Page 51

I wanted to reach out and snatch the words back, to gobble them back inside my mouth and pretend they were never uttered. But it was too late. They were out there, clear for all to hear.

A darkness fell over Dante’s face, and his eyes flashed with a murderous rage.

“What did you just say?”

A smarter woman might have backed down. A smarter woman may have apologised and said she didn’t mean it. Unfortunately for me, all the smarts in the world could not replace my stubborn streak. The angrier Dante looked, the more my pride screamed at me not to be intimidated by a man.

All my life, people had tried shouting over me. They had used my small frame against me. After Alex, I had sworn I would never let that happen again. Dante might be double the size that Alex had been, but it made no difference to my bad-tempered self. I would not be intimidated.

“You heard me,” I challenged. “You can pull all the scary faces you want, and you can also try roaring and intimidating me. It won’t change anything.

Facts are facts. Someone needed to say it, so why not me?

You’ve surrounded yourself with yes men, too afraid to stand up to you and speak up for what’s right. That won’t ever be me.”

As I spoke, Dante closed the distance between us, causing me to have to crane my neck back to look up at him.

“What? Are you going to grab me now? You’re going to inflict some sort of punishment on me for being right?

You’re mad because you’ve been forced to face reality.

Bee deserves better than what you’re currently offering her, and I have the qualification to allow me to state that as a fact. ”

He didn’t need to know that I didn’t have any formal qualification. I had got lucky in America and found myself in with a family who were desperate, and they didn’t ask. They took my word for it. After them, I had a glowing reference, and no one bothered to check if I was lying or not.

“A piece of paper makes you more qualified than a parent?”

“It makes me more qualified than a negligent parent, yes.”

“Rachel, no offense, but I’m hardly going to trust a word you say, considering I know for a fact you killed a man — something you wouldn’t have disclosed to any employees.”

“Irrelevant.” I waved away his accusation, but my stomach flipped at the way he uttered it so casually.

Thanks mother and your big fucking gob. And thank you Vienna, and your fucking loudmouth. You gossiping little shite.

“You also think the sun shines out of your own ass—”

“Maybe it does.”

“I can assure you it does not. Considering I had your ass in my face, up close and personal, only twelve hours ago, I’m qualified to make that assessment.”

“Don’t be fucking vulgar. But why am I not surprised? Typical Dante. Ignore the fucking issues and turn it into a sex thing.”

“Rachel,” he began with a heavy sigh. “Believe it or not, I didn’t come here to argue with you.”

“Yeah, right,” I scoffed, rolling my eyes at him.

“I didn’t. I came to call a truce.”

“Sure you did. That’s why you sent the cheese man after me.”

“I beg your fucking pardon?”

“Him,” I said, pointing at Shark. “And no, he didn’t tell me. I’m not a fucking moron.”

“Can’t you ever just call someone by their actual fucking name, Rachel? It’s impossible to know who you’re on about when you just make things up!”

“Ha! That’s a bit rich coming from the man who’s part of a biker club with the likes of Macbeth and Vienna. You’re really going to lecture me on nicknames?”

“Fair point. Well made,” he paused for a second before sighing heavily when I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Okay. Fine. Yes. I did send Shark to watch you. And yes, I was pissed at you burning my things, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why you did it.

And I also do appreciate the fact that you have Bee’s best interests at heart.

I don’t want every day to be a fight. I—” he sighed again. “Look, do you want to go for a ride?”

“I—Excuse me?”

“Do you want to go for a ride?” He repeated, enunciating each word. “Shark can stay with Bee. We need to clear the air and draw a line in the sand. We got off on the wrong foot and—”

“No.”

“No?” he repeated, as though he had never heard the word before.

“That’s what I said. You’re asking me to leave Bee behind. To be like everyone else in her life and ditch her when something better comes along.”

“No, I—”

“No means no, Dante. But thanks. I’ll stay with Bee.

And for your information, we didn’t get off on the wrong foot.

We got off exactly how things should be.

What, did you expect me to go riding off into the sunset with you?

You’ll talk, I’ll listen, you’ll explain yourself, and suddenly everything will be okay.

‘Ooh, he might have spat on me, starved me, and strangled me, but he is just sooo mysterious and handsome, and sooo misunderstood. He’ll change for me. I can tame him.’”

“Are you forgetting you also stabbed me?”

“In response to everything you had already done to me! I stabbed you with a self-defence tool! But that just proves my point, doesn’t it?

There’s no ‘getting off on the wrong foot’ here.

We’re trying to squeeze feet into shoes that just don’t fit.

It’s never going to happen. Nothing excuses abuse Dante, and that’s all I’ve received since the moment I met you.

I don’t want half assed efforts and lame excuses. ”

“I’m trying to offer you an olive branch,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Unfortunately for you, I don’t like olives.

If this was a movie, I’d be screaming at the heroine to run a mile, track down the nearest cop and report you for all your crimes.

Lord knows there’s enough. But luckily for you, I hate the cops.

But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m not going anywhere with you. Not now, not tomorrow, not ever.”

I tried to walk off then, but the minute I turned my back on him, he once again grabbed me, picked me up, and hauled me over his shoulder in one smooth move.

“Put me fucking down!” I screamed at him, my legs kicking at his chest and my fists beating down on his back. He slapped my ass in response and called out to Shark. “Take Bee home in an hour!”

I saw Shark salute in response, and I cursed him under my breath.

“Oi, Shrek!” I hissed, kicking him again. He laughed and pinned my legs at the back of my knees.

“Does that make you princess Fiona?”

“It makes me princess fucking pissed. Put me down. Now.”

“Let me guess, ‘I’ll suffer the consequences’? I’ve seen the movie. I know the lines.”

“I fucking hate you. Did you know that?”

“Well, good job I’m taking us somewhere where we can hash out our differences, isn’t it? You’ll love me by the end of the day.”

“I won’t love you by the end of my fucking life. Get off!” I heaved, but it made no difference.

I pushed myself up the best I could, my arms straight against his back as I lifted my head up. I saw Bee waving at me, and I gave her a sad little wave back, doing my best to smile. She went running off after Shark; her smile radiating her entire face.

I wasn’t smiling, though. And the minute Dante let me down, he was going to pay for ruining my morning.