I take a calming breath and will myself the strength to possibly destroy the one good thing I have going for myself. “That day I found out that Nic had seen you and me together for the first time in your room,” I drop my gaze while trying to figure out the best way to continue. “It had made him angry and he wanted to make us hurt like he was,” I say, unsure why I’m still trying to defend him during all of this. I should just spit it out and tell him what's going on. He deserves to know. Rip it off like a bandaid. “Nic was the one who called Vincent and had his sons show up at your house.”
Colton swerves off the side of the road, slamming his foot down on the brakes. His car skids, the back tires flying out to the side and forcing Colton to hastily correct himself. “The fuck did you just say?” he demands, whipping his gaze to me the second the Veneno comes to a complete stop.
My heart breaks at my betrayal. He deserved so much better than that. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I should have told you the second that I found out but you would have retaliated and I couldn’t have you in a war against the Widows. I just … I couldn't. He would have tried to kill you and I couldn’t have that. I couldn’t be the reason that he came after you.”
Colton slams his hand down on the steering wheel so damn hard that I expect the airbag to come bursting out into his chest. His hands curl around the steering wheel, turning his knuckles a bright white. “Nic sent the DeCarlo brothers to my home?” he confirms. “Nic is responsible for all of that shit?”
I nod. “He is. However, he just told them to come and scare us a bit. He told me that he watched the whole thing and when he saw what they were doing, he tried to call it off but they wouldn’t respond. They were determined to cause as much hell as they possibly could.”
“And you believe a fucking word that bastard says? He killed both of our fucking dads and had the nerve to stand in front of us as though he didn’t do a goddamn thing. He came into my home, he stood by your side for months, every day lying to you, betraying your trust. I’m fucking sorry, Jade, but I won’t let him get away with this. Dominic Fucking Garcia is going down and I don’t care if I have to stand against every fucking Black Widow to make it happen.”
“Colton,” I breathe. “You can’t. You don’t know what you’re getting into. These guys … they’re not just kids who grew up in a bad neighborhood, they’re killers. They love it and they won’t stop until you’re gone. You can’t declare war against them. It won’t end pretty.”
“I won’t be declaring shit,” he tells me, clearly pissed off with me but the fact that he hasn’t thrown me out speaks volumes. Maybe he really is serious about making this work. Maybe he is prepared to look over my shortcomings and take me as I am—flaws and all. “I’m going to hit him where it fucking hurts and he’ll never see me coming.”
My hand flinches in his, the thought of Nic getting hurt still tearing at my soul but it’s a feeling that I’m going to have to get used to because I won’t try to stop him. I trust Colton and if this is how he wants to deal with this, then I’m standing by his side through thick and thin. Nic has wronged me one too many times.
“What about the others?” he asks. “Were they in on this?”
I shake my head. “No. They found out only after the fact and handled Nic themselves.”
“I don’t give a shit if they handled Nic. No one takes my revenge from me.”
I nod, understanding his pain as clear as day. There’s something a person just has to do themselves, something that a stand-in just won’t cut it for. “You haven’t thrown me out of your car yet,” I note, biting down on my bottom lip as I look up and meet his eyes.
“Don’t get me wrong, Jade. I’m fucking furious with you. You should have told me the second you found out, but I understand why you didn’t and I can’t fault you for that, but if you ever keep something like that from me again, you and I are going to have problems.”
“I won’t,” I whisper. “You have my word.”
Colton nods, reaching across the car and taking my hand. He pulls it up to his lips and brushes a gentle kiss over my hand. “I only just got you back, Jade, and watching you walk away isn’t something I’m willing to see again. I wasn’t kidding before, I fucking love you and I’m all in. You and me until the end, even if it means we have to tear each other to shreds just to get there.”