Page 142 of Seeking Vengeance

“Wait.” I push from my seat.

She doesn’t listen.

“Layla, I said wait.” I start after her, lunging forward to grab her arm. “We have to talk. As much as I understand your enthusiasm for destruction, you need to be on your best behavior.”

She swings around to face me, yanking her arm from my grip. “No, I need to do what’s best for my family.”

Her brattiness chafes. The resolute conviction, too.

I’d love to splay her over my knees and belt her ass. “You’re letting your anger at me cloud your judgment. You know full well you’ll get yourself killed if you start shit today.”

She makes an exaggerated attempt to bat her lashes and pout her bottom lip. “But you said you’d protect me.”

“I can only do so much,” I growl.

“Well, you should’ve thought about that before you brought me here.” She turns for the door.

“So you’re happy to make your daughter an orphan?”

She swings back around so violently, I stiffen on instinct. “I’m going tosavemy daughter. I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity and do whatever it takes to make sure your family doesn’t get anywhere near her. Nowandin the future.”

“Layla—”

“Don’tLaylame.” She holds my gaze, her big blue eyes cutting to my ashen heart. “Don’t look at me in pity or reprimand. You have no right to do that anymore. You wanted me here, so I’m here—”

“I wanted you here because by my side is the safest place to be.”

“No, you did it to control me. To confine me. And I didn’t protest because it works in my favor. If I don’t end this, at least I’ll gain information.”

“You won’t end it,amore mio.”

“Oh ye of little faith.”

I itch to shake some sense into her. To kiss it.Fuckit.

“Let me call my brother.” There’s more demand in her voice than request. “Give me the chance to explain what’s going on. To warn him, for Stella’s sake.”

“Soon.”

She squares her shoulders, her throat working over a swallow. “Please.” Her forehead creases as if the taste of surrender is vile on her tongue. “I waited until we arrived to ask so you’d know there was nothing he could do to interfere. But if this is…” Her brows pinch, her eyes gaining a gleam of vulnerability.

“If this is what?”

“The end.” She regains her composure, the words snapped with a retreating step. “If I don’t make it home, I need to have spoken to my family first.”

She undoes me. Fucking kills me.

“You’ll speak to them again, my love. I can promise you that.”

She smiles, vindictive and cruel, yet still so fucking inviting. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,Dante. However, despite your extremely comforting reassurance, I want that phone call. Now.”

My hackles rise at the name. But I understand the reason for the barb.

Amore mio,she can reluctantly stomach.My love,she can’t.

“One phone call right now.” She crosses her arms over her chest, plumping her breasts beneath the thin blouse. “You owe me that much.”

I owe her everything. I’ll give it to her, too. Just not yet.

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