Chapter 17 #2
I bit my lip hard to stop the foolish grin threatening to break free. I would definitely have to get Sophie something nice for this.
Once we were all buckled up, I drove us to the diner in Downtown Brooklyn that Sophie and I usually went to. Her office was close to the place, so Kai, she, and I usually met there before we went to work.
Just like in the car, Sophie maneuvered the seating arrangement so that Samaira and I sat directly across from each other, while Sophie sat beside Samaira.
Our knees met under the table, and despite my need to pull her legs between mine, I pulled my legs back, immediately regretting the move.
I had vowed not to touch Samaira without her permission.
We were perusing the menus when there was a sudden movement beside me. “Sorry, sorry. I’m here, you guys. Let the fun begin.”
I looked at Sophie, my eyebrows raised in accusation.
She quickly raised her hand as Kai took a seat right beside me. “He’s been dying to meet Samaira. I had to invite him.”
Samaira looked between the three of us, her lips curved in a wide smile.
Kai extended his hand to her. “I’m Kai. Dominic Hyung’s younger and much more handsome cousin. And this big guy wouldn’t be able to survive without me.” He then turned his head to me and said, “Go ahead, Hyung. Tell her how invaluable I am to you.”
Samaira shook Kai’s hand with a chuckle. “I see. Great to meet you, Kai.”
I immediately removed Kai’s hand from Samaira’s. Here, I was using every ounce of my will not to touch Samaira, and this idiot wanted to hold her hand. Fuck no .
Kai jabbed me in my ribs, knowing what I did there. It also didn’t escape Samaira’s notice because she had a very delightful twinkle in her eyes.
Kai had that same awestruck look in his eyes that Sophie—and I—had when we each met Samaira for the first time. He leaned forward on the table, making Samaira do the same. “Is it true you defeated Dominic Hyung in boxing?”
Of course that was the first thing he’d ask.
Samaira laughed and looked at me with that soft look in her eyes, as if remembering that evening. “Damn right, I did.”
“Fuck yeah. You’re going to have to train me. I’ve never once defeated him in a match.”
Like fuck I’d let him train with my Samaira.
I grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back. “Absolutely not. She’s only going to train me. ”
Sophie immediately pointed at herself. “Hello, she’s already training me.”
Samaira nudged her shoulder. “Damn straight.”
Kai dramatically held his chest, as if his heart was breaking. “So only I don’t get to train with you, Miss Samaira?”
She shook her head, smiling fondly at him. “We’ll see. Are you any good at it?”
Kai bit his lip. “Definitely not as good as Dominic Hyung.”
Samaira scoffed. “He’s not good.”
I pinched the top of my nose. “Brutal. And totally uncalled for.”
Samaira kicked me lightly under the table, almost asking me to meet her eyes. “Honest. And totally called for.”
While Samaira, Kai, and Sophie talked, my eyes were glued to the woman across from me.
Every time she was in my vicinity, the world around me blurred, the sounds got muted, and all I saw was her.
All I heard was her voice. Her presence grounded me and also made me soar.
Something was so powerful, so maddening about her that it made me want to leave everything behind just so I could spend all my time admiring her.
I didn’t even realize when our server arrived, but I felt the slight touch of her fingers along my arm.
I would’ve made nothing of it, but Samaira banged her fist on the table, the glassware clattering as she stared down the server and pointedly looked at where she still had her fingers on my arm.
My cock turned rock fucking hard at the lethal edge in her gaze, her jealousy brewing up a storm of savage want deep within me, making a million butterflies erupt in my stomach.
The server instantly took back her hand and quietly took our orders without meeting Samaira’s or my eyes.
My lips stretched into a wide smile, making Samaira roll her eyes at me. “She was totally inappropriate. ”
Kai and Sophie coughed but gave her a supporting nod. “Totally.”
I couldn’t stop smiling even if I tried. “Of course. That was what that was. You were protecting me.”
Her cheeks flushed red as a smile overtook her face. “You’re welcome.”
Sophie caught my eyes and mouthed, “So jealous,” as she discreetly pointed at Samaira.
We were all quiet once our food arrived, and we started eating. Sophie and Kai told Samaira stories about our childhood, including how the two of them would get together to play pranks on me and how I was always so serious.
Sophie also told her about her work, her passion for it shining through her eyes, and the way she became animated while describing her projects.
“When do you plan to go back to work?” Samaira asked, swallowing a bite of her breakfast burrito.
Sophie twirled her fork in her scrambled eggs. “I actually started working on some designs from home. I’m hoping to at least visit the office occasionally starting next week.”
I didn’t know that. Pride washed over me at every step Sophie took forward with her life. “That’s amazing, Soph. I’m so proud of you.”
Red coated her cheeks as she bit into her eggs. “Thanks, Dom. I was going to tell you.”
“It’s okay, Soph. But no going to work alone. I’m going to have Maxim join you.”
She pressed her lips together, thinking over my words, but I knew she wouldn’t refute. Especially considering her rapists were still out there.
Putting that thought out of my mind, I focused on enjoying the meal with two of the most important ladies in my life, and my young cousin, who was truly the one who kept me sane on some days of the week.
My eyes drifted to Samaira, who was attacking her burrito with gusto, her dark, wavy hair pulled into a ponytail that spilled over her shoulders. What I wouldn’t give to see her hair down, flowing across her face, her eyes hooded with arousal, her lips swollen and red from hours of kissing.
I couldn’t pinpoint when she’d become the only woman I thought of last thing at night and first thing in the morning.
She occupied every single one of my thoughts—her fiery gaze, her powerful body that made me hit the gym twice a day, her manic laugh when she slaughtered that penis, and that powerful stroke of her hand when she landed that killing blow.
She was vengeance incarnate and my all-consuming obsession.
Before I realized, to my utter disappointment, we had polished off the food, and I’d paid the bill. We slowly got up, making our way out of the restaurant.
As we walked toward where I’d parked the car, I kept thinking of all the ways to prolong our time together.
With the way we had to wait up to two weeks for Tommy to resurface, my mind spun, desperately thinking of reasons—excuses—to see Samaira again.
As I neared my car, I turned around to meet Samaira’s eyes, who was walking beside Kai, slightly behind Sophie and me, when her eyes suddenly widened.
What happened next probably took only two seconds, but my mind cataloged every millisecond as Samaira flew to where Sophie and I stood and lunged at us as a deafening gunshot erupted, shattering my car window.
Samaira shoved Sophie away as she dropped over me. Her eyes had gone entirely black, a snarling, vicious rage swirling in their depths. She clutched my cheeks, her eyes scanning my face and checking me for injuries.
Before I could process what was happening or tell her I was unharmed, she let out a guttural roar that shot shivers down my spine, jolting my mind the fuck up. Then she screamed in my face with the ferocity of a tigress. “Take care of Sophie and Kai. Get the fuck out of here! ”
She launched herself off me, spun around, and sprinted toward a building across the street, leaving me behind.
No, she fucking didn’t.
She did not just jump in front of a bullet for me.
She absolutely wouldn’t dare put her life in danger to protect me.
But she fucking did.
My vision turned red. Blinding panic and uncontrollable rage tore through my mind as I watched what felt like my heart being ripped out of my body, the dark emptiness swallowing me whole and pulling me under.
She was so fucked.