Lethal Temptations (Tempted #5)(22)

“Lace, now!” He demanded, pushing my shoulders toward the closet. I shook him off, spinning around on my heel so we were face to face.

“Blackie— “

My words died as his mouth covered mine and his hands fell to my shoulders. My lips worked frantically to keep up with his pace as he expertly worked them until they parted. His tongue slid into my mouth as he walked me backwards until my back hit the wall. I moved to wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss but his mouth abruptly left mine. He pushed me into the closet.

“If anyone f*cks with you, shoot them. Don’t f*cking think just shoot,” he demanded.

“I can’t do that,” I cried, my hands trembling as I gripped the gun and stared into his eyes. They were changing color as we spoke, turning a fascinating shade of green I had never seen before.

“You can and you will,” he said, crouching down before me. “You do whatever it is to save yourself because when this shit is over I’ll be waiting to see that smile of yours,” he whispered, reaching out to run his fingertips down my cheek. “Need that smile in my life, Lace… need it like air,” he ground out.

I cried or maybe I whimpered, reaching for him but he was quick on his feet. He lifted his finger to his lips, silencing me before he treated me to a wink.

“Thanks for the kiss,” he added, before he closed the closet door and left me in the darkness.

I covered my mouth with one hand and held the gun close to my chest with the other. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew the unfamiliar voices were enemies of my father, of Blackie’s—everything my father tried to shield me from was right on the other side of the door.

“Where is she?” An unfamiliar voice shouted.

“Where is who?” Blackie responded calmly.

“The daughter!”

“How the f*ck should I know. She wasn’t here when I got here,” he said.

“What are you doing here?”

“What the f*ck is it to you?” Blackie growled.

“Don’t play games with me Petra. I asked you a f*cking question.”

“You know I’m getting sick and tired of you all up in my business, Gold,” Blackie sneered. “First you walk in on me getting head and now you charge in here when I’m looking for Connie,” he added.

I knew in that instance why my father shielded me from his world. It was ugly and unapologetic.

“Connie. That’s Jack’s wife.”

“Ex-wife,” Blackie corrected.

“You have a thing going on with Jack’s ex-wife?”

“What? You going to sit there and tell me you haven’t thought about banging Grace Pastore from time to time? I saw Vic’s old lady, man, she’s quite the piece of ass, even at her age. Tell me, how many times have you tapped that shit?”

There was silence.

So very ugly.

So very unapologetic.

“Come on Gold, tell me. Oh, you poor bastard you never got a taste did you?” Blackie continued.

“Shut him, up!” The other voice roared.

“Come on, man…” Blackie started.

“You’re going to understand something Blackie. You and your club aren’t calling the shots anymore. It’s time to teach Jack Parrish who the f*ck the boss is, and it’s time for you to become my puppet,”

“Not the needle. No more drugs, man,”

“But this is what you want. This is what you know. You said so yourself,” the man taunted.

I heard Blackie groan and my heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. I closed my eyes and pictured his face, the pain that was always so evident in his features, and the tears escaped from the corners of my eyes.

“That’s it, all done,” the cryptic voice said.

Silence.

Then a thump.

My body shook as I envisioned the scene beyond the door.

“Grab him and let’s go,” the man ordered.

I heard Blackie moan one last time before I heard nothing at all.

I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out.

He’s gone.

You lost him before you ever had him.

He will finally go to the one he wants.

The one he loves.

The one he misses.

Christine.

You’ll never have him.

Hang on to the smile.

Hold tight the kiss.

It’s all you will get.

“Shut up,” I begged, dropping the gun on the floor and lifting my hands to my ears. “Shut up,” I repeated over and over again as my maker teased and tormented me.

He only came here because your father sent him.

He sacrificed himself because he wants to be reunited with her.

You’re nothing to him.

He doesn’t care.

Stupid, stupid girl.

I opened my eyes and glanced down at the gun as my mind continued to race, speaking all the cruel things my maker told it to.

He gave you his gun.

You should’ve helped him.

You should’ve opened the door and shot the man before he could hurt him.

But you didn’t.

You did nothing.

Just like you did nothing to help Jack Jr.

I lifted the gun from the floor, my hand trembled as it wrapped around the trigger. Tears cascaded down my face as I cried for my brother, for Blackie and for the two people I sat back and didn’t protect. I lifted the gun to my temple.