Looking over at the couch compared to my position, I realized the little psycho must have kicked me off her body so hard that I tumbled backwards over the arm at her feet.
Fucking Christ, but I loved her.
"I'm not a fragile little girl, Enzo. Sure, you're a little dangerous when you sleep, and we're nowhere near a place where we can sleep together regularly because neither of us will sleep through the night. But the last thing we need to do is avoid falling asleep in each other's arms altogether," she said, going to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and some aspirin. She handed me both, and I grinned at her as I threw them back and swallowed them down.
Rebel inserted herself between us, twining between Sadie's legs and nearly knocking her over. Pride written in every one of her features, she glanced over at me with utter possession on her face. "Hey, Little Monster," Sadie murmured, petting the dog who was more like Sadie than I could have ever guessed when we found her.
My little psycho and her little monster.
"What time is it?" I asked, glancing at the sun rising over the horizon beyond the pool.
"About 6:30," Sadie murmured. "We have that tour of the new location you set up at ten. I'm just going to go hop in the shower and get the day started," she said, making for the stairs. While she was still subdued, more melancholy than she normally was, there was also a boundless determination in her honeyed eyes as she moved.
"You still want to go?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. The thought of her anywhere public after the last couple of days built my anxiety into a pit. But despite the lingering rage I felt for her reckless choice to try to run into a building, there was nothing I would deny her in the face of everything she'd been dealt.
"Of course I want to go. The investigation is still ongoing at the original Fists of Fury. You said we won't be able to get in there to start rebuilding for at least a few weeks, so what better time to focus my energy on the new location? I can't do that until we have a new location," she said.
"It is okay to stop and take a few minutes to relax before you just jump right into the next..." I trailed off, noting the look in her face.
Like talking to a wall with how damn stubborn she was.
"Right," I said, turning to go shower in my own bedroom. As much as I'd have loved to shower with her, I'd just be happy we were even speaking to each other after how much I wanted to throttle her.
The need to hear how she felt about me pulsed through me with every step.
What if Sadie didn't think anything of running into a burning building because she didn't feel the same way I did?
I didn't think I'd let her go regardless.
Sadie took much longer showers than I did. Such was the nature of military precision compared to a woman who loved hot water. So I sat myself on the floor with my back to the couch, occupying myself with a game of tug o’ war with Rebel.
She growled at me playfully, pulling with all the strength in her body.
My phone ringing in my pocket distracted me from our game. “Yeah?” I grunted, pressing it to my ear.
“I’ve got eyes on her,” Seb said. He rattled off a timestamp.
“Shit. I have to take Sadie to tour the new property. Have Ryker snatch her up—”
“You’re going to want to reschedule after you see for yourself. Watch the feed.” He ended the call, leaving me to heft myself up off the floor and make my way to my office. Dread filled my gut like lead as I tapped the touchpad on my laptop. Moving the cursor to the open feed from Tease, I skipped to the time Seb had indicated.
She wore a navy dress, the color subtly different from the way I normally saw her, but the cut was all the same. Ice froze my body solid, a cold fury the likes of which I’d rarely experienced for myself. She did her best to hide her face from the cameras, but I was paranoid and liberal with my surveillance. There was nowhere for her to hide as I toggled to another feed.
Her face stared back at me in clear resolution.
I skipped my shower, pulling on shoes and striding out my bedroom door.
The bitch had no idea what was coming for her.
Sadie was silent at my side as I threw myself out of the SUV. My fingers twitched for the gun at my waist, but I’d strangle the woman with my bare hands before I’d ever waste a bullet on her. “Enzo!” Sadie hissed as she caught up to me. Rebel hurried at our sides, no leash in sight since she didn’t need one. That dog wouldn’t leave Sadie’s side if her life depended on it. “What’s going on?”
Throwing open the doors of Indulgence, I shoved past Dom who jumped back. It was probably the smartest move the man had ever made.
Ash looked up from the bar, his face paling as he read the expression on mine. “Shit,” he mumbled, glancing at the woman where I focused all my attention.
She’d wanted it, been desperate for it.
I had a feeling this wasn’t what she had in mind.
Vanessa looked up from the bar as she felt the change in the air, and the moment she saw me thundering toward her she backed away. With the wall at her back, she cowered and turned her face away as I approached. “Please, Enzo!” she begged. “I didn’t know!”
My hand covered her
