Page 91 of Hostile Rival
I smile inwardly and turn to her. “Fine. But remember, when you walk into this room, you’remylittle firecracker. Whether you want to marry me in the future is irrelevant, because I’m never letting you go.”
She blinks up at me, her expression hidden. I can’t tell if she’s scowling, but knowing her, I suspect she is.
Knocking on the door, I wait for it to open and nod at the big guy clutching a rifle. “Sir, everything is ready,” he tells me.
“Okay.” I stalk into the room, buzzing from adrenaline. Dani yanks her hand out of mine and puts her back to the wall, taking it all in. “You guys can wait outside. I’ll take it from here.”
Moving further inside, I check behind me to make sure she’s okay. The walls are tiled in mirrors and blood-red velvet booths hug a small dance floor. There aren’t any windows, and the lighting is low. It’s the perfect setting to kill a smug asshole.
In particular, the target whose ankles are strapped to the front legs of a chair positioned in the middle of the room. He’s smartly dressed in a nice suit, although the cheap bag over his head takes away from the look he’s going for. I’d say he considers himself the boss around here, the main man. But with his hands pulled behind his back, he’s just another sack of shit with an expired sell by date.
Once we’re alone, I walk over to her and fold my arms over my chest. She doesn't move other than lifting her chin. “Are you ready?” I ask.
Liquid silver eyes meet mine. “Yeah, I’m ready.” Her voice is calm and controlled, but the hand gripping her gun is fidgeting, telling me how she really feels.
I stare back at her, hating how she’s trying so hard to trust me, but her past makes it nearly impossible. This is an unusual situation for the both of us.
“Okay, let's get this over with, shall we?” I pull away and walk across the room, stopping at the occupied chair.
This is what being a Souza is all about—power and bloodshed. It’s the combination I find myself drawn to. I’m not ashamed of who I am and how I find satisfaction in violence. Despite that, there’s a time and a place for it. Just like everything else. And today is that day.
I’m ready to rise up and stand shoulder to shoulder with my brothers, and I want her next to me.
I sense Dani moving behind me. Her breathing quickens the closer she gets, and I swear I can feel her heart beating through the floor.
When the guy hears us approach, he thrashes, shaking the chair legs. His yells are muted by whatever they’d shoved in his mouth to silence him.
“Time to unwrap your present, little firecracker. Take the bag off his head.”
35
DANIELA
My hands are shaking. I don’t want Matheus to see how much this has rattled me. He had been up to something, and I didn’t see it coming.
Whoever is cuffed to the chair must be powerful and rich. Their dress shoes are polished to a high shine. The dark suit he’s wearing looks very expensive, tailored to fit most likely. The same style Blanco would wear.
On that thought, my heart rate accelerates and I take a step closer, tucking my gun into the waistband of my pants to free up my hands.
“What have you done?” I whisper, reaching for the hessian bag covering the target's identity.
The hairs on the back of my neck prick as I untie the cord from his neck. Taking a deep breath, I whip the bag off his head and freeze.
“Who the fuck is this?” I ask, frowning.
I stare at an older guy I’ve never seen before whose navy-blue eyes are wild. His mouth is stuffed full of material and sweat runs from his thinning hairline, all the way down his clean-shaven face.
Matheus bumps into my hip, making his presence beside me known.
“Do you know who I am, Eduardo?” he asks the man.
When he nods his answer, Matheus takes a step into him and presses his gun under the soft, fleshy part of the guy's chin. “Then you know this won’t end well.”
Eduardo frowns and shakes his head from side to side, making Matheus chuckle. It's not the seductive low rumble I’m used to, rather it's how darkness would sound if it were alive.
Slowly, he pulls the material out of Eduardo's mouth and straightens.
“What the fuck, Matheus?” he snarls.
