“He wants our next shipment and you. If he doesn’t get what he wants, he’ll cause trouble before Mila’s hearing.”
I sit up straighter in my chair. “What are we going to do?”
He turns and pins his cold eyes on mine. “Wearen’t going to do anything.”
My head snaps back at the harshness of his tone. “Okay. Rage, I’m sorry. I told you my staying here would cause problems. I’ll leave.”
“And you think that will help?”
“Yes, I do. I’m responsible for my brother’s debt. Not you and especially not Mila.”
“So, you’ll fuck them all to cover what he owes?”
His eyes are black, and right now I don’t think I like him very much. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”
He looks away. “You haven’t said much about your brother.”
“It’s been a few years since I’ve seen him.” My words fall flat because I’m not sure what he wants to hear. What does my brother have to do with this? He’s gone. Am I angry at him? Absolutely, but unfortunately I inherited his problems, and I can’t do anything about it.
“How did he die?” he asks.
“I … I don’t know.”
“Then how do you know he’s dead?”
“My mother called the store and told my boss, Mr. Johnson.”
A sound comes from the back of his throat, and I’m not sure what to make of it. Does he not believe me?
“I’ll go pack my things.”
We stand abruptly at the same time, and Rage takes a large step toward me. Peanut gets in between us and growls, showing all of his teeth.
Rage looks at the dog and then me. Holy shit. What the fuck is going on?
“No,” Rage says, backing away from us.
“No?”
“I said no,” he says a bit more calmly.
“Okay. I guess I’ll go lie down if you’re sure you don’t want me to leave.”
“I’m sure.”
Tears fill my eyes as I walk down the hall with Peanut at my side. What is Rage so angry about? He’s not even trying to hide his hostility toward me. Maybe this is the real him, or maybe he’s upset over having to deal with the Scorpions because of me.
I check on Mila one last time before lying down. My mind runs through a million scenarios as I stare at the ceiling.
A few hours later, he comes into the room and sits down beside me on the bed. “Did you get any sleep?”
“No.”
He runs his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry I was such a jerk earlier. I’m just so protective of Mila, and I don’t know what or who to trust right now.”
“I know you don’t know me very well, but your club has been in your life for a long time. You can trust them.”
His eyes bounce over my face. “I’m trying.”