“How?”
“Because you’re a kind, sweet girl like my Rosebud. You wouldn’t hurt me because hurting me would hurt her, and you’ve already made your intentions clear. You want to help her.”
I swallowed hard and lowered my gun.
My mind raced. I couldn’t trust him. I knew that much given what he’d already done to me…right? I was mulling things over when he reached for me. His knuckles brushed against my jaw, startling me. In my sudden startled state, I pulled the trigger.
“Fuck!” he shouted, stumbling back and grabbing his leg. “Fucking fuck! You fucking shot me! JesusChrist.”
I blinked as he hissed, .
“I didn’t mean to!” I stepped forward, but he held his hand out to stop me.
“Ju-just stay there. Put the fucking gun away.” He grunted and winced before leaning against the wall.
“Well, you guys stabbed Vinny with knives, so really, this is your own damn fault!”
“I told you it was a test.”
“You didn’t say shit about a test.”
“I did, doll. You just weren’tlistening,” he said through clenched teeth. “Fuck. You think Enzo managed to miss vital bits of your boy Vincent by chance? Enzo is a master with knives. If we’d wanted him dead, he’d be dead. I mean, we were just testing the waters to see if the kings would make good allies. De Santis brought a fucking grenade to a knife show. He proved himself.”
“It was a test?” I frowned as Cole breathed heavily and continued to clutch his leg. “What if we had failed?”
“Then we would’ve killed him.”
“I should fucking shoot you again,” I snapped at him, my anger soaring again. “I think getting shot once in the leg isn’t even close to what you should get after what you put us through. Fuck you and your test. Do you have any idea the kind of war you could’ve started?”
“Would it involve you calling me some help? Pretty sure I’m bleeding out here.”
“Good. I’ll fucking shoot you again.” I aimed the pistol at his other leg.
The back door banged open, and the beautiful Italian horseman known as Lorenzo burst into the parking lot, followed by Ethan and Fox.
Lorenzo immediately lifted his hands in the air as he took in the scene.
“Hey, there,” he greeted me, his dark eyes darting to Cole against the wall clasping his leg. “Everything OK?”
“No, it’s not OK, you son of a bitch,” I snapped, swinging my gun to him.
He stopped his cautious approach. Ethan and Fox kept their hands up too and slowly began circling me. I knew this move. They planned to take me down if they had to.
“Take one more fucking step, and I’ll shoot this prick in the face,” I said, glaring into Lorenzo’s dark eyes.
Fox and Ethan froze.
“Can we put the gun away? Then we can just chat. Like friends,” Lorenzo said. “Let me help you.”
“Fuck that. I remember what happened last time youhelpedme.” I tightened my grip. “Get on your knees. NOW!”
Lorenzo dropped to his knees and stared up at me, his hands still held high.
“Fox. Ethan,” I called out in a shaky voice. “That goes for you too.”
They both did as instructed.
“Do you assholes know what makes me a queen?” I breathed out. When no one answered, I continued, “It’s because I put fuckers like you on your knees for me.”