Page 145 of The Bronze Garza
“I didn’t cheat,” he curtails. “I orchestrated a situation to make her believe I did.”
Huh?“I don’t understand. Why would you want her to think you cheated?”
“It’s a family thing. But long story short, she was never mine to begin with. I stole her ‘cause I was a selfish asshole. Then gave her up in exchange for a better relationship with my siblings.”
I still don’t understand what any of that even means. But how could he have just given up someone he supposedly loved? Or even intentionally hurt her like that, break her heart? He might as well have cheated, because what he did is so much colder. That even now she’s under the belief that she ended things on account of infidelity, not knowing she was completely manipulated.
That’s real screwed up of him. And still my crazy heart swells with love for him. I’m a madwoman. Too far gone for him.
But I don’t mind. He’smycold,screwed-up man.
“Would you give me up?” I ask.
“Not a chance in hell.”
“What if I fell in love with someone else while you’re on one of your long jobs?”
He arches a censorious brow at me. “His blood would be on your hands.”
“You’re saying you’d kill for me?”
He’s deathly serious when he replies, “You belong tome.”
And I believe hewouldkill, as I’m deeply convinced he had more to do with Igor’s death than he let on.
And still I want him.Madwoman.
Releasing my hand, he grips my chin in his fist and looks me square in the eyes. “Now that you’ve chosen me, you’re locked in. I’d never fuck around on you. Never give you up, for nothing or no one. I’ll love you in every way I know how. And I’ll kill any motherfucker who tries to take you away from me.”
I’d wanted to know the real Torin Garza, and now he’s showing me. Andooh boyhe’s intense.I’msoin over my head with him.
“Locked in?” I ask on a breath. “You mean, like there’s no way out?”
“None.”
I grin, becauseI. Am. Mad. “Good.”
A slight lip-twitch and a shake of his head.“Normal wouldn’t have worked for you, would it?”
I grin wider. “Nope.”
He kisses me. Slowly. Sweetly possessive. And I feel it. I feel his love. His promise. His passion.
And I know I should probably tell him I love him, too. But the force of what I’m feeling right now is so darn strong, fierce enough for the both of us, it’s better to wait.
With a nip of my bottom lip, he breaks away. “Got something for you.”
He releases me and retrieves something from his pocket. Proffers it.
Frowning, I take it.
Square. Flat. Wooden. Reminiscent of the permission card I’d made for him. Except this one isn’t sloppy and ill-shaped. It’s the smooth, flawless work of a pro. I brush my thumb across the grooves in the wood.
Torin shines the screen light from his phone above it, and it’s only then that I see what the grooves are.
OWNERSHIP
Ownee: Torin Garza
