I know Levi and I spoke in the car about what was going to possibly happen to Vivian. Levi’s first response was the first action he took.
He killed her.
Which poses Sheriff Muncy and his problems. More problems.
Fuck me.
Levi steps inside the house first, holding the door open for me to take and follow. He scans the area, and then promptly freezes. “Where’s Mae?”
“Sleeping,” I mutter. “Juice is currently sleeping in my bed.”
He’s been updating me all night, and Mae crashed off from a sugar high and too much Taylor Swift music. Ellie hasn’t left her damn room still. Then he told me he needed his beauty sleep, and the couch wasn’t going to play out for him.
“Where is he—” I’m slammed mercilessly into the wall before long fingers wrap tightly around my throat.
The gasp that wants to be released into the air is cut off by the oxygen that won’t make it there. Cairo’s dark eyes are pinned viciously on me when I blink, but no movement from Levi ever comes, so my attention is directed at him.
But not before it makes it to the Glock clutched in Cairo’s palm that just so happens to be directedinmy best friend’s direction.
Levi’s whole body literally Hulks out, and I’ve never seen him so goddamn tense in my life. Levi would already be choking Cairo out slowly and deliberately if looks could kill.
The kind where Levi would be able to see the life seeping from Cairo’s eyes.
“Give me,” Cairo says ever-so-slowly, “one good fucking reason why I shouldn’t think you two are planning shit against me and mine?”
I don’t have a solid answer besides the obvious. “What’s the point in that? It’ll just cause more shit.”
“That seems to be all you like to do, Little Terror. Give me something else.”
“No one is going tokillyou?—”
“I know,” he says matter-of-factly, giving me a harder squeeze and prompting me for something better. “You wouldn’t win. I would fuckin’ guarantee it.”
“You better look at me,” Levi cuts in through a growl. “Because I’m gonna fuck you up in the next five seconds, Black.”
Cairo doesn’t heed Levi’s warning with any apprehension. So caught up in his anger and high that Sinatra keeps his sole focus on me and the role I play. The not-so-grief-stricken damsel that doesn’t fit me anymore.
“I meant what I said,” I get out, trying to suck in some damn air to talk. “I’m in this. With you… We’re allies, remember?”
“I remember,” he replies evenly. “I just didn’t know if you did.”
I bob my head against his grasp, trying to swallow, but his grip is so damn tight, I can’t. “I remember…just fine. His life was obviously at stake. Just…like Torin’s.”
Cairo still doesn’t look pleased, but when is he?
It seems like the man is under constant stress, and I’m the huge factor behind it each and every time.
“Astor…” Levi warns in this tone that screams only ten seconds, and he’s making a jump for Sinatra.
“Put the gun down,” I order Cairo, holding his glower with one of calm. “You can’t shoot anyone with my sisters in the house.”
“That’sanotherthing,” Cairo leers, the pad of his thumb running tensely down my throat. “You allowed yoursistersto go through this shit?” He scoffs, as if I’m the biggest piece of shit in the world to allow them to go through that. “You really shouldn’t leave guns in your car, Wallace. It wasn’t hard to find this one.”
“Fuck this,” Levi growls, moving to strike when my hand shoots out.
“Don’t,” I practically plead through my racing heart. “Everyone, please, just chill the fuck out.”
“I’m fine,” Cairo says simply. “I’m just holding your muscle at bay.”
