Harlow steps back, but her hands remain on my arms. And based on the way Malachi is murdering me with his glare, he’s not thrilled about it.
“You can stop touching him now,” he growls, tugging her into his side.
Harlow’s hand immediately goes to the hatchet I’ve heard so much about. “And you can stop being so jealous,” she bites out. “He’s family, and I’ll touch family if I want to touch family.”
“Like fuck you will,” Malachi snaps.
“Seriously?” Harlow steps out of his hold and unsheathes her hatchet. Her expression shifts from annoyed to heated in the blink of an eye as she holds the blade to his neck. “Does someone need me to show him how much I want his cock and only his cock?”
“Always.”
There are no words for how sickening they are together… and how jealous I am of them.
Malachi tugs Harlow toward the stairs, but Harlow digs in her heels. “We’ll disappear in a minute,” she tells him. “Let me make sure Peppermint doesn’t kill Nico and then I’m all yours.”
“Do not piss her off,” Malachi demands of me with a glare.
I hold my hands up innocently. “I don’t plan on it.”
“You don’t have to plan shit. You breathe and she’s pissed.”
I glance at Peppermint, who’s still dancing alone, oblivious to everything and everyone. That is until Harlow goes to the stereo system and cuts the music. Peppermint notices that.
“Fucking bitch,” Peppermint sneers as she stomps toward us.
Her steps are slightly wobbly, and I can’t stop myself from rushing forward to try and steady her. The second my hand touches her arm, she flails away from me. I glance at Harlow to see what her reaction is, but she’s only standing there with her hatchet still in her hand and a scowl on her face.
“Why’d you shut that off?” Peppermint asks.
“It got your attention, didn’t it?” Harlow counters.
Peppermint throws her arms up. “Fine, here I am. Whaddya want?”
“Pep, you are so goddamn lucky you’re my best friend because otherwise, I’d slice you up for disrespecting me.”
“Nah, you wouldn’t do that.” Peppermint’s attention shifts to Malachi. “Mal! You made it. Welcome to my party.”
My cousin shakes his head and chuckles. “Some party.”
She scrunches her nose, and the action transforms her from sexy to adorable. “Well, it’s all I got. We only saved ten today, Mal.” Peppermint shakes her head like that’s a pitiful number. “Only ten. And the youngest was nine, Mal. Nine fucking years old.”
Malachi nods. “I know. Har filled us in.”
“Us?”
Malachi shifts his gaze from her to me, and her eyes follow his. When her stare lands on me, she squints.
“Who’re you?”
A normal person would simply respond with their name, but I’m far from normal. I’m a fucking Ricci, whatever the hell that means anymore.
I close the distance between us and lean in to whisper in Peppermint’s ear.
“Hi,cuore mio.”
She rears back and after blinking several times, her face drains of all color and her entire body goes rigid. The drunk woman from two seconds ago disappears. In her place is a crazed bundle of fury.
She strikes out with a right hook, catching me on the cheek. That’s followed up with a left uppercut to the jaw and a knee to the groin.