Page 32 of Torched

“You thought I couldn’t handle being part of this. But I can!” My eyebrows furrow as I bore my glare into his with my chin held high, pricking my index finger against his chest. “I refuse to be on the sidelines any longer, Liam. From now on, you inform me about everything.”

He nods, a mix of guilt and surprise in his expression.

“We are in this together. I’m part of the team, and you better treat me like that!” I continue, holding his gaze with a renewed fierceness. “We don’t need toprotectImogen. You got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good.” I keep my scowl in place, even though a smile lifts his lips.

“For the record, I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to give you any more to worry about. I’ll never think you can’t handle this—bullshitsituation. You’re just as strong as Callie, Gen.”

I am. We have the same Irish blood running through our veins. I’m just as strong as Callie, and it’s time I start acting like it.

“I know.” I press my lips against his, tugging his hips closer to mine. The warmth of his breath combined with his strong hands immediately trailing underneath my shirt gives me that last inkling of courage I need.I fucking got this.

I break the kiss and then shoot him a wink before I walk past him. “Get dressed.”

“Where are we going?” He frowns.

“We are going to breakfast.”

8

LIAM

TWO YEARS AGO

Iknowhe’stherebefore he makes himself present. I can feel it in the way his eyes burn through my back, my body responding to that familiar energy I’ve known all my life.

Fixing my tie in the mirror, I stare at my reflection. My face stays straight, keeping the long exhale that’s lingering on the surface tightly at bay.

“You’re going out with CristinaReyesagain?” Kane almost spits out her name, and I lock my eyes with his in the glass.

“Got something to say, Kane?” I saw this conversation coming way before today. I’ve been anticipating and dreading it just as much since the moment I told him she was a Reyes.

He didn’t get angry. He didn’t yell or throw knives through the room like he does most of the time when he’s pissed off. No, instead he just gave me a disappointing glare before he walked away. When it comes to Kane? That’s worse. When he goes silent, he’s really raging inside like a hurricane of lava. When he doesn’t try to rile me up? He’s probably contemplating a way tonotkill me when everything inside him has the desire to do so. It’s a rarity for Kane to stay silently angry, and it’s one of his traits that’s reserved for me.

Because I’m his brother and he respects me and my decisions. But I also knew he wasn’t going to keep quiet forever.

“Other than the obvious?” Kane grunts.

“Which is?”

“That you’re the biggest moron alive for dating that…that…whore.” His lack of finding the right description for her is another way to show me his respect, because I’m sure deep down he wants to call her way worse thanwhore.

“You’re overreacting, Kane.” I finish up my tie, then grab my suit jacket from the hanger next to the mirror.

“Did you miss the part where her last name isReyes?” he mocks. “You have a temporary brain freeze or something? Malfunction because your thick skull is too tight?”

I turn around, putting on the jacket, and am greeted by a glare cut into his sharp features. There is a thick stubble on his tightened jaw, his light blue eyes looking more icy than usual.

“Real mature.” I button up the rest of my suit, then slide my hands in the pockets of my pants, at the same time Jeremy slips beside Kane and into the room.

“At least I’m not born yesterday, like you are,” Kane mutters.

“What’s up, Jer?” I ask. He gives me a nudge of acknowledgment before he hands me a file. “What’s this?”

I open it without waiting for either of their responses and a frown knits my eyebrows together. Inside are pictures of Junior Reyes with multiple of our distributors, clearly doing more than just “hanging out.”

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