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“Porter tried to kill me. Lungy also tried to kill me. What are you trying to tell me, Quinn?”
Halting beside my cousin, I held the hem of the apron on the edge of the counter, dumping bags of shrimp, boxes of elbow macaroni, and various blocks of cheese onto the counter. Once the lobster cooked, I’d make the lobster dip. Everyone loved the recipe. It was one of the many recipes our mothers taught us how to cook. I grabbed a butcher knife from the drawer, then slid it across the top of a package of cheese. My ring sparkled under the recessed lights.
“What the fuck is that?” Quinn snatched my hand, bringing it close to his face. He was trying not to answer Franco’s question. And my husband was practicing self-control. I’d witnessed first-hand in the living room that wasn’t easy for him.
“When did you get engaged?” His eyes widened. “Hold up. You’re wearing a wedding band, too.”
I grinned. “Quinn, we’ll discuss this after you finish your conversation with Franco.”
He blinked twice as he released my hand. “Fuck no.” Quinn peeked between Franco and me.
“If Franco held you captive, wouldn’t you sit beside him? Under his thumb.Not move freely around the kitchen.”
“We’re at my dad’s house. If my dad thought I was being held captive, there would be a war right here,” I whispered.
Quinn nodded. “True.”
“Besides, Franco’s guards won’t let me go anywhere.”
He chuckled. “They don’t know what you’re capable of.”
Bonnie’s eyes widened.
“I told Franco when I agreed to be his captive, if I really wanted to kill him I could’ve.”
“Does he know you were a queen pin?”
“Yes. He didn’t know we were related when I agreed to let him hold me for collateral.”
Franco walked over to the fridge like it was his third night in Dad’s home as his guest and not his new enemy.
He retrieved a coke from the fridge, twisted the top off the bottle, then gulped half of it down his throat. “Quinn, what did Duke ask you to do?”
“Quinn grabbed a bowl and a pair of tongues, then walked over to the stove. “He said I wouldn’t have to pay the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars back if I did one thing.” He removed the lobsters from the boiling water and placed them in the bowl.
Quinn sat the bowl of steaming hot lobsters on the counter. He glanced at Franco. “I had to kill you.”
My heart slammed into my rib cage after the bomb Quinn dropped.
Franco’s expression didn’t change. He stood in the middle of the kitchen sipping his soda pop.
“I told him you and I were friends. I said there’s no way I can kill Franco.”
“Duke said it wasn’t an option. I needed to get it done. He said if I didn’t, he’d kill me.” Quinn shook his head.
“Figured I’d come home and ponder on asking my family to stand with me in a war against Duke. If we went to war, I’d be forever indebted to my family. The restaurant shit would go up in smoke.” He stared at the counter before meeting Franco’s gaze.“You and I talked about why I couldn’t...”
Franco nodded. “Quinn, I told you I believed in your vision. You didn’t need to ask Duke for money. In another year or two, we could’ve discussed finances for a second location.”
Quinn’s brows lowered. “Franco, I wasn’t looking to open another location right now. Duke came to me with that shit. He left the money in my possession. It wasn’t an option.”
“I can’t wait to kill that motherfucker.” Franco’s eyes landed on mine. “Tell him about Duke.”
“Quinn, I never told you about my traumatic breakup with Duke. He almost killed me twice.”
He slammed his fist on the counter. “What! And you didn’t think to tell me?”
I placed my hands up. “Let me finish. He didn’t hit me. I liked being choked during sex.” I blushed.
