“Back up,” Remi snarls through her teeth.
Balterra takes a breath, and I know whatever fuckery he plans to spew from that hole in his face will seal his fate. Luckily for him, a younger man with black glasses and a limp pushes between them.
“We don’t do this here. Put your weapons down.”
Valentina hesitates, throat bobbing as she lowers her Glock. Remi doesn’t flinch.
“Sam, he ran me off the road. He didn’t win. He cheated.”
“Bullshit! I took you clean. You’re just pissed you lost.”
Sam holds up his hands. “Cops are on their way. We’ve got minutes to settle this and split.”
“Tell her to give me my goddamn car, and I’ll walk,” Balterra snaps.
“Come take it,” she challenges, raising her gun again.
A sharp grin tugs at my mouth.
My fucking girl.
“You and that psycho will be banned,” he says, pointing to Remi. “I promise you that.”
Fate sealed.
Sam turns to Valentina, eyes pleading, full of empathy but firm. “I’m sorry, Val. Without solid proof, Dom’s the winner. Those are the rules. We all signed the same contracts.”
Valentina shakes her head slightly, tucks her gun into her jacket, and slides a hand over Remi’s arm.
“We’re not done here,” she says, tossing her key fob to the ground and tugging a reluctant Remi away.
I follow, glancing back at the man whose blood will be on my hands tonight. He tips his face, trying to look brave, but I see the fear in his eyes.
“Kolibri, wait,” I call, and she stops, but doesn’t turn. When I catch up and pull her close, the sight of her tears lights a fire in my chest.
“I didn’t lose,” she whispers against me.
“I know.” I signal to Remi for her car. She nods and takes off across the lot.
The roar of Poison Ivy’s engine cuts through the night. Balterra is making sure everyone knows he’s taking her car. I’ll deal with him soon enough. My concern is the woman in my arms, stiffening at the sound of her car’s throttle.
“Look at me.” I nudge her chin until her watery brown eyes meet mine. “We’ll get it back. I promise.”
She shakes her head, pushing out of my arms. “That’s not how this works. He’ll never give it up. He’d torch it first. Rules arefuckingrules.” She wipes the tears from her cheeks, sharp and angry.
“I don’t follow anyone’s rules. The only reason his head isn’t split open on that pavement is because I knew you needed to confront him yourself. I gave you that. That’s it.”
Her eyes narrow. “Maksim…what are you going to do?”
Remi’s black Demon pulls up beside us. “Go with her.”
“What about you? You don’t even have a ride back.”
I kiss her hard, gripping her chin. My words come low over her lips. “Get in the car, Valentina.”
She swallows, argument lodged in her throat, then leans against me, forehead on my chest, sighing before sliding into the car.
I watch them leave, then turn to an oldfriendstill lingering, trying to charm a woman who couldn’t be less interested.
