Page 59 of Cruel Devotion

I shivered and inched back. “I mean. What the fuck kind of question is that? Why wouldn’t I be everyone’s friend? It’s not like I’m anyone’s enemy or anything—”

“You’re Dima’s friend?”

“I don’t even know who that is.”

“But you’re definitely Marcelo’s friend?”

“Marcy is. . .I mean Marcelo is family. And stop twisting the idea of being a friend. Chen and Banks both made the title sound platonic and business-like—”

“Did they?”

“Friend of the Syndicatedoesn’t mean girlfriend, fuck buddy, or whore. It means friend.”

“That’s correct.”

“So then why are you hurting my cousin’s people and coming into the goddamn shower looking like some insane killer from a slasher movie?”

“Because I tasted you.”

My mouth dropped open.

My heart warmed but I did my best to push that warmth away.

Still, I stood there speechless.

“That’s why.” He sneered. “I tasted you, and I liked the taste very fucking much. So much that I will not haveanyonedeciding what you will wear around me and they damn sure won’t have a say on who will guard you.”

“B-banks is just—”

“Protecting you. Trying to be there for you. Being a loving cousin and doing the right thing by you.” Nodding, Lei moved in closer, pressing his chest against my breasts. “But that means nothing to me. Do you know why?”

I trembled against him.

“Because I tasted you.”

“Lei. . .my cousin will not be okay with this, and frankly I’m not okay with it either.”

“No?”

“No. It’s barbaric bullshit. How bad did you hurt his men—”

“If I were you, I would be more concerned with making sureyouunderstand.”

“Oh, I understand.”

He tilted his head to the side. “You do?”

“You’re crazy.”

“That’s fair.”

“Very fair.” I edged back and my legs touched the bed’s side. “Banks is going—”

“Banks and Rowe Street Mob is not a problem.”

“They are. Banks expects a report—”

“Chen has assigned people to give him those reports—”

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