Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
BONTE
"That polo is a little tight on you," I tease Eros, tugging at the sleeve. He's about to burst out of the thing. It's adorable and also extremely hot.
I still can’t believe that he spent the day attending my classes at Golden Prep. His obsession with me and my safety never ceases to amaze me. I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed having him next to me.
"Did what I needed to."
"People aren't buying you're a student. In fact, half of the students are freaking out, thinking they're on a hit list, and the others think you're a plant that is going to try and sell them drugs so you can bust them."
"They think I'm a cop?" It's comical how offended he is by this.
"Yep." Okay, maybe one person said that, but I can poke at him. It's hard to get reactions from him.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter." He pulls out of the gates of Golden Prep. "It worked, and now everyone knows you have a man." Eros turns, giving me another of what I think he believes is a wink.
"I have to break something to you."
Eros tenses. "We're not breaking up." He says it before I can say anything at all.
"You're really settling into this high school boy persona."
"Hellcat." He flicks another glance toward me.
"Okay, okay." I force back a laugh. "You suck at winking." Eros rolls to a stop at the red light.
"I do not."
"If you say so." I give him one of his own shrugs. Eros looks into the rearview mirror and tries to wink. "It's hard to see yourself wink when you kind of do it with both eyes." Except one lags behind a millisecond.
“My winking is perfectly fine. Maybe I should test it out and see if others think it's weird.” I narrow my eyes at him for even suggesting that. That flare of jealousy I felt earlier when Celia tried talking to Eros sneaks in again.
“I think mine may be off too. I should do the same.” Let’s see how he likes it.
“The only person you’ll be testing anything out on, Hellcat, is me.” I know it’s ridiculous, but I kinda feed off his jealousy.
I have some of my own. I noticed a lot of the girls staring at him today.
It wasn't until Celia was trying to get his attention that it slammed into me.
The possessiveness I felt was intense, but Eros either shut down the girls trying to get his attention or didn't notice it at all. If he did, he flat-out ignored it. Doesn’t stop me from still poking at him about it.
“I’m sure Celia will tell you your wink is incredible.”
“Caterpillar girl?” The light turns green, making Eros focus back on the road.
“Caterpillar girl? Oh, you just hand out nicknames to all the girls, I see.” While it may not be an endearing name, it’s still one. I hate it.
“I was just making sure we’re talking about the same girl. Her face was weird, and I was sure her eyebrows were caterpillars. I was shocked they didn’t try to crawl off her face to get away from her.”
I burst into laughter. Fine, maybe the nickname isn’t so bad.
“You’re one to talk. Don’t think I didn’t notice all those horny little punks staring at you all damn day. Even with me there, they were still trying to sneak glances.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know if those fishnets are better or worse than you having bare legs all day. “
“You’re insane. You know that?”
“I’m fully aware, and I also know you love that about me.
” He smirks at me, knowing he’s right. He’s got me there, but my mind is stuck on the loving him part.
The expression quickly falls off his face, though.
I’m about to ask what’s wrong, but then I notice Eros picking up speed. “We might have company.”
“I take it you don’t mean people coming over tonight.” His brows rise. “Sorry, when I get nervous or scared, I crack jokes or say awkward shit. Raise your eyebrows at yourself. You’re the one obsessed with me. I’m stuck with me.”
“I can see that.” Eros takes a sharp turn. I grab the armrest.
“Yeah, clearly you see everything.” I keep peeking in the side mirror, and I don’t see shit.
"I don't see anyone, but I also wasn't given some crazy spy, combat, knife and gun training growing up. It might be a good thing my father didn’t give me training. It would be in abduction, killing, and painting with blood. I think I’d rather have the spy things, maybe a little self-defense.
" I keep on rambling. I really can’t help myself at this point.
"I'll teach you spy things and self-defense." Eros takes another sharp right. "Byte, tell Mac I believe I'm being followed."
"Reaching out to Mac now," a voice says over the speakers. Well, that was cool as fuck.
“Mac here. I’m following.” She comes over not even a second later. That was crazy fast, and I’m highly impressed. I want Mac training. Safely behind a computer but still badass, nonetheless. “Black Yukon. The tint is too dark for me to know how many people are inside.”
“I need an escape route, Mac. Evasive. I have Bonte.”
“I know you have her. Uploading to you now.” Within seconds, Mac makes the directions appear on the screen.
Holy crap, this is like some sort of batmobile.
I want to ask so many questions, but I keep them to myself.
Now is not the time. I rest my elbow on my knee, putting my chin in my palm so I can cover my mouth with my hand.
“Tapping into all the traffic cameras. Give me a little before you lose them. Want to get as much information as I can.”
“Got it,” Eros says as he takes the next turn. I lasted all of two seconds, dropping my hand.
“Are we going in a circle?” I blurt out.
