Chapter 7 "I mean, yeah... we just ate a burger, drank a milkshake, and sat there together after he did everything but call me a stupid bitch, but it felt special," I said, biting into a fry. "I woke up and he was gone though. Left the trash and everything. But he looked so damn cute in his pajamas, so I kind of forgive him." Miyori shot me a look across the table-the kind only older sisters perfect. Not quite scolding, but close. She sighed like I exhausted her. "I'm serious. He had on these expensive black silk pajamas. I don't know. He just looked like a model. Sophisticated and dangerous all at once." I dragged a fry through the ketchup and smiled to myself. "Like the kind of man who reads murder mystery novels while sipping whiskey-but also has a body count." Miyori gave me that look-eyebrow arched, eyes judging. "What?" I shrugged. "You can live your mob fantasy, but I can't?" She sighed again. "You're too caught up on him, Maya. You've been talking about this man since he got to Florida. He's not even nice to you," she said gently. "It ain't going to work out. Because under all that chaos you wear like armor-you're soft." I looked down at my chicken sandwich and shrugged. "I know." "He's going to hurt your feelings. Just stay away from him." "I don't want to." I whined, leaning back in the booth. "He just... he calls to something in me." "Yeah," Miyori said, rolling her eyes. "So did drugs." I flinched. Low blow.But she wasn't wrong. I didn't say anything back. Because what do I look like arguing with my sister, the one who did everything for me, when she's telling the truth? I wasn't even mad at her for saying it. She wasn't trying to be mean. She was trying to protect me-in that big sister way she couldn't shut off. But it still hurt my feelings. I looked at everything but her to keep from crying. We were at the mall, eating lunch at the café near the children's boutique. Ezra needed more onesies. Miyori had already picked out five. I wasn't helping-I was just there for the food and the company. My mind drifted back to Raziel. He wasn't a needle or a powder.He was a man.A mean one, yeah.But he made me feel like something. Every time he came around, I got this feeling in my chest.Like fire.Burning slow and steady-and dangerous. Miyori's phone buzzed, pulling my attention. She glanced down, then up at me. "They're here." They were Priest and Ezra. We walked outside as Priest's black SUV pulled up to the curb. He got out first, lifted a screaming Ezra from the car seat like his huge, chubby butt weighed nothing. "Come get your son," Priest said, opening Miyori's door. Miyori kissed Ezra and took him, but I leaned in too, running my fingers down his fat little arm. "Hey, stink," I cooed over his high-pitched screams. "You growing' too fast. When you can go to the bathroom by yourself, I'ma come save you from your crazy-ass parents." Priest side-eyed me. "It won't happen. I don't need you teaching him none of your bad habits." I looked him dead in the face. "Bad habits? Please. With you as a father, Ezra's probably gonna be in kindergarten charging kids for protection and extorting snack money. Bribing lil' girls for kisses. Growling at them like a rabid dog." Miyori snorted into Ezra's curls, trying not to laugh. Priest stepped closer, voice low. "All I'm saying is, if Ezra starts acting erratic and smoking crack, I'll know who to blame." "And if he starts bodying people before puberty, we all know who taught him that," I snapped. "You're a felon in a suit. Pope, Priest." "You talk a lot for somebody who'd be dead if not for her sister selling herself to me." "Better than being a liar with a god complex and blood on his hands," I shot back, stepping in close. "If I hadn't fucked up, you'd still be playing straightjacket to that crazy bitch who slit her wrists. And you for sure never would've gotten to sniff my sister's pussy, let alone put a baby in her. You're welcome." Priest just glared at me. He was so obnoxious. I glared back. We stared.Neither of us backing down. Ezra babbled from Miyori's hip in the background-the only innocent thing in the room. We didn't move.Didn't blink. Miyori didn't say a word. She'd told me she secretly liked it when I riled him up. Said it reminded him he wasn't untouchable-not emotionally. She said we argued like brother and sister.And she was right.Priest never really went for the jugular with me.Even though he knew all my secrets-the dark, dirty things I did when I was using. I broke first. Priest had some dark shit behind his eyes.I was just glad he was harmless to me. I chuckled under my breath, turning my attention back to my caramel-colored nephew. "See you later, little mob boss," I muttered, kissing Ezra's cheek. "Try not to turn out like your daddy, lil' man. Somebody in the family gotta have clean hands." I hugged Miyori. When I pulled back, I turned to Priest. Held out my arms. He didn't move. I hugged him anyway. His arms stayed stiff for a second, then came up slow. He patted my back once.He didn't push me off.Didn't growl.Didn't act like I was doing too much. He loved me. I stepped back, flashing them both a grin. "See you later, brother-in-law." I winked at Priest."And when you see your friend, Raziel..." My eyes cut sideways.My voice dipped, sweet and low. "Tell him he gotta be nicer to me." Miyori groaned. He raised a brow. "No." "Rude," I said, and walked off toward the bus stop. Five-year-old Annie, who can understand animals, saved Landon Hawthorne, a wealthy businessman, from suicide. Now she's his whole world and he's her legal cheat-code against every villain fate throws ...