“What were you going to do to her, Rico?” Damian snarls, walking slowly toward him.
Rico’s mouth has fallen open. His face goes white like he’s on the verge of passing out. I’ve never seen anyone so scared. He looks even more frightened than I just was, lips shuddering.
“Duh-Damian.”
“Ruh-Rico,” Damian snaps. “Tell me. What. Were. You. Going. To. Do.”
When he’s close enough to Rico, he pockets his gun, grabs Rico by the jacket, and efficiently searches him. Rico stands frozen, as if he’s seen a ghost, unable to move. Damian takes Rico’s gun and stuffs it into his waistband.
“Ah, there’s my answer. You sick fuck.”
At first, I don’t know what Damian’s talking about, but when I follow his gaze, I see it. Rico’s excitement pushes against his pants.
Damian punches Rico so hard in the face that he surges backward, slams against the wall, his skull making a wet sound as it collides heavily and bounces against the rock. Rico slumps, eyes rolling, moaning softly.
Damian turns to me. He wasn’t exactly Mr. Happy before. But this is different. He’s a different species. Pure fire. Pure rage.
“We have to go,” he says gruffly. “I don’t know if he’s alone.”
“We?” I whisper, just about pushing the word out.
“You, me, this bastard.” He nods towards Rico. “He’s seen me. Which means I can’t let him go running back to the big bad boss.”
He says the last line with vicious dryness.
“I need to go home,” I say.
Damian shakes his head, matter-of-factly. “If Rico is working with someone else, they might be waiting for you there. You’re coming with me, Celine.”
It’s not a question, not a choice.
Rico sits up, his hand to his head, looking glassy-eyed at the wall.
Damian takes a step forward, grabs my arm, not hard, but not gently either. “Now, Celine.”
I nod reluctantly.
He tells me he’s doing this to keep me safe, but as I follow him, I wonder if I’m walking into more danger.
CHAPTER 9
DAMIAN
What a mess.
A lowlife tied up in the trunk of my car. My best friend’s sister in the passenger seat, her arms wrapped across her middle, staring out the window like she wants to look anywhere but at me. The kiss is a distant memory.
I should’ve waited longer. Seen if Rico was bluffing. Now that he’s seen me, I can’t let him go.
I park out back, then hand Celine my key, our hands brushing. There’s that electricity again, that spark of closeness. “Wait in the house,” I tell her. “I’ll handle Rico and then join you.”
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she murmurs softly.
“I’m sorry.”
“Is it your fault?” she asks. “I don’t know anything, Damian.”
“We’ll talk once Rico is secured.”
