Horror flashes in his eyes, and it does nothing but make me laugh. It’s always amazing to see big, bad men get scared when they realize there is nowhere left to run. Nowhere left to hide.
“Take him out back. Let the dogs do their job. I’m going to go have a chat with his buddy outside.”
Miguel nods without a word and hauls him out the door. I really wanted to be the one to do it, the one to end him, but that would be too easy. He deserves a slow, painful death. I follow them out and walk down the hall as I hear his screams echo around me. They get quieter and quieter, until finally disappearing as they slip out the back door into the night.
I pause when I make it to the front door and shake out the excitement I feel knowing Emil is getting what he deserves. I don’t want his right hand to see me so happy. It’s not usual for someone like me, but I can’t help it. Bloodshed brings me bliss.
When I step outside, I see a dark-colored Impala waiting on the other side of the white picket fence. I let my shoes slap against the brick walkway harder than necessary just so he knows I’m coming.
The window rolls down when I get close. When I’m about a foot away, I stop and lean down. The guy in the driver’s seat looks young. Not too young, but younger than I’m used to seeing. His sand-colored hair is unkempt and falls over his forehead. “What’s your name?”
He squints, and his eyebrows pull together. “Where is Emil?”
I roll my eyes. “Do you know who I am?” I ignore his question and ask my own.
He nods.
“Good. Then you know I don’t play. What’s your name?”
“Antonio,” he finally lets out.
“Antonio.” I nod. “Emil is being killed as we speak.” He reaches under the seat not so slyly, so I pull my gun and rest it on the edge of the window. “I wouldn’t do that.”
His eyes bounce between mine and the gun over and over. “What do you want?”
“You know—” I open the door and slide into the passenger seat. “—you would have been killed in a week sticking with Emil, so you should be glad I have a job for you.”
He turns his back to face the door so he can keep his eyes on me. “And what is it?”
“I want to see how the Hales react to seeing you. Find them, follow them, then attack them.”
“Attack them?” His eyes go wide.
“That’s what I said.”
“They will kill me.”
“Well.” I raise my gun. “You either do it, or I can kill you now. Your choice. Try and be sneaky so they don’t see you coming or have me blow your brains out now.” I shrug. “With them you at least have a chance. You don’t with me.” I pull the hammer of my gun back.
“Okay, okay.” He faces forward and places both hands on the steering wheel. “I’ll do it.”
I smile. “Great. Report back to me if you survive.”
I step out of the car and watch as he drives away before I turn around to go back inside.
Sleep never came last night. It’s not surprising because it’s rare it ever does, but it doesn’t make it suck any less. I turn over and look at Lucas sleeping next to me. I want to run my fingers over his skin, tangle them in the gold chain around his neck, but I don’t want to disrupt his sleep. If I can’t sleep, he might as well.
I study his bruised face, and immediately my mind wanders to Teddy. He’s the most violent kind of daydream. Wrecking my mind, breaking my heart over and over again, and he isn’t even here. I kick myself because I shouldn’t be thinking about him when I’m lying next to another man, but I can’t help it. One of the last images I have of Teddy, he was in Lucas’s exact position. Beat up, bloody, bruised… Only he deserved it. Did Lucas? Maybe not, but tensions are so high right now. I can practically feel the testosterone rolling off the twins as they battle for dominance.
“It’s rude to stare,” Lucas chirps sleepily.
A smile tugs at my lips. “I wasn’t staring.”
“I can feel your eyes on me, Flower.”
I roll my eyes, then flip to my other side, putting my back to him. I can’t look him in his eyes when I’m thinking about Teddy. I should be over him by now. At least that’s what I keep telling myself, but I’m not. His memories are starting to fade, but his presence is still strong. Maybe it’s because I’m carrying his baby, or maybe I’m just crazy.
Lucas’s arm wraps around my waist from behind as his face pushes into my hair. “How are you feeling today?”
Do I lie or do I tell the truth? “I’m fine. Just ready for everything to be over so we can go home. I miss it there.” Half lie, half truth.
I can almost feel his frown. “Why don’t we find a new place? Somewhere far away.”
My heart thumps faster. How could he want to leave? I get stepping away from all of the craziness, but leave Northridge Heights? I don’t think I could. Everything I know is here. Teddy is here.
“We don’t have to leave. We can make things work here.”
“You can’t be a queen in a crumbled kingdom, baby.” He kisses my hair. “I get it, you want to stay close to what you know. You want to stay close to… him. But sometimes you have to know when to step away.”
I know he’s right, but I don’t want to admit it. I’m not ready to say goodbye. “I—” His phone ringing cuts me off.
“Hold that thought.” He kisses me again, then stands from the bed to grab his phone off the floor.
“Hello? … Are you
