Page 94 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part Two

My phone rings, and I don’t need to look at the screen to know who it is.

“You and I are not okay. Don’t mistake my speaking with you as acceptance of your actions. Feel me?” I grind out. There’s silence on the other end of the line for a heartbeat.

“Heard,” Riale says, then he takes another beat before saying, “Are you surethisis what you want to do?”

My grip tightens on the phone.

“You really want to question my decisions right now?” I hiss.

Riale sighs. “I’m not questioning your decisions, Storm. I know how much this girl means to you, but you’re abducting them.”

“Leave it alone, Riale,” I bark, and he falls silent again.

I take another hit.

“That’s my family. There’s nothing wrong with me protecting my family.” Even if my actions would be considered wholly criminal in a court of law.

But when the fuck have I ever cared about that?

Shae ran away with my kids, and knowing what I know about how she tried to core me out of their lives, I don’t trust her not to disappear forever.

And the real reason is….

I watched Shae nearly die this morning. I’m grateful the children weren’t there to witness the massacre, but the fact still remains: Shae almost died this morning.

I shake my head, as if I could delete the thought from my brain with the inertia.

“As long as Lakeland’s out there, focus on that. Don’t worry about my business.”

“Youaremy business, Storm,” he shoots back.

“Nah, nigga. I’m not.” I draw in a deep pull of smoke. “Especially not anymore.”

Riale’s been my friend, my bodyguard, and was, up until recently, my confidant. I considered us brothers—the stand-in after Rainn died.

I realize now the error of that decision.

“Anyway,” Riale says, his voice rough. “Lakeland wasn’t exactly secretive about the hit. We knew he was gonna strike.”

I hum.

I paused when the tracker in Shae’s purse went off, alerting Axel and me that she’d left the hotel.

Things were intense between us last night, and for a second, I considered sending security after her and staying away. I wanted to give her some space…but in the end, I couldn’t.

My deliberation lasted for only a few minutes, and I received the collision alert just as I reached my SUV.

All calm, sense, and common decency fled my body when we rolled up on the scene—a gun pointed at the back of Shae’s head.

When the bodies hit the concrete, I realized I’d taken the four assailants out in seconds, operating on pure instinct.

Until I got Shae out of there, I couldn’t breathe.

I still don’t think I’m breathing.

“That’s not all,” Riale says, blowing out a breath. “That bounty Axel found? It’s definitely connected to Lakeland, but…”

I growl.