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I shoot up from my chair, unable to stay quiet at Peppermint's statement. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I stalk toward where she’s sitting. “You’re not getting added to shit, so get that thought out of your head.”
Peppermint rises and pushes her chair out of the way as she spins around to face me. “I’m a big girl, Nico. I can handle myself.”
“Like you did last time you went up against him,” I counter. “He knocked you on your ass then and he’ll do that and worse if given a second chance.”
Peppermint presses her lips together and her cheeks darken with fury. The moment the words were out of my mouth, I knew I fucked up, but it’s too late now.
“What exactly do you think I’ve been doing for the last year? Sitting on my ass while everyone else runs into danger?”
“Of course not. But I’m here now so you don’t have to.”
“You were there years ago too!” she screams.
Without thinking, I thrust my arm out and wrap my hand around her throat. I’m dimly aware of the others in the room jumping to their feet and circling the wagons, but I can’t see past the film of rage Peppermint’s provoked in me.
“I couldn’t do a goddamn thing back then,” I growl. She claws at my hand, but I don’t let go. Even in my current state, I’m aware enough to temper my strength so I know I’m not actually hurting her. “I can now. And if you think I’m going to sit idly by and eat fucking popcorn while he does his worst to you, think again.”
“Let her go.”
I shift my eyes to take in Harlow and am not at all surprised to see her holding her hatchet. In fact, the entirety of the DHMC officers have some form of weapon drawn at me. Each has an identical murderous glint in their eyes and no doubt matching hate in their hearts.
“Nico,” Malachi prods.
My brain is screaming at me to remove my hand from her neck, to back away slowly and grovel for forgiveness. But my brain checked out of the equation the second Peppermint screamed at me and threw my past deeds in my face. I’m running on primal emotion and all of it is dark.
“I’m fine,” Peppermint assures them all without taking her eyes off me.
“I don’t give a shit if you’re fine or not,” Spooks spits out. “No man puts his hands on you.”
“Har, stand down,” Peppermint says. “Please.”
The two women exchange a look and something in Peppermint’s eyes must reassure Harlow because she lowers the hatchet. The rest follow suit, but none of them move.
“Gill, you too,” Harlow commands.
The big man lets loose a string of words that would make a sailor blush, but he holsters his gun.
“Nico,” Peppermint begins. “I’m only going to say this once so listen carefully.” She lets her body relax, which increases the pressure of my grip. I loosen my hold to accommodate. “I am not a sit-back-and-let-the-men-handle-the-hard-stuff kinda woman. You know this. You want to protect me, I get that. And if I’m being honest, I don’t hate that you want to. It’s actually kinda nice.” I let out a low rumble, and she fucking grins. “But we’re either in this together, fifty-fifty, or not at all.”
I replay her words in my head, mulling them over while I try to come up with a response. The problem is, I keep getting caught up on the word ‘together’. What the hell is she referring to? Taking down Nicholi, or more?
“Together or not at all,” she repeats.
You’ll never know what she means if you don’t let her go and ride it out.
“Together,” I echo.
I rub my thumb gently over her flesh and revel at the goosebumps my touch causes to erupt. Peppermint’s pupils dilate and her lips part. And because I’m human, my body reacts. I lean forward and press my lips to her ear, praying like hell that I don’t trigger her.
“I will always choose together,cuore mio,” I whisper.
I brace myself for an attack, but it doesn’t come.
Instead, my feisty spitfire shivers.
CHAPTER11
Peppermint
