Page 37 of Dangerous Love

“Amongst other things,” Hal answered me, his eyes not meeting mine.

“What other things, Pops? Why don’t you enlighten us?”

Hal turned towards Trey and growled, “I don’t need to explain myself to you.” He pointed another finger at me. “Or to you.” His tone increased as he yelled, “He was piss weak. He couldn’t hack the lifestyle, and he couldn’t hack being out of it. If you ask me, I’m glad he took the coward’s way, ‘cause I don’t have to hide the fact that his retard brain came from my DNA anymore.”

Rage shattered my self-control into a thousand pieces. My chest expanded with hot air until my lungs disintegrated into ash, each new breath scalding more than the last. “You’re a piece of shit, you know that?”

Hal’s pathetic laugh echoed in the office. He placed his hands behind his head, fingers laced at the base of his skull. A skull I wanted to crunch beneath my boot until there was nothing left but indistinguishable fragments.

“Now, why don’t you tell me what you’re actually doing here before I have Fish help you out. In one piece, or in three. Your choice.”

Trey lifted himself off the couch, all colour drained from his face. His hand trembled over his belt as he hesitated. Then, he took a deep breath, and let it go. “We’ve come to tell you game’s over for us. You can keep running your underworld. The deal you made with Riley and Avery still stands. We won’t get in your path.” He cleared his throat, emotions evidently building in the way he clenched his fists. “But you killed Seth. You killed your own flesh and blood. Fuck, Dad, is there nothing left of you in there?”

Hal rolled his eyes. “Oh my god. Your dramatics are out of this world, Trey.” His voice hardened as he stood and met his offspring face-to-face. Half a metre separated them as our father’s glare drilled into his oldest son. “That weakling topped himself. Nothing to do with me.”

The poison that dripped from his mouth was more than I could bear. As if Trey and I moved in sync, we jumped to our feet and marched towards the exit. “I hope you burn in hell. Where you belong.” Palm on the handle, I pushed the door open and stepped into the cold hallway. “I gave you my word I’d stay out of your lane. None of Avery’s intel will ever leak as long as you keep out of our lives.”

Trey and I stalked forward, Hal’s eyes sending daggers into our backs from inside the room. “If you weren’t my sons, you’d already be dead,” he spat as we continued towards the front of the building. When Fish pulled his gun, Hal lifted his hand, and the enforcer placed his weapon back in its holster. “It’s not over, boys.”

“Fuck off, Pops. It’s over for us. Have a nice life.” Trey ploughed into the night, my steps not far behind his. Then he clicked the car open, and we jumped in as fast as we’d got out. Seething, we remained silent as we pulled out of the lot, the car screeching as Hal’s shadow grew tiny in the rearview mirror.

We drove in silence for the thirty minutes it took us to get back to town. We pulled up in front of Jarryd’s house, my new life contrasting with the one I’d left behind. Angst built as my mind sought to comprehend the baggage I brought to everyone around me. They didn’t deserve my complications. Not Jarryd. Not April or the kids. And definitely not Sienna.

“Do you think he’ll disappear again?” Throat dried, I asked my brother. Even for Hal, today’s conversation had reached another level of low.

Then, as I stepped out of the car, Trey shook his head and grunted, “Not a chance in hell,” confirming what I’d known all along.

We’d awakened the devil.

CHAPTER19

Sienna

Ichecked my phone for the tenth time when there was no sign of Riley anywhere. The Pancake Parlour’s waitress gave me an awkward smile as she poured me some more fresh water. “Are you sure you don’t want to order anything?”

I sighed. “I’m sure he’ll be here any minute.” Another glance towards the front door chipped at my resolve.

Maybe he’s changed his mind.It wasn’t like I was terrible in bed, but maybe the lack of experience and the bucket load of complications in my brain wasn’t worth the relationship baggage to him. Shame trickled through my chest, my eyes drawn to the nonexistent messages on my screen.

Yep. You’re definitely bingeing on pancakes alone, Sienna Curtis.Right as I was about to give in to my negative thoughts, Riley stumbled behind the chair across from me, his hair dishevelled and his shirt crinkled. “I’m so sorry. I slept in.” He shuffled until he faced me. “How long have you been waiting?”

I forced the annoyance down my throat as a little voice sang in my head and reminded me that at least he came. Not all was lost. “Late night?”

He nodded, his face void of emotion. “Something like that.”

I poured him some water and pushed the glass in front of him. “When did you get back to Jarryd’s?”

“Late last night.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “It wasn’t even five when I left. What did you get up to all night?” Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. On one hand of the worst-case scenarios, he’d hooked up with some new chick. On the other, he’d done something stupid with Trey. And I didn’t like either possibility.

His hand landed on mine. “Have you ordered yet? I’m starving. I don’t remember the last time I was here.”

Ignoring me, I see…“No, not yet. Apparently, we can order from this app.” I pointed to a small device hooked on the wall next to us. My finger flicked through the menu, the Pancake Parlour logo smiling through every option. “Do you want to order first?”

“Wow. That’s cool.” He whistled. “You start. I just need to get my stomach in tune with my head.”

“Okay.” I scrolled down the list and ordered macadamia pancakes with a skinny malted milkshake. I pushed the small screen towards him, but right as he lifted his hand to go through the options, his phone beeped and a message popped up on his screen. Trey’s face flashed by the SMS.

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