His mouth twists. “I was already warned away by his Daddy… What is it about the little Boss that inspires such protection?”
Pulling my second knife, I press it firmly against his chest. “You’ll never find out.”
Javi’s pupils dilate and he moans a little. “You’re all such a bunch of flirts…”
Sneering, I press the knife against him until his clothing and skin gives, and Javi lets out a hiss. “Next time…I’ll gut you. So unless you want to end up like Ignacio…behave.”
“How can I when you’re practically begging for me?” He tilts his head.
With a scoff, I pull away, taking my knife with me, enjoying the way blood blooms onto his bright shirt. “Might want to go see Doc.”
“Nine o’clock,” he repeats before spinning on his heel, leaving my office and taking one of my knives with him.Fucker.
When he’s gone, I sigh and sit in my chair, pulling a handkerchief out of my pocket to wipe down the knife Javi didn’t steal. Spinning back towards my desk, I stare blankly at mymonitor. I have work to do, but not even the promise of that is enough to stop the thoughts coursing through me.
Staring down at the knife in my hand, I grimace, setting it on the desk and reaching for my phone instead…even though I really want to use the knife. Baby steps and all that.
Turning my chair back around, so I can’t see the blade anymore, I pull up the security feed on my phone, searching for Jude. I hate to bother him with this—me—but I’m learning better habits and all that.
Fucking hell, therapy better fucking work because I can’t keep going like this. I simply can’t.
Itighten my grip, squeezing my interlaced hands together so hard my knuckles turn white. I’m still not used to not being in a limo. The SUV is…nice, but it feels odd. Yet another thing to get used to now. Nothing is the same, not even close. How am I supposed to face reality when I constantly feel as if it’s breaking all around me?
Just when I think I’m going to fall apart, the SUV slows. My hands shake. Black spots start to form in my vision, but before I lose it completely, Tennant is there. He reaches over and grips my chin—hard. He forces me to look at him, and the blackness eating my vision recedes as I meet his icy gaze. It cools the fear chasing me.
“You will get through this. I’ll be right beside you. And afterward, we’ll…talk.”
“Talk?” I snort at the thought. “About what?”
“About what comes next. What you want out of life, and what needs to happen to get it.”
I swallow, my breathing shallow, and finally whisper one of the scariest truths ever, “I…I’m not sure I even know anymore.”
“That’s fine. I’ll help you. After all, that’s what a Daddy is for.”
My heart skips a beat, and all thoughts flee. Fuck. Trying to muster a cocky smile, which I know doesn’t work for shit, I huskily say, “That’s usually my line.”
With a growl that makes me shudder, he retorts, “And now it’s mine. Let’s make this clear. You may be Lio’s Papa Bear, but I’m Daddy. Do you understand me, Piccolo?”
As he caresses my bottom lip with his thumb, all the doubt I’ve been holding onto suddenly dissipates. It’s like being caught from a free fall, the sudden steadiness. Fuck. I understand my Boy even more now. I can’t find the words, as my tongue is too interested in darting out to taste his salty skin. From the way his eyes darken, I’m not the only one affected.
“Enough, Piccolo. It’s time. We’re going to march in there and get our retribution. And then? Then we’ll deal with the rest.”
It’s a silky dark promise. One I’d never entertain in the past, but fuck if it isn’t seductive as hell. Maybe…Maybe this is what Javi was talking about. Trying new things. Finding myself. Finding my new center. It’s a fucked up reality, or maybe what I used to live was the fucked up reality. I guess, until I walk in there, I won’t know. Until I take what he’s offering. Retribution. Steadiness. And…there’s something else. Something deeper. Something that I can’t put into words. At least, not yet. There’s limits to courage when the world has burned around me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to try.
Sliding out of the SUV, I roll my shoulders back, letting the need to avenge my friend flow through me as I follow Tennant inside his warehouse of horrors. It's a fitting name based onwhat I see as I glance around. Better yet is the way he seemingly sheds his layers with each step. The thin veneer of normality is left at the door, and it’s more fascinating than I ever thought was possible. I can see why Emilio is drawn to him, especially the way my love blossoms when torturing someone.
Both guilty men are strung up, hanging from the ceiling, although they're tied with rope instead of manacles. A little disappointing. I always prefer the sharp edge of steel over rope, but I'm sure the roughness biting into their skin adds a delicious amount of pain.
I tug on the blazer of the suit I’m wearing. It’s odd to suddenly be wearing clothes that no longer feel like they fit. It’s like stepping into a persona that’s too tight.
Seeing the way Tennant embraces his true self makes me desperately want that level of confidence. To be able to strip away outside expectations and embrace who I truly am… If only I had a clue who that was.
Swallowing, I unbutton the blazer and shrug it off, tossing it over a chair to the side. I can’t find it in me to have it on the dirty ground, but… I want the freedom of letting go of who I used to be, and that starts here. It’s so simple, yet it feels like so much more than merely taking an article of clothing off.
Tennant quirks an eyebrow, but doesn’t say anything. My face flushes, but I bring my attention back to the two men in front of me, asking, “So, who are these assholes who stolemyJenna’s life?”
Their faces, already pale, turn almost a sickly grey with how I emphasized the word “my”. But they need to know, they didn’t just fuck up by taking away a Martelli lawyer. Oh no. Jenna was as close to a friend as I allowed. And this? This is their reckoning. I’d say have mercy on their souls, but fuck that.
