Page 25 of Hostile Rival
“Why?” I chuckle lightly. “So, you can congratulate them? Give them a big fat cash bonus?”
“You think you have me all worked out, don’t you, little firecracker?” he says, low and unamused.
I’m no firecracker. I’m a fucking nuclear bomb.
“That’s why you joined us, isn’t it?” I glare at him. “To find out if I’d betray your family and run to Blanco with intel? These days I’m wise to it all. To you. And I won’t make any silly mistakes.”
“Stop sidetracking the conversation, Dani. I promise I’ll deal with the men who hurt you. You have my word.” The seriousness to his baritone whispers a shiver right through me.
When he slowly thumbs his lower lip, lost in thought, my belly flips. Whether it’s a lack of sleep, the sugar buzz, or the fact he’s so close I can smell soap on his skin, I’m a little lightheaded.
And fuck, it makes my veins hiss. Why Matheus? Of all the men I’ve encountered over the years, why is he the one whomakes me feel things? The kind of stuff I don’t want to think about, or act upon.
The atmosphere changes, becoming hot and suffocating. All I can see is him. I stare up at his shadowed face in our hushed standoff and then shrug, disinterested in what his word means to me.
“Your word means nothing to me. Thanks for your empty promise, Mat. I don’t need a hero because I’m perfectly capable of assassinating assholes myself.” I laugh quietly, activating the psycho part of my brain. The part that had thrived on delivering them to death’s door.
His eyebrows hitch and a slow, sexy grin spreads across his face. He actually fucking smiles like he’s proud of me too. “So, all the fuckers who hurt you are dead?”
“I killed them all, except for the coward who shone a blinding light in my eyes. I never saw his face because of it.” My mouth goes dry. “His voice, though…that horrible voice still haunts me.”
Even when I’d tortured the others, they still didn’t give me any information on him. They had thought that would spare their lives—the need for me to know would stop me from killing them. How wrong they were.
We maintain eye contact, neither breaking away first like it’s a stupid game of wills. I silently pray he doesn't notice the pulsating vein in my neck. The only visible sign I’m into him and, oddly, all warm and fuzzy inside by his reaction.
There’s a subtle quirk to his lips, his unwavering gaze silently speaking to me in a way I’d never be able to understand. Jet-black lashes lower as his gaze travels to my braless breasts covered by a thin layer of cotton.
I always keep myself hidden and stay unseen, but somehow, I’m not invisible to him.
My heart is pounding and my belly coils with need. This is pointless. The guy only wants to even the score since I saved his life. It's nothing more than Souza macho bullshit.
“I’m sure you’re curious to know why they kidnapped me?” I move away, turn my back to him, and catch a breath, ignoring the burning ache.
Clouds streak the sky outside the large windows and sunbeams burst out of the horizon. My skin prickles, wondering if Mama knows how my stomach is in knots.
Forcing my guard up, I put more distance between us and instantly feel better. All I need is space and a cool head.
“I mean…” I continue. “It wouldn’t be something as basic as needing to sell a few grams of cocaine to fund my mother’s burial…”
I glance over my shoulder, sensing him advance and meet those rich chestnut-colored eyes, dark and intense. He isn’t looking at me like a predator. Instead, something clouds his features as if a war’s unfolding inside of his head.
He grabs my bicep and roughly swings me into him, his firm chest colliding with mine. The collision kick-starts a frustrating shiver and my nipples harden.
Broad shoulders pull back, so his posture rises that bit higher, securing his position on the entitled throne he’s used to sitting on.
“I’m happy you killed those sick fucks, Dani. That’s the reason I joined The Covenant, because innocent people abide by the law, while people like us ignore it. You and I, we get justice the right way.”
My pulse skips, yet I clench my jaw shut and square up to him, pretending I’m unaffected. His eyes linger on my mouth, the scowl on his face softening.
He pinches a lock of my hair and gently winds it around his forefinger, the act so gentle it catapults unwanted prickles over my scalp.
Neither of us speaks. The air thickens, growing hotter. He licks his lips and I think he’s about to kiss me, and in that moment of insanity, I consider letting him. But rather than commit, he asks, “Why the fuck would you join The Covenant and pledge your allegiance to us when––”
“Fuck, I could murder a brew,” Hunter's British accent cuts him off. “You guys look intense. Why the hell aren’t you dressed?” he asks. “The chopper will be here soon. This mission is different. It's a group effort. The others will meet us in Naples.”
“What?” I ask breathlessly, folding my arms to hide the fact my nipples are hard. “A chopper’s coming here?”
“Isn’t that why you’re both up?”
