How the fuck could Austin do this?
“We got to go,” I rambled, running inside, grabbing as many clothes as I saw lying around our disaster of a room. “You have no idea what shit storm you just created.”
He gripped my arm, stopping me.
“Are you fucking kidding me, Briggs? Do you honestly think I would ever let someone talk to you like that? In front of me! What the fuck were you doing provoking him like that? What kind of man do you think I am? I would never fucking let anything happen to you! What the fuck do you think was going to happen had I not been there?”
I shook my head, ignoring his question about provoking Hector. That’s just the way it was with my uncle’s friends. It was meaningless bullshit banter.
“No, Austin. My unc—” I stopped myself from revealing the truth.
He cocked his head to the side with a glare in his eyes that said he already knew something was up.
“Your what, Briggs? Finish that fucking sentence,” he gritted out.
“Her uncle.”
I immediately shut my eyes, hearing my uncle’s voice as he walked into the living room from the balcony in the other room. Stopping when he was standing right next to us.
“I suggest you let go of my niece’s arm before I remove it for you.”
“Uncle,” I murmured, opening my eyes to look deep into his.
His cold, dark eyes didn’t waver from Austin’s. And Austin didn’t cower down either, but he let go of my arm.
“Your uncle?” Austin roared in a tone that I knew my uncle wouldn’t appreciate. “He’s your fucking uncle? Oh my God… I’m such a fucking idiot.”
He backed away from me, immediately taking his warmth, his comfort, his love with him.
The air was so thick between us I could hardly breathe. My heart was pounding and my mind was spinning.
“No shit,” Uncle spewed. “What the fuck was that back there?”
Austin was over to him in three strides, getting right in front of my uncle’s face. I stood back and watched in terror. No one stood up to him and if they did, they were now six feet under.
No one crossed him.
Period.
My uncle didn’t even blink. Remaining the solid man he always was behind the expensive suit.
Austin sized him up and down with an intense look like he had lost his goddamn mind.
I swallowed, hard.
Waiting.
“I was doing my job. Protecting your niece, seeing as you don’t give a fuck about her safety.”
There was no reaction from my uncle.
Not one.
It was then that I saw it… there was a war raging in his eyes.
I just didn’t know if it was in our favor.
Uncle suddenly cocked his head to the side, taking Austin in for the first time.
“You want to step up to me, Austin Taylor?” Uncle coaxed in a calm tone, like right before a snake kills. “I protect what’s mine. You want to question that? Then I’ll be sure to send you Hector’s cock on a silver fucking platter.”
My eyes widened not expecting his response.
He killed Hector?
“It was my warehouse. Next time you decide to pull this shit. Finish the fucking job. I don’t like wiping up shit, especially if it didn’t come out of my own fucking ass,” Uncle warned.
I looked back and forth between them. My eyes couldn’t focus on either one of them for very long.
“No one fucks with me, Austin. And if you don’t step the fuck back, you will find out why.”
“Austin…” I grabbed his arm, hoping it would help.
It took him a second to gain control. He slowly backed away not taking his stare off my uncle.
“Briggs, next time you want to be a cock tease, make sure it’s not with someone who actually wants to fuck you. I’ve taught you better than that,” he warned, stepping toward me until he was right in front of my face. Narrowing his eyes at me.
“Judging from this filthy fucking room and the amount of drugs spread out on the table,” he paused, letting his words linger. “I’m going to assume that neither one of you were in the right state of mind today. Which tells me I need to re-evaluate your place in my fucking business. Pack your shit. You’re coming home with me.”
He looked over at Austin and sneered, “You’re not fucking invited.”
Austin opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted him, “I’m not going anywhere without him. He goes where I go and vice versa, Uncle.”
I could see it in his eyes, he wanted to tell me no. He wanted to order me around like I was still the little girl that lived under his penthouse roof.
“We’re going back to my apartment. I’m not going back to your home,” I simply stated.
I fucking hated that penthouse.
It wasn’t my home.
It never was.
He leaned in close to my face. “We’re done playing it your way, peladita,” he breathed out. Turning around he left.
Leaving me to wonder what the hell he just meant by that.
Chapter 22
<>Austin<>