Page 19 of Dangerous Games

My head tips up to the ceiling as my fists clench at my sides. Jesus Christ, she’s going to be the one who makes me snap.

“Why would you give a man who clearly doesn’t give a fuck about you six grand?” I ask, my anger shining through.

Bronwyn’s face hardens defensively. “He’s my dad, Gio. What do you want me to do?”

“Uh, tell him to fuck off and go back where he came from?” Is this woman for real right now?

“That’s easy for you to say.”

“What did he need the money for?”

She opens her mouth to speak before closing it and second-guessing herself. “That’s none of your business. You need to leave.” Bronwyn stomps to the front door and opens it.

I slowly cross the room to her, invading her space. I know my anger is radiating from me. Hell, I can practically taste it, but she doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t cower. She doesn’t even fucking blink.

And fuck me if that isn’t the hottest goddamn thing.

My hand grasps the top of the door as I force it out of her grip and close it, locking us both inside.

“One thing you need to learn about me, cara, is that I’ll leave when I’m good and ready to leave. Until then, well, you’ll just have to find a way to fucking deal,” I say, my voice low and commanding. I bring my finger to the side of her face and gently stroke it down. “Now, are you going to tell me why you gave him that much money?”

“Are you going to back up?” she asks, her blue eyes holding a challenge.

“No.”

She lets out a resigned sigh. “You’re really not going to leave until you get what you want, are you?”

“Now you’re catching on.” I smirk.

She looks tired and worn out as she moves to sit down on her couch, slumping against the back. If I were a good man, I’d leave her to it and stop pressing for information I know is none of my business. Matteo would be losing his mind if he knew I was digging deep right now.

But I’m not a good man.

“I don’t know the specifics.” She flicks her wrist out as she talks. She still manages to keep the attitude while sounding tired as fuck. “But from what he told me, he owes someone a lot of money, and he was out of time.”

Well, that’s an interesting development.

“He didn’t say who or what it was for?”

Bronwyn finally meets my eyes. The pain swirling in the depths of them is enough for me to want to make this all go away for her.

“Apparently, he had to borrow money to pay a gambling debt. That’s all I know. I don’t know who he borrowed from or who he was gambling with.”

Fuck.

That’s not good.

It shouldn’t be hard for me to find out, but depending on who he borrowed from, he could be in a giant fucking mess.

I know it’s not with us though because I would have been the one busting down his door for the money.

Reaching my hand up to her face, I stroke my finger down the side of her cheek. “Was that so hard?” I ask as she holds her breath.

“It’s just none of your business,” she whispers.

Everything about you is now my business.

“Lock up after me,” I demand as I finally open her front door and walk out without a backward glance.