He retreats and, in an apologetic but firm voice, answers, "No. I do not. I was careless coming here. I admit it. I was thinking about making it on time, and I apologize. It will never happen again. But I can assure you, I can vouch for this man."
He vouches.
Again.
What to do.
My heart races faster.
I should kill them both.
He's Sean Sr.'s offspring.
He's the Chosen One.
I ask, "Why do you have so much loyalty for him?"
Sean reaffirms, "I vouch for him."
I step back and glance toward the intruder.
Holy shit.
The back of his body, from afar, doesn't tell the whole story. He's got the kind of build forged from real labor, not vanity. His light brown hair is unruly, begging to be tamed. Dark, steady eyes with arrogance stare back at me, even though he's about to get sliced to pieces. And his challenging expression can't hide dimples that have no business existing on a jaw so sharp.
My gaze travels down his body, taking in his thick thighs and large bulge against his gray sweatpants. But the kicker lies in his hands.
They're enormous. There's no doubt they can break, lift, hold, ruin.
A small spark flickers in my chest. I'm unsure if it's a desire or a curious interest. There's one thing I know for sure.
A man like this is either a danger, a tool, or a problem masquerading as the opposite of what you want from him.
He doesn't flinch. To my surprise, his expression turns to a predatory stare.
I turn to Sean and blurt out, "Granted, he's sexy in a rough way, but so are others. Why are you vouching for him?"
Jesus. Why did I say that?
He doesn't hesitate, claiming, "I know who he is."
Naive little offspring.
Amused, I raise my brow. "You know who he is?"
"Yes."
"Ah. You're a foolish one."
"Why is that?"
I steal a quick glance at the intruder, already knowing he still has his provocative expression pinned on me, as if he doesn't care about the predicament he's in or the knife against his throat.
Ignoring the pulsing between my thighs, I turn back to Sean, warning, "You think you know people, but I can assure you, you do not."
The flicker reappears.
Adrenaline spikes, but I can't fully hide the sadness laced in my tone. "Ah. I see. I've spoken a truth, and you're unable to deny it."
