Page 144 of The Bronze Garza

“What?” I laugh. “Stop giving yourealdeal-breaker reasons?”

He scowls.

“Okay, when you’re gone on these long jobs, would you cheat on me?”

“Never.”

“Would you hit me?”

His scowl deepens. “The fuck?”

“Would you abuse or neglect your kids?”

“Of course not.”

“Are you prone to substance abuse when stressed? Drugs? Alcohol? Pills?”

“No.”

“Would you ever do anything to put me or your kids in harm’s way.”

“Never.”

I shrug. “Then I don’t see what the problem is.”

“You deserve a better—”

“Yeah, yeah. I deserve a ‘normal’ life with a ‘normal’ man who doesn’t put himself in front of a gun to save a woman from being abducted,” I say. “But, you know, I could also marry a boring accountant and he could accidentally choke on a pen cap and die. Or I could marry a California Chad with good hair and he could cheat on me with my best friend. Or I could marry a handsome, older billionaire and he could neglect me then trade me in for a younger model at the first sign of a wrinkle or boob sag.”

“Ly—”

“You, Dad, or anyone else don’t get to tell me what I deserve. I know when to shut up and let the men take care of things and make the decisions. And I’ve been doing that for the past couple of months without asking questions, because I trust that my father wants the best for me, and I trust your expertise and capabilities,” I roll on. “Butthispart, my heart, my future, it’s up to me.Onlyme.

“I didn’t even thinkmorewith you was a possibility. But now that I know it is? Screw all your ‘buts’. I’m taking every scrap of what you have to offer. It’smychoice. I want a life with you. No matter how unpredictable and ‘non-normal’ it will be. Because more than anything else on that vision board, what I want isyou, Torin Garza.”

Torin lifts my hand to his mouth and drags his teeth across my knuckles. “And I’m too selfish to disagree. The thought of you with someone else...” A low, feral sound rumbles in his throat. “You’remine,Lyra.”

“Yes, I am,” I agree, a shiver darting through me. As his teeth pulls at the skin of my knuckles, I add, “One thing, though.”

“What’s that?”

“If you so much as smile at another woman, I’ll cut your dick off while you sleep,” I warn. “And no, I’m not ‘cute.’ I’m dead serious.”

There’s a flash of white teeth around my knuckles. “That’s easy. I don’t smile.”

“You’re smiling now.”

More flashes of white. “Only because I love you and you’re my woman and you make me happy.”

Though a delicious, heart-tingling warmth spreads through me, I maintain a sober expression so he’ll know I’m not joking. “I mean it, Torin.”

He lowers my hand to his lap as his chest expands with a sigh. “I didn’t cheat on Lexi.”

“What?”

“That’s what your threat is about, right?” he asks. “You think I’ll fuck around ‘cause of what she told you.”

Well, yes. Knowing that, I’d be stupid to think he wouldn’t do the same to me. “Sure, you love me now, but you also loved her when you—”