

He parted his lips.

“Like. . .hell to the no. If something happens to Marcelo, then. . .”

He raised one eyebrow.

“Lei. . .I could never stay with you.” I shook my head. “Let it all go.”

“Another man had his hands all over your body. Do you understand who I am? How I grew up?”

“Lei, we’re building something here. It’s healing. It’s new love. It’s bettering the East. Don’t fuck everything up by breaking my heart.” I touched my chest. “Because. . .I wouldn’t survive if Marcelo weren’t on this Earth anymore or if any of the others were seriously harmed. We discussed this already. Tell me you understand now.”

He stood silent.

My heart pounded.

---