Page 25 of Ruthless Redemption

He keeps his stare on the horizon, the cigarette still dangling from his loose fingers. “Only when the situation demands it.” He raises the cancer stick to his mouth to breathe deep, the resulting smoke exhaled in a smooth glide from shadowed lips.

I stop a few feet from his side and mimic his position. “And what situation demands it?”

He shoots me a sideways glance, letting me know I’m the situation. “It’s nice to see you’ve ditched the minimalist fashion sense. I assume dinner went well if you’re in his jacket.”

“You assume wrong. I have very few options when it comes to clothes.” My only outfit remains in the dryer, ready and waiting for me to wear for yet another day.

He returns his attention to the ocean and takes another drag. “When you fuck up your life, I guess you’re not one to do it in style.” He flicks the half-used cigarette to the lawn, then straightens and walks away.

There’s no farewell.

He descends the stairs, disappearing from view, his footsteps receding before I hear the whoosh of a sliding door.

“It’s always a pleasure, Bishop,” I mutter.

I don’t know why I bothered talking to him. I’ve despised that man from the moment we met. But in hindsight, I didn’t understand what his warnings to stay away from Matthew meant.

I thought it was for my betrayer’s benefit. Not mine.

I stare at the growing sunrise, begging the breaking dawn to bring answers to where I need to go from here. I have to make a move. To find money, clothes, and a more effective way to communicate with Stella.

You need to learn to clean up the mess you create.

Yeah, there’s that, too. I just wish I understood what mess Cole was referring to. I’ve created a junk yard full of trash and don’t know which pile he needs actioned.

Do I have to level the playing field with Matthew, repaying him for the humiliation he caused me and my family? Or was it the discovery of my attempted revenge plot against the Costas that caused my brother to disown me? Do I need to make good on my plan to kill Emmanuel?

I’ll happily do both. I just have to figure out how to do it without any money.

Another whoosh of the sliding door sounds from the ground level. Bishop’s footsteps follow. He comes into view on the stairs, his scowl hard in the dim light as he holds some sort of material in his hands.

“Here.” He continues toward me, then flings the clothing at my chest.

I catch two separate pieces from the air. “What’s this?”

“Shirts for you to sleep in.” He reclaims his position against the railing, his forearms against the metal, his gun teasing my line of sight. “Don’t let Langston see you in them. I’m not taking a bullet to the brain for you.”

I nod, understanding his gruffness for what it truly is—a peace offering.

“Thank you.” I stare down at the soft cotton, running the material through my fingers. “I appreciate it.”

He grunts. “At this point, you’re welcome to my entire wardrobe if it means I never have to see you naked again.”

My cheeks burn, the heat travelling down my neck. “Don’t worry; you won’t.”

“Good. He’s not usually the jealous type, but last night…” He shakes his head. “You shouldn’t taunt him like that.”

“Why? Do you think he’ll hurt me?”

“No. He already hates himself for lying to you.”

“He didn’t just lie. It was—”

“I don’t give a shit about the technicalities—that’s for you two to argue. What you need to realize is that when he gives his loyalty, he gives it all. It’s not half-assed or temporary. He moves mountains, which is exactly what happened with Lorenzo. He became obsessed with allegiance, doing whatever his uncle asked without a second thought, and he’ll do the same to get you back.”

My stomach hollows. My chest, too.

I breathe a soft chuckle to dislodge the yearning. “He can’t win me back.”

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