“With a contract on him, he’s putting the rest of us in danger just by being here.”
“Not here with my family. He needs to go,” Rio said.
“No!” That was it. My whole body locked tight. Something twisted in my chest, and I sat up, too fast, the world tilting with the effort. My voice was hoarse but loud. “Please… No!”
I don’t want to die.
The room went silent, and all three men stared at me.
I felt so fucking sick, hot all over, something was wrong with me, and I closed my eyes.
After all this running and hiding, this couldn’t be how my life ended.
SIX
Rio
I didn’t knowwhat I expected, but it wasn’t Lyric begging for his life and, then, collapsing back on the bed, his expression twisted with pain.
He looked pathetic.
No, he looked sweet.
He looked… needy.
Staring at me as if I could save him. I saw Danny’s face. I saw acceptance and pain change to abject terror. I saw something that made my heart stop.
It made me feel strange. Not guilty. Not exactly. More like—uncomfortable. Wrong. Watching something pathetic and real unravel simultaneously. His voice was cracked and raw with desperation. Hewas terrified, and it clawed at something under my ribs. Was it real?
I couldn’t tell.
I should’ve been unmoved. I told myself I was. I told myself it was just noise. But the expression on his face—that fear—it wound its way inside, buried itself in a soft place that I thought I’d scorched clean a long time ago. I’d kill him at the drop of a hat, anything to keep my family safe, but…
Enzo was in the room now, driven by temper, with rapid-fired questions, and with each one, he moved closer to Lyric, who writhed in pain. “What do you know about LyricNight? What is Kessler to you? Who shot you?”
He was getting closer with each question, and abruptly, I didn’t like it.
“Did you know about the kids he trafficked? Did you know he had Robbie?”
Instinct fired through me, sharp and fast, and I stepped in front of Lyric without thinking and faced Enzo. Between our visitor-slash-prisoner and one of my best friends. Blocking his path.
Enzo snarled. “Get out of my fucking way, Rio!” His voice cracked with fury. “If he knew what was happening to Robbie?—”
I shoved him back a step, hard enough to rattle him. “Don’t,” I warned, low and tight.
He didn’t hesitate. Came back at me with a shove of his own, sending me back a pace.
“You think I won’t go through you if I have to?” Enzo shouted.
Jamie was suddenly between us, both hands out, one on each of our chests, pushing back with all his strength. It had come to something when Jamie was the one who wanted peace. “Pull your shit together! Both of you!” he yelled.
I met Enzo’s eyes over Jamie’s shoulder, my chest heaving, rage still hot in my blood. He was just as wild, torn between murderous intent and fury. I knew his obsession with protecting Robbie had turned into love. But he needed to back off from the sick guy on the bed before I—fuck knew what I’d do. I wasn’t in control. My temper was.
Enzo finally stepped back, but I stayed right in front of Lyric.
“I found him,” I said, before I could stop myself. “Mine to kill if we need to. No one else touches him.”
It wasn’t only about protection. It wasn’t even about power. It was something darker—something raw and territorial, as if I’d sunk my teeth into him anddared anyone to take him from me. I didn’t understand it, didn’t want to, but the second those words left my mouth, they felt right. Not rational or safe, but true.
