~
A FULL MINUTEpasses after I park outside Stefano’s house, waiting for him to step out of the cart.
But he doesn’t move.He remains comfortably seated, typing away on his phone.
Gio swings up beside us, checks his watch, then hops out.
Stefano still doesn’t move.
Gio circles around to my side of the cart and pats the roof, pulling my attention.“I’ve got a few things to wrap up, then I’m heading down to the tennis court.Wanna swing with me?”
“Hells yeah,” I say.“I need to blow off some steamkicking your ass.”
“Great.”He grins and pinches my chin.“Meet you there in thirty.”
As he heads off toward the house, I clear my throat and drum my fingers against the steering wheel, waiting for Stefano to finally get out.
He doesn’t.Just sits there, absorbed in whatever he’s doing on his phone.
If what happened at Brioso Hubb taught me anything, it’s that he’s a cunningmindfuck.There’re more wiles behind that brutally handsome face than he lets on.
If I tell him to get out, he’ll probably remind me that he owns everything here and can sit wherever the hell he wants.So, with a resigned sigh,Ihop out instead and climb into Gio’s vacated cart.
Just as I’m about to reverse, his voice cuts through the quiet.“You seem agitated, little liar.Something you would like to get off your chest?”
He can’t even be bothered to look at me, attention still on his phone.
Set on ignoring him, I start to reverse.But then brake—because, let’s face it, holding my tongue is not my forte.
“What if that stunt you pulled back there backfired, huh?What if some eager-to-impress puppet actually stepped up and planted a bullet in your head?”
A light scoff leaves him.“I believe it was Dorothy Parker who wrote,‘Love is like quicksilver in the hand.Leave the fingers open and it stays.Clutch it and it darts away.’” One corner of his mouth curves slightly.“I don’t believe in love, but that quote is my philosophy onlife.”He finally looks up, pocketing his phone.“The more you’re prepared to die, the longer you live.”
“Or, you’re just an overconfident, cocksure, narcissistic nutjob.”
Eyes glinting, he tilts his head.“Aw.Were youworriedabout me?Or just worried about your fate without my protection?”
“Arrogance always comes before a fall,” I tell him.“You’re being way too blasé about all this.”
He tsks, shaking his head.“There you go again.Trying to tell me how to handle my business.”
“Don’t mistake my youth for ignorance,” I counter.“I grew up in organized chaos.And in my short lifetime, I’ve seen the mighty fall time and time again.When the king topples, the entire castle crumbles.”I hold his gaze.“So,king of Vegas, when your ego starts to outgrow your crown, think about all thesubjectsin your palace who will get buried under the debris of your inevitable collapse.”
I hit the pedal to reverse, but he’s lightning fast.
In an instant, he’s at the driver’s side, forcing me to brake with a sharp halt.Before I can react, he leans in and flips the key to shut it off.
And then his fingers are around my throat, yanking me out of the cart.He slams me up against it and leans in, his face mere inches from mine, his breath warm against my skin.
Low and lethal, he bites, “What did I say about talking to me like that?”His grip tightens.“You should bekneelingat my feet, you fuckingworm.”
Something wicked unfurls inside me, liking thiswaytoo much.I laugh around his chokehold.“You don’t impress me enough for me to kneel.”
“Why the hell would I want to impressyou?”he grits out.“You’renothing.No one.Just an annoying little thumbtack stuck to the bottom of my shoe.”
Drop your gaze in submission, Raya.Shut up.Don’t push him.
Unfortunately, my mouth has a death wish.
