Searing Passion (De Luca Crime Family Book 6) by E.C. Land

Author:E.C. Land [Land, E.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

TIZIO

I’m the fucking worst, and I know it. If anyone saw my less-than-stellar performance outside the fucking arts building with her, I’d be berated, and for good reason. Prick doesn’t begin to cover or excuse my behavior.

“All good?”

I don’t lift my gaze from the iPad to Diego. “Fucking dandy. Wendy’s there.”

“We ready to roll?” Nicolo asks.

We’re wearing all black, suits and T-shirts. It’s an asshole look, but that’s what we are right now. A kind of notch between De Luca business and totally private. Douche sometimes works wonders and plays into fucking expectations that do all kinds of heavy lifting.

Most people expect heavy muscle to dress like this and use their fists over their brains. It’s harder to reason with that, and seemingly a lot more scary.

I want scary.

“Yeah, we are.”

He puts the SUV in gear and pulls out into traffic.

I also want to spill some fucking blood.

It doesn’t take away from my being an ass to Karlee, who most definitely didn’t deserve it. I don’t do this shit wrong. Whether it’s letting someone down, ending it, or just setting up the rules and managing expectations, I don’t do it wrong.

Until Karlee.

With her, I’m about as eloquent and put together as a fucking budding men’s rights teen.

I’m embarrassed for me.

“You all right there, man?” Diego asks. “Only Karlee was out for blood and⁠—”

“Shut your fucking mouth.”

“I saw your handy work this morning,” he finishes as though I didn’t threaten him.

Jesus, fuck. Everyone can see it. It looks like she was mauled. I put the iPad on my thigh. “Let’s say I’ve had better experiences.” I pause, realizing how that sounds. “In handling shit. Not . . . that.”

Nicolo mutters something, and Diego shakes his head.

They start to argue the merits back and forth along with the state of my street fucking cred. I tune them out because I actually like them. They’re family, and I don’t want to explain to Leo why two of his enforcers are in small, broken pieces.

When she took off and her friend stepped in my path, that was a slap across the face. Not that I expected her to come along happily. But she wasn’t even being a brat. I had Wendy and one of her girls there, keeping an eye on Karlee, reporting to Wendy and Wendy to me. So, when I got the text, it didn’t take much to extend the details on her a few more hours. Wendy will bring her home when needed.

She’d have been in Wendy’s care right now, anyway, as we have a few more stops to make before we go and see the kid, Brandon.

As for her friend, I just went the other way.

“. . . right?” finishes Nicolo.

I play back what was being said.

“You guys think we should take this to Leo now?”

“Two girls from the college,” says Nicolo. “Things are getting a little hot.”

“There’s a difference between hot and the right time. All we’ll do is send them spinning back into the mud.” Diego sends a message on his phone.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.