The Moth and the Flame (When Rivals Play #2) - B.B. Reid Page 0,17
that I could take his agony away. “She was killed. A hit and run.”
My legs suddenly felt too weak to stand, so I crossed the room and sank onto the bed. “You’re an orphan, too?”
His eyes popped open, and his eyes were blue as he stared back at me. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Is that why you joined Exiled? Because you wanted a family?”
His gaze searched mine for a long, long time. “How much do you know about Exiled?”
I looked away and busied myself picking at the bedding. “Only what everyone else knows. That you’re bad news.” Exiled sold anything they could get their hands on—drugs, guns, and women. And when they weren’t peddling their illegal wares, they were extorting the innocent people who ran legitimate businesses. My parents had lived in constant fear of one day falling on the mercy of Exiled. The detectives investigating their disappearance, however, had ruled out any foul play when they discovered their bank accounts depleted and the purchase of two one-way tickets to Paris. Mom had always dreamt of living there.
A picture of them safe and sound with a new life, arguing over frivolous things as they stocked the shelves of their new bodega entered my mind. Despite my hurt over them leaving me behind, I couldn’t help smiling.
“You’re wrong, kid, and that’s nothing to smile about,” Wren said interrupting my daydream. “I’m the worst kind of news.”
“Will you stop with the ‘kid’ bullshit? You’re not old enough to vote, get married, or even play the lottery. You’re just a kid yourself.”
He shook his head. “I lost my childhood a long time ago.”
“That makes two of us.” We’d both grown up prematurely, and there was nothing we could do about it now. We couldn’t turn back time or forget the things we’d learned. The other kids our age didn’t know how good they had it or that all the emotions they were currently juggling were only a portion of what was to come.
“Except no one took it from me, Lou. I torched that motherfucker myself. That’s the difference between you and me.”
I shot up from the bed and balled my fists. “You don’t know shit about me.”
“Besides the fact that I can still smell the baby milk on your breath, I’ve got a whole fucking file on you, and I’ve read it from cover to cover. What it doesn’t say, I’ll find out eventually because I’m not going anywhere,” he warned.
I crossed my arms to appear stern and also hide the evidence of what his threats had done to me. I cursed myself for not wearing a bra today. “You told me not to trust you.”
“And I meant it.”
I stared back at him incredulously. “And they say women are confusing creatures,” I muttered. I threw my hands up and said, “Well, as you can see, I’m safe and sound. Let me show you the exit.” I crossed the small room to the open window where he had, no doubt, gained entry. I really need to learn to lock this thing.
“Not so fast.” I stopped but didn’t turn around. “You’re fifteen,” he announced as if I weren’t aware. It almost sounded like an accusation. As if I were the betrayer and not the betrayed.
I turned to face him, and I wore a smug smile. “And?”
“When I said I’d fuck you, you didn’t think to tell me your goddamn age?” he roared.
I winced even as my ire rose.
“Will you keep it down? Besides, you knew I was young.”
“And that’s where I fucked up,” he agreed and closed the distance between us. “I was hoping I was wrong. When you made that deal, I assumed I was.”
“Boo fucking hoo.”
His hands seized my waist without warning, and then he lifted me in the air before angrily tossing me on my bed. I’m pretty sure if he had a table, he would have flipped it over instead. Chest heaving, he stalked after me ready to pounce, but the moment I scrambled away, he stopped, closed his eyes, and swore. I then watched wide-eyed as he stormed to the window and, without a word, jumped over the sill in one swift motion.
I was still panting when I heard him grunt followed by a string of curses after he landed on the cold, hard ground. I could only imagine the shock the impact had sent to his knees.
Good.
In fact, I hoped he broke something.
A knock on my door mere seconds later, however, had my heart thundering for a different reason.