“Yes,” he says, making yet another sharp turn.
“They blew two lights. I’m updating a new route.” I can hear her clicking away. “Shit, they don’t care; they hit a car to spin it out of the way.”
I know Eros hears her, but he doesn’t say anything for a long moment. “Get me a parking garage,” he finally says.
“I have one in mind, but give me a second. I need to shut things down.” Eros leans over and opens the glovebox, grabbing a handgun out. He pops off the safety before setting it in his lap. “New route to a garage,” Mac tells him.
"Eros?"
"I won't let anything happen to you."
"What about you?" I ask.
"It will be okay, Bonte." I really don't care for that response, but there isn't anything I can do about it.
Eros takes another few sharp turns. I cringe when I think we're about to hit a parked car, but with the way he's driving, I don't think he was close to hitting it.
"See it."
I see it too when I watch a gate that goes into a parking garage rise with no one around to have done it. "Hold on, there will be speed bumps," Eros tells me as he steps hard on the gas, passing through the gate.
The speed bump hits hard. I dig my nails into the armrest. Eros turns and turns, going farther down into the parking garage basement.
"This SUV is bulletproof," he tells me. I let out a breath of relief, not for me but for him because I have no clue what he's doing, but the inside of here is safe, and I'm sure more Marinos are already on their way. "Brace yourself." He speeds up more, heading straight toward the concrete wall.
Suddenly he swerves over to the left before doing a hard turn. A small scream leaves me as the car does a 180, facing the way we came. Eros slams the SUV into park. It's barely stopped, and he is out of the driver's door, slamming it shut at the same time. I hear the locks click.
"Unlock it!" I shout, hitting the button myself, but it’s not doing anything.
Eros needs to get back in, but he's already moving forward away from the car. Mac doesn't bother to respond to me. I watch as Eros lifts his gun; a black SUV comes around the last turn, and its tires squeal.
Eros starts to fire, walking straight toward it.
"Mac!" I shout, yanking on the door handle. Never in my life have I felt such a sense of fear. The thought of anything happening to Eros is too much. I need to do something.
Overwhelming fear floods me along with a barrage of other emotions. I watch as he keeps firing the gun, the bullets piercing the windows. The SUV veers to the left; the car no longer exists as it slams into one of the concrete walls.
Eros keeps his gun trained on the SUV as he approaches it. “Please, Mac, I’m begging you,” I plead with her.
“I’m sorry, Bonte. In this, I cannot give.”
I watch as Eros tries to open the driver-side door, but it’s locked.
He flips the gun, using the butt to slam into the window; it shatters.
Eros reaches inside the SUV, opening the door.
He takes a step back as a body slumps out.
I can only see the arm dangling from here, blood dripping down onto the parking garage floor.
"Mac?"
"Everything is okay," she tries to reassure me.
"How are you so fucking calm, and can I get whatever you're taking? Maybe a double."
A soft laugh fills the inside of the vehicle. "I'm not calm."
"You sound like it." My eyes stay trained on Eros as he leans into the SUV; I've got no clue what he's doing.
"It's good to have a little fear with a side of anxiety. You may not enjoy the sensation, but those things keep you sharp and on high alert."
“I don’t want to be sharp! Open the fucking door, Mac.”
“Damn, you’re as feisty as Nix.” The locks unclick, and I’m flying out the passenger door. Eros is already heading back toward his SUV, but that doesn’t slow me. I launch myself at him. He easily catches me.
“Hellcat.” He runs a hand up and down my back. I wrap my legs around him.
“I don’t cry,” I tell him, my face burying into his neck, while crying.
“Everything is okay.”
I lift my head so that I can glare at him. “If one more person tells me everything is okay, I’ll make sure nothing is fucking okay.” Eros's brows rise. “Got it?” I snap when he doesn’t respond.
“Got it.”
I grab his face between my hands. “You’re so annoying!” I snap at him again before pressing my mouth against his in a hard kiss. Eros quickly deepens it, but it only lasts a few more seconds before he’s lifting his head and taking his mouth with him. That’s annoying too. “Maybe I wasn’t done.”
I’m still snapping at him. I can’t help it. I’m all worked up. I think it’s a mix of fear and adrenaline that has me feeling this way.
“We got company coming.” That’s when I hear the sound of vehicles approaching. “It’s family and a cleanup crew.” He carries me back over to his SUV. “Let me get this sorted out, and then we will go home, and you can yell, kiss, and do whatever else you want to me.”
“Fine,” I huff as he puts me down on my feet. I fold my arms over my chest. I swear Eros’s lips twitch. “Don’t you smirk.” He’s in big trouble, and Mac is gonna get an earful too.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Hellcat.” He swipes the tears from my cheeks, and I know in this moment I’m head over heels in love with Eros, and there is no going back.