Page 322 of When We Fall: Part Two

It was killing me that she was leaving. Tearing my heart to fucking ribbons, but I wanted this for her. I wanted her to find herself and be happy.

My girl deserved the world.

A man slid into the booth across from me.

I blinked in confusion at him.

“Hello, Lorenzo. My name is Dante Church,” he said smoothly.

I stiffened as he smiled. He and Rosalie had a striking resemblance to one another. It was the eyes. The full lips. Hell, maybe even the way he said my name.

“Do not move,” he instructed as I made to grab my gun from my suit pocket. “You would die before you got your weapon out. My men are everywhere.”

I looked around the small diner, noting a man with tattoos and wearing a leather jacket at the counter. There were othercustomers in the restaurant, but it was hard to tell who his men were.

“Your Escalade? I have it rigged to explode. Your men waiting for you would die. The two cars down the street watching?” He made an explosion motion with his hands. “Poof. Gone. Cole Scott and Ethan Masters warm in their high-rise? Dead.”

“What do you want?” I snarled.

“Only to speak,” he said. “I have some things I need to get off my chest.”

“So speak.”

“I am the new ruler of the underground. I will be taking over.”

“Where is Everett?” I asked, glancing around and noticing a big guy with a man bun leaning against a parking meter outside.

“Good question. We’re working on the answer to that.”

“How do you not fucking know?”

“I do not work with my father. He is a piece of shit who deserves worse than death, and believe me, once I find him, it’s exactly what he will get.”

I stared at him. “You torture in the underground.”

“I do.”

“E said you helped him.”

“I did.”

“And Fox…?”

“Regrettable incident,” he said. “He wasn’t supposed to die. I tried to save him, too. For my sister.”

I said nothing, watching him.

“I am merely here to tell you that I will be cleaning up this city. I am not your enemy unless you want me to be.”

“I do not want a war with the underground unless it’s with Everett Church,” I said.

“Well, I am not my father. He is on the run. Once he is found, he will be dealt with.”

“I want to deal with him. For Fox. For E.”

“Yes, well, perhaps if you stay in line, I’ll allow you time in the underground with him. For a price, of course.” Dante’s eyes sparkled.

“And if I get him first?” I asked.