Regardless, Bay doesn’t have to choose. Her answer holds no significance over why I tagged along or what my true intentions are tonight.
Bay’s silence through the room is deafening, even in my bad ear. Emilio sulks and I know she’s dragging out her response to drive into the limited patience of his. He’s about to snap off in about five seconds, and his men are going to come traipsing in here at his order.
We’re both going to die tonight if I allow it to happen.
“Ease up on the girl,” I say nonchalantly to buy some time. “At least buy her dinner first.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Emilio boils through his teeth. “Last chance, Haven. I’m done fucking around here.”
I sigh because geezus Christ, this is seriously unnecessary.
“Him,” she replies so quietly I almost don’t pick it up since she’s on my bad side, but fuck.
I know I said she wouldn’t choose him, but hearing her say it is a whole other level entirely on its own.
We’re on purely bad terms right now. She could’ve bullshitted her way out of this without a second thought, have Emilio kill me right here then devised a plan to get back at him later.
But she chose me.
My girl opted for me at the end of the day.
“That’s what I thought,” Emilio surmises grimly, his eyes casting downward as if devastated by her response before he raises his arm and holds the Ruger I taunted him with only minutes ago directly at her face. “This didn’t need to happen.”
I’m not worried about the time I have, but the weapon being in my way. Emilio won’t blow her head off without final words. He’ll make her regret the decision, and I could have Kona or Koda jump his ass with a snap of my fingers, but it could make him yank on the trigger.
My old man just pulled some 007 shit with the gun in his suit sleeve the whole fucking time.
“That’s disappointing,” I hedge. “You didn’t pick me first.”
Emilio doesn’t bother appeasing me, he only stares Bay down and tries to feed into her fear. “I’m disheartened, Haven. I thought you knew better.”
“Same,” she says with ease. “I’m surprised you’re this shocked about it.”
“Maybe you would’ve come around. You drove Reeve away when you picked Ozzy. Cairo hasn’t fallen completely to your charm yet because he has a seat to protect, and you’re a distraction. And Torin…well, we both know the answer to that. However, Roger was useless after his stroke. Wallace would never make it past his twenties, and you would’ve been left with no one but me.”
The hair on the back of my neck rises. “You’re working with De Leon.”
“I’m not working with that punk bitch,” Emilio snarls. “However, I could shake his hand for almost taking you both out.”
I step to my left, between the gun and Bay’s body, and stare down the barrel. “Don’t be a pussy, and take your shot, for real.” I feel Bay’s finger curl tightly into one of the loops in my jeans, giving it a small tug to pull me away. “You know I love you,” I say to her, keeping my sole focus on Emilio’s gun. “I fucked up. I broke your trust and almost ended your life, but I’m giving it back to you. You’ll never have to deal with shit again. You’ll be free, Wildfire. Even from me.”
Snapping my fingers, Kona and Koda both launch themselves at Emilio. Koda is a bit bigger, and her weight knocks my stepfather back a step before I make my move.
Everything happens at warped speed.
The jagged blade tucked in my waistband thrusting into his gut.
Emilio’s surprised gasp as my dogs begin to drag him to the ground.
His grunts and hollers are there, but they’re background noise to the tunnel vision that’s taken over my brain.
My boot kicks at his gun so he can’t shoot one of my dogs. Then a soft body is pressing up into mine and shoving me backward and away from Emilio’s body.
“We need togo,” Bay states urgently before I realize her palms are gently pressed to my side. I blink her into existence and those lucid blues stare back at me with anxiety in them.
Don’t worry, Wildfire. I won’t let anything happen to you.
“Take my car,” I order again. “Go home.”
