Page 25 of When Sinners Dare

“Get up off the floor, Mariana,” he snarls, still staring me down.

She sniffs and starts pulling herself upright, hand covering her face. “Abel … I …”

“Shut the fuck up.” I watch her lean on a table and try steadying herself. “Go to the car. Now.” She half turns.

“You don’t need to do that,” falls out of me. “Stay.”

Takes about one damn second for him to take three steps in my direction. I half move backwards and then brace for goddamn impact because screw that shit. I don’t care who the hell he is, or what I already know about him, that slap sent me down roads I’m ready to defend.

He stops two feet out from me and tilts his head about, like a dog that just caught a scent. “Jenson.” Another few seconds of him thinking pass by, and eventually he smiles. It isn’t a nice one, and it sure as shit isn’t meant to make me feel like we’re friends. “Kai Jenson.” He pulls in a slow breath and looks back at Mariana before turning back to me. “This isn’t an argument you’re going to win, Kai. I’m pissed enough already without a punk playing with me. Back up.”

My frown drops further because I know all too well what that kinda threat means coming from someone like him. I watched what he did inside, even learnt from it sometimes.

“Go to the car, Mariana. I won’t say it again.” I look back at her, and watch as she glances at me and then does turn to leave. Last thing I see of her is her hand closing the door quietly. Can’t stop my feet thinking about protecting her even if my brain tells me not to, and that sends him sideways three steps to block me.

His hands go to his pockets, and he looks at the floor rather than me. I remember that move well, too, and sure as shit, my brain catches up real damn fast.

“Don’t push me, Kai. Heroics won’t end well for you tonight.”

It’s like a fucking scrabbling mess of rage versus sense inside me, as both emotions try to find balance in space where there’s none. But, eventually, my hands go up in the air, and I do back up until I’m at the bar and giving him the room he deserves. Pissed as I might be, this is not a guy I need to be anywhere near.

He doesn’t even bother looking at me as he leaves. Why would he? I’m no threat to him. Wasn’t when we were inside, and I sure as hell am not now. I’m nothing compared to him, and, more importantly, I’m not going down roads his kind of chaos is going to lead me to. She was a good fuck, that’s all, which will never happen again if she’s attached to him. Let's hope she doesn't tell him it happened at all.

CHAPTER NINE

MARIANA

I’m waiting outside of the bar as Abel storms out, grabs my arm and starts hauling as he passes.

“Abel, what the hell?” I yank my arm back from his grip.

“Get in the car, Mariana.”

“Barging in, hitting me, and treating me like a child is one of the many reasons I grew to hate Mother.”

He steps up towards me. “Be really fucking careful, Mariana. I’m in no mood. Get in the goddamned car.” His voice is level and calm but betrays the anger I know will be seething beneath the surface. Abel’s never smacked me before; that was Mother’s speciality. But it’s sobered me up for sure.

I head to the passenger side of his Challenger. “Fine. I can’t drive anyway.”

He doesn’t join me right away but pulls out his phone to make a call before climbing in and slamming the door behind him. And then we’re tearing out of the car park, kicking up dust and gravel, and racing along the road.

“Abel, look-”

“No. You don’t talk. You listen.”

“Hey!”

“I’m fucking serious, Mariana.” The sting on my cheek tells me that.

“How do you know Kai?” I blurt. There are a hundred other questions we should be focused on right now, especially considering what actions drove me here, but that’s the one I’m interested in. Perhaps it's a way of preserving the sliver of the control I gained in the short time in that bar talking with Kai. And fucking him.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask me that. Maybe giving a fuck about killing my mother is more important.”

I spin to face him, shocked. “She was my mother too and-”

“Keep it real fucking quiet while I speak.” He steers off the freeway, choosing to cut across town. “Dante is at the house. He’s spoken to the staff. Nobody saw you with her, which is a fucking miracle.”

“Wait, hang on.”

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