Page 49 of Touch Her and Die
He smirked. A lesser man might be threatened.
“I have to know what my men do and you, Parks? You might be loyal, but I would be dumb to think you couldn’t come after me. Blood is thick, but I would be even more appalled if you didn’t have dreams of taking over the business.”
He was right that he would be dumb to underestimate me. Not for the reason of the family though. I had zero shits to give over this fucking demon infested ship. Still, the viper that he thought he was, was now in my den, and he would find out who the most deadly was soon enough.
Maybe he’d thought he was the only one thinking a long game.
“You’ll regret everything. I promise you Uncle. You will regret stealing my happiness from me and you’ll regret threatening her.”
His laugh boomed.
“Son. I never start a fight I can’t win.”
Slowly I moved closer and saw the humor leave his face. The room shifted and my uncle straightened. His pupils grew a little wider as I gripped his desk and leaned over it.
“I am not your son.”
* * *
The sun was setting, and it matched the hope in my soul.
This was the millionth text I’d sent her. I called her again. No fucking answer, again. Where was she? I patted my chest and felt the blades there. There was one around my wrist and another around my thigh that I wasn’t even trying to conceal. This was a fucking funeral not a wedding. What did it matter? A knock at the door and I glared at my phone again. My cousin hadn’t even responded.
Where was Emilee? I knew the two of them together was stupid. You would think I would be more worried they’d kill each other, but no. I was worried they would get into trouble and have fun doing it. They were going to send me to my grave and probably bejewel the goddamn headstone.
“What do you want?” I yelled as the radio silence of the phone pissed me off.
The door opened and in walked in the new head of security. I wasn’t sure if I was demoted or elevated in status, really. I hated whatever my uncle thought he was doing. Title meant nothing in a world where everyone wanted you dead.
“It’s almost time. Your uncle requested that I retrieve you.”
Acidic anger churned inside me, but on the outside, I kept my face devoid of any emotion. He would know just how pissed off I was shortly. I wasn’t going to marry anyone. Maybe the only good thing about moving this sham up was that I’d missed them trying to throw me into an engagement party.
Still, how was this not the setting off red flags with the bride’s family?
“Is Cara here?” I asked.
The guy, who I didn’t care what his name was, nodded.
“Yes. She’s down the hall.”
I turned to look him in the eyes.
“How does she feel about the rush on the nuptials? I can’t imagine a woman of her status wants to give up the dream of a grand million-dollar wedding?”
He took a step closer to me.
“Between you and me? She doesn’t look any happier than you. I’m sorry, sir. I’m just doing as told.”
Doing as told. Weren’t we all doing as told? My entire fucking life I did as told. Left my mother and father to live at the compound just to be trained to be a killer. Or rather, trained to be a Rossi. All the Rossi men seemed devoid of a heart. Hell. I didn’t know I had one until Halle.
I looked at my phone and still didn’t have a single word from her or my cousin. They had cell service. That was the one thing about that place that I knew. It had all the amenities my cousin would need, and it would take my uncle’s goons far too long to get to her or Halle. Emilee had more technology than my uncle knew of. They’d get away even if someone was there. So where was my fucking princess?
I refused to go down the dark roads. I was controlled chaos, and I always won. My uncle had no idea. But a small sliver of doubt tried to take residence inside my brain.
What if I’d missed something? What if my own guys had missed my uncle’s move, and he had both Emilee and Halle to make me go through with this?
Fuck me.
