Page 100 of Ruin Me With Lies

Kim Hwan’s mouth clamps shut.But then, with quiet defiance, he chokes out, “I don’t…believe a w-word…of it.”

“Uncle!”one of his nephews shouts with a groan.“Must you always get us into situations like this?”

“I couldn’t give a fuck what you believe,” Stefano says.“Talk your shit about me.I don’t give a damn.Buther?”He flicks his chin toward me.“You donotdisrespect her.”

With that, he tightens his grip and begins choking the life out of Kim Hwan.

The brothers drop to their knees, pleading for his life, voices climbing in panic.

Oh, for Pete’s sake.So disappointing after such a nice dinner.I glance around, searching for something with proper heft.Unfortunately, this is a posh commercial area, not exactly a haven for loose bricks and debris.Hiking up my dress, I jog toward the pedestrian crossing at the end of the street, scanning storefronts.My eyes catch on a boutique garden to the left, where colorfully painted cinderblocks line a flower bed.

Bingo.

I snatch one and hurry back.Thankfully, Kim Hwan is still breathing.Barely.He’s sprawled on his ass, his face flushed blue, while his nephews hover protectively around him.Stefano stands nearby, cool as ice, not a hair out of place.As if almost choking someone to death took not an ounce of energy out of him.

“What the hell are you doing?”he asks as I approach.

“A little demonstration for Mr.Kim,” I reply breezily.“Back up, everyone.”

The brothers scramble back, dragging their uncle with them, eyes wide with confusion and fear.

“Stefano?”I glance at him when he doesn’t move.“I don’t know if this will be a big blow or a small blow.”

His eyes flick to the cinderblock in my hands, then back to mine.“If you burn, I burn.”

Our eyes remain locked for a moment, a dark, reckless calm between us.

“Okay, Romeo.”I glance over my shoulder at the Kims.“Let’s hope their driver’s not in there.”

“Who cares,” Stefano mutters.

Biting back a smile, I launch the cinderblock straight through the front window.

Glass shatters in a sparkling scream.One beat…two beats…

BOOM!

The luxury car explodes in a blaze of orange fury, the force driving us back.

Oh, shit.This is a big one.

Heat sears the air, shards of debris flying.

Before I can even flinch, I’m crushed to a hard chest of solid muscle and whisked backward until I’m pinned against a wall.His arms are a steel cage around me, his body a barrier from the firestorm.And his heart…it’s pounding so damn hard I swear it’s inmychest, not his.

Slowly, he pulls back, just enough to look down at me.“Good?”

I nod, breathless.“Uh, yeah.That’s a death blow.”

Somewhere nearby, one of the brothers is on repeat.“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.What the fuck, holy shit!”

“The bang happened,” I murmur to Stefano, growing heady from his intoxicating scent, “which means the pyro’s on the move now.Tell your men not to dismiss anyone based on age or gender.That’s how they’ll catch them.”

This time, he doesn’t argue.He gets out his phone, dials, growls his orders, then hangs up.All without moving an inch away from me.Still caging me in with that furnace of a body, like I’m something fragile that needs protecting.

Around us, noise and murmurs stir.Heads poking out of windows, patrons spilling out onto sidewalks, staff frozen in doorways, cars slowing with shouts of concern.But the moment Stefano’s men appear with weapons drawn, questions cease and everyone scatters.

“So, um…” I lift my chin to look at him.“Are you going to move now?”