Ciro curls his hand around the door handle to get out. “Don’t bother,” I say, opening my door. “I won’t be long, and there isn’t a soul on the streets.”
I’m smiling as I approach the woman in my jeans and sweater, hoping she doesn’t notice the bags under my eyes and that my wallet and my legendary charisma will work its charm.
I climb back in the car a few minutes later with a massive bunch of flowers in my arms. Ciro continues looking out the window, and Alessandro says nothing, easing the car back out on the road and heading toward Elm Street.
Leo wakes up just as we round the bend toward Sierra’s house. My heart spikes to coronary-inducing levels when I spot the unfamiliar Lincoln Navigator parked directly outside Sierra’s house.
I know it’s not one of ours.
“Call Ian,” I snap, wondering why my soldier on night duty failed to inform us of a suspicious car parked outside my future wife’s house. “And if he’s asleep on the job, I’ll make it permanent.”
I pull my Glock out as Alessandro parks in front of the Navigator, readying myself to run in there when he turns sheepishly toward me, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s her boyfriend’s car,” he quietly says.
“What is it doing parked outside her house?” My voice is calm, betraying no hint of the storm brewing inside me.
“I don’t know for sure, boss, but it’s been here since last night, so I’m assuming it means—”
“Why wasn’t I told about this?” I snap. There has been no mention of any home visits from the teacher in my email reports, and I assumed it meant Sierra had kicked him to the curb.
“The guy was vetted and passed,” Leo reminds me.
“I still need to know when he’s in the house with my son!” I bark, wringing my hands and wishing it was Dion Stewart’s neck. I warned Sierra I wouldn’t tolerate any man trying to take my place, and I am ready to charge in there and slaughter him in her bed, consequences be damned.
“Oh shit.”
Leo’s tone pulls me from my head, and I watch with rising anger as the front door of Sierra’s house opens and she appears with the douche.
His brown hair is sticking up in every direction, like he was just dragged through a bush. Either that or he hasn’t owned a comb in years. His jeans are hanging loosely off his hips, like he dressed in a hurry. Blood pounds in my skull when he leans in and kisses her. Grabbing her face in his hands, he angles his head and deepens the kiss, and that’s the moment I lose control of the tenuous hold on my emotions.
I’ve seen enough.
That asshole is dead.
24
BEN
I am out of the car before I’ve processed the movement, racing toward the kissing couple, with my gun in hand. My shoes crunch on the gravel in Sierra’s driveway, and her eyes pop open, widening in horror as she spots me advancing.
She has no time to warn Dion before I grab a fistful of his shirt and yank him back, away from her. Tossing him to the ground, I hover over him, pressing the muzzle of my gun to his brow. The front door closes with a soft snick as Sierra screams. The grinding of gravel underfoot signals my men have arrived, but I don’t look up, keeping my gaze trained on the douche. Sierra is pleading with Alessandro, but she fails to understand they act on my instructions, not hers. Neither of them will intervene unless I give them permission.
I stare into Dion Stewart’s petrified brown eyes, wondering what the hell Sierra sees in this sniveling idiot. “Do you know who I am?” I ask, pressing the gun harder into his brow.
“No. And I don’t know who you think I am or what’s going on, but it’s clearly a case of mistaken identity.”
“Did you fuck her?” I hiss.
“What?” His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat as his brows knit together in confusion.
“Did. You. Put. Your. Cock. In. Sierra.” I say it slow in case he’s hard of hearing or understanding.
“Don’t answer him, Dion,” Sierra yells, amid sounds of thrashing behind me. “Let him go, Ben. He has nothing to do with this, and you have no right to ask him that. I can fuck whoever I want,” she adds.
Curling my finger around the trigger, I press the gun harder into his forehead. I continue staring into the eyes of the coward underneath me while I respond. “I don’t think so, Firefly.” I bark out a harsh laugh. “You. Are. Mine. Go on. I dare you to deny it.” I would love an excuse to blow this fucker’s brains to smithereens.
“Ben, please.” Her voice is lower, calmer, but I can still detect the hysterical undertone. “Let Dion go home, and we’ll talk about this. Think of Rowan. He’ll be awake shortly, and he can’t see this.”
That is the only thing she could say that would bring me out of the murderous rage clouding my judgment. I tuck the gun back in the waistband of my jeans and fist a hand in the guy’s shirt, pulling him to his feet.
He shoves me away as Sierra races toward him. She stops a couple of feet from him because she knows if he lays another finger on her all bets are off. He stands in front of her, shielding her from me, and it’s comical he thinks he can protect her when he almost pissed his pants a minute ago. “Call the cops, Sierra,” he says, glaring at me.
“Someone found their balls,” Leo says, sauntering to my side.
“A little too late,” I reply, folding my arms and pinning Dion with a deadly look.
“If you leave, we won’t tell anyone about this,” he blusters. “We don’t want any trouble. This is a quiet neighborhood.”
“Who does this schmuck think he is?” Leo says to me.
My eyes find Sierra’s. “Set him straight or I will.”
“Dion. It’s okay,” she says, walking around him so they are face to face. “I know him. He’s an asshole, but he won’t hurt me or Rowan.”
“What the hell is going on here, Sierra?” Confusion is drawn all over his face, and I’m glad Sierra managed to follow at least one of my instructions. The guy clearly doesn’t know who I am.
“Ben is an old family friend,” Sierra lies. “His bark is worse than his bite.” Her eyes flit to mine, and I can tell even she’s not buying the bullshit she’s peddling.
“I’m not leaving you here with him,” the teacher says, and I’m officially done.
Yanking him by the shirt again, I bring his face right up to mine. “I’m done playing nice. Here’s the score. Sierra is my future wife, so whatever the fuck you think you have with her is over. You’re finished. Walk away now or you won’t walk away at all.”
“What. The. Actual. Fuck?” Sierra shrieks, pulling on my arm. “You are insane. Like clinically insane. I am not marrying you.”
“You are and you will. It’s not up for discussion.”
“The hell it isn’t. You can’t make me.”
I tilt my head to the side. “Watch me.”
“I’m calling the cops,” the douche says, right before he headbutts me.
Pain rattles in my skull, but I don’t let go of him. He cusses, blinking, realizing how stupid that move was. “You really shouldn’t have done that.” I flash him a lethal smile before tossing him to Leo. “Get rid of the trash, and remind him to keep his mouth shut while you’re at it.”