“I thought about ripping him to shreds. Thought about working slow and forcing him to endure all kindsa pain.”
If all he planned to do was attack and murder his brother, he could’ve done that already.
“Violence isn’t your plan,” she said, sliding her hands further around him until both were flat on his torso and her cheek rested against his spine. “You’d have killed him by now if that was your plan.”
“Biz is a cocky asshole,” he said. “Sure I wanted to hurt him, damn right I did. I expected the double cross from him… Everything’s fair game with him.”
“Your father’s betrayal hurt more,” she said.
Score always said that Burl was the head of the family, that he made the decisions. If that was true, either he’d sanctioned what Biz did, or he’d let his eldest son’s actions go by without repercussions. Dangerous for a man like Parker McDade to start thinking he had carte blanche, even over his own father’s authority.
“I don’t give a damn about hurt. He let Biz bend him over and give it to him in the ass,” he snarled. “I’m supposed to respect that? Respect a family who can’t even control its own?”
“It’s Burl. You want to take Burl down.”
Grabbing her wrists, he opened her arms to free himself and turned to face her, the passion of vengeance burning from within him. “Him and his fucking lieutenant… Though I don’t know which way’s which.”
She frowned. “You think Parker is calling the shots? Why? Why would your father let him—”
“I don’t give a damn,” he snapped, then took a breath and ran his palm from his forehead up over his hair.
Going past her, he stalked toward the door, but just paused there. His silence was his processing time. Shyla took advantage of it too. All of that anger, that craving to even the score, hadn’t gone away. Yet, he’d given up on his plan to keep her safe.
Shaking her head, although he couldn’t see her, Shyla’s own wrath began to heat. “I won’t let you,” she said, filled with determination. “I won’t let you give up on this, whatever it is. I won’t let you do it, Phoenix.” He turned around. “You need to do this. For us, for me. You’re right, I did open my big mouth and I didn’t take the hint. I’m sorry if that screwed anything up. I only voiced those views when you were around, nowhere else. Even if Burl did hear of my outbursts that should only help your cause.”
“Help it?”
She nodded. “If no one even ever mentioned it around you, that would be more suspicious than me banging my drum. It gives credibility to whatever you’re doing. Keeps him thinking that you’re toeing the family line.”
“But puts you in the firing line.”
Licking her lips, she could feel her muscles begin to tense as her resolve grew. “If he’s focused on me, that gives you the time to do whatever you need to do. It’s misdirection.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said with a slight shake of his head. “It’s over. I’m done.”
“You are not,” she said in a stern tone that surprised him. “I will not let you give this up for me.”
“You don’t even know what it is.”
“I don’t have to know the details to believe in you,” she said. “I trust you. You know what you’re doing. I know you do.”
Again, he shook his head. “I won’t.”
“So what?” she asked. “You’ll just keep running his money forever? That had to be part of your plan, or you were using it to prove to him that you were still on his side, that all was forgiven?” His confidence hadn’t taken a knock. It wasn’t that Score didn’t think he could follow through, he was giving it up for her. Shyla had to get through to him, one way or another. “I love you, Phoenix. I love who you are. I want to know that man better. I want to know everything about you. You taught me about physical intimacy… now help me understand the mental and emotional too. I want every part of you, Love. Choose not to be the island. Choose to let me in… to let me be a part of you.”
What Shyla was asking may be too much. Learning how to trust and rely on someone else overnight was no easy request. Score trusted Beeks, and must, at least to an extent, trust Fish too.
As she stood there waiting, trying not to give in to her urge to fill the silence, she caught her thumb nail. Rubbing and squeezing the nail with her opposite forefinger and thumb, it wasn’t easy to be discreet. Her anxiety was creeping in again. Nothing he had planned for his family would change how she felt about him. But he could still choose to tell her to leave, to end the relationship that she so wanted to depend on.
“Come here,” he said in a calmer, much more neutral tone.
Going to him, she garnered all of her courage and swallowed hard at the moment of stopping in front of him.
“You vowed to follow my command,” he said and she nodded once, seeking his intent gaze. “But I also said that you were in charge. You have the power to end this at any time. To finish what we started.”
“Tell me, Phoenix,” she murmured, pleading with his good sense.
Shyla could let it go and continue to be with him. Like she’d said, that could mean her always feeling inferior to the men. The trio would know something and she would be the only person in the dark. That could breed her own resentment. Unless Score could be honest with her and they came to some conclusion together, their relationship was doomed.
His brow lowered
