He folds in half, bowing to me like an asshole, and I swat at him, but he quickly dodges.
Asshole and a half.
Juice fucks off like it’s his job, whistling on his way out while I deal with my nemesis.
The possible father of my child.
My other half.
He’s in a plain dark red shirt and blue jeans. The stubble along his sharp jawline speaks to his lack of shaving. His hair is longer, but it’s the bulge of his biceps keeping me from calling Juice back in here.
I want to eye-fuck them whenever I want without getting judged.
“I know you didn’t get lost,” I profess through the suffocating silence between us. “But I am insulted that you didn’t thinkthey’dnotice you, of all people.”
Torin blankly stares at me. “Just testing the people who are supposed to roll with you now.”
“Mhm.” I take one step forward, exhibiting to him I’m not afraid, when I’m still a bit leery. I can’t talk, Torin has been off the rails lately, too. First, his attempted murder of me, then his real murder of Emilio. He thought I killed Judah and decided to handle it. And Nessa set up Levi, and I handled it for real. “What can I do for you, Pretty Boy? Should you be out of bed?”
“Since when do you give a fuck about my physical health, Wildfire?”
“Icebreaker. If you don’t want to small talk, then cut to the chase and leave.”
His tawny gold eyes narrow on me. “I think it’syouwho has something to say to me.”
My neck cranes not-so-curiously to the side as my heartbeat races aggressively. “Like?”
“Is this how it is now?” he hedges blandly. “We don’t tell each other anything anymore.”
“That trust is broken, and I don’t give my enemies my deepest and darkest secrets.”
“I was never your enemy. We both know I could never?—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I tersely cut in because I’m not ready to face him yet. Nor our problems. Or the fact he’s back, somewhat, in my midst again and doesn’t hate me.
That’s the issue.
Before it was lust, and I could deal with that. Then it was hate, and it was hard.
Real hard.
I felt off-kilter with the way Torin scowled at me as if he couldn’t wait to watch me suffer. He wasn’t a calculated killer but someone who acted off emotions and tempers.
Like me.
But if I knew Levi was still alive, would I have shot Nessa?
The answer is no.
Unless she would have shot Travis, I dunno.
No, we would’ve still shot her ass.
“Since when do you allow a man such power over you?” Pretty Boy suddenly looms closer, and my breathing hitches sharply, sounding like a little animal who just got pounced on by something bigger. “I killed Emilio for you. I’d do it again. If that wasn’t a sign I would do anything to protect you?—”
“And who is going to protect me fromyou?”
“No one,” he deadpans, causing a violent shiver to shoot throughout my body. “I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it as many times as I need to. You’vealwaysbeen mine. There isn’t anyone who could keep me from you.”
