Mara pov
"You're arrogant," I said, stepping right into his space.
"And you're hungry," he said. He reached for the peppers. His arm brushed mine. It wasn't a soft touch that felt like a shock of electricity. I jumped back, and he made a small sound in his throat. It might have been a laugh.
"Scared, Mara?"
"In your dreams."
For ten minutes, we fought over the gas making our shoulders bumped. Our hands tangled when we both reached for the salt. He was fast and clean; I was a mess, splashing oil and cursing.
"Heat is too high," he whispered. He was right behind me. His chest pressed against my back for a second as he reached around to turn the knob. I could feel the heat of him through my shirt.
"I like it hot," I snapped. My heart was thumping way too fast.
"I noticed," he said. His breath hit my ear.
I turned to glare at him. We were inches apart. The kitchen was full of steam and I saw a tiny scar near his eyebrow. He looked like a gentle man for a second, not an annoying asshole. Then I remembered how he behaved yesterday and pushed him away.
"The eggs, Mara," he said.
I plated my omelet. It looked okay. He grabbed a piece from my plate and walked to the other side of the dining. We sat at the table and ate in silence.
"It's... fine," I muttered. It was actually the best thing I'd ever tasted, but I'd rather die than tell him.
"Yours is edible," he said. But he took another bite.
Then my phone buzzed on the table.
Ryan Smart: You left early. I something urgent to discuss with you, concerning the files.
"Meet me at The Pier Alone".
The room went cold. Lorenzo's fork hit the plate with a loud clink.
"Cemal!" he roared.
Cemal ran back in. "What? Is the house on fire?"
"Tell her she's not going," Lorenzo said. His face was back to being a stone mask.
"I'm going, Cemal!" I stood up. "Tell him I'm not a prisoner. This is for our deal and my sister treatment."
"Bro," Cemal said, looking stressed. "She has to go. If Smart has the files, we need them."
"Fine," Lorenzo growled. "But we go together. I'll be in the car with the her. If he acts stupid, I kill him."
In the car, it was tense. I sat in the front with Cemal. Lorenzo sat in the back, checking his watch every few seconds. He had a heavy vest on under his coat.
"You're being dramatic," I said, looking at him in the mirror.
"I'm being ready," he said. "Seems you're prone to bad things happening around you." I asked trying to get under his skin.
"Such is life." He replied with no emotion,
"what happened to your boyfriend bracelet?" he chuckled.
"You broke it," I said. My voice shook. "You really don't remember?" Or you're trying to act sly."
Lorenzo didn't look at me. He reached into his pocket and tossed a small black box into my lap.
"I got something better," he said.
I opened the box. It was a thick silver bracelet. It was heavy and looked expensive. I turned it over and saw a word scratched into the inside "Mine"
"What is this?" I demanded. "I'm not your dog, Lorenzo. You don't own me."
"It means I don't like people touching what belongs to me," he said. His voice was like gravel. "Put it on."
"No."
He leaned forward, grabbed my arm, and snapped the silver onto my wrist. His fingers were hot against my skin. He didn't let go for a long time but rather he just stared at me, his eyes dark and hungry.
"It stays on," he warned.
Suddenly, a loud CRACK echoed through the air.
The side window turned white with cracks. A bullet had hit the glass right next to my head.
"Down!" Lorenzo yelled.