Page 90 of Ruthless Contract
“You like being intimidated?” I asked, frowning.
“Until meeting Toya, I hadn’t known that I liked a woman who spoke her mind and who wasn’t ashamed to be herself. I was used to going for the damsels in distress. Now, I have a damsel who puts others in distress.” Leo smiled. “She’s perfect.”
Perfect was the last word I’d used to describe Toya. Psychotic was more like it. Meka and Monique were a little crazy, too. But if my brothers and Leo loved them, that was all that mattered.
I took another sip of my drink and realized I was sitting here judging them when, in truth, I was no different from them. Raz fell for Monique because she tried to stab him. Cas fell deeper for Meka when she tried to kill him.
And Leo thought Toya was perfect because she was intimidating. How was that any different from me falling for the woman who’d hacked my systems?Damn... we sure knew how to pick them.
"So, you all just... accepted it?" I asked.
Raz cocked his head to the side. "Accepted what?"
"The obsession? The possessiveness that won’t go away?"
The amusement slowly faded from their faces. Because they understood what I was actually asking. The love was the easy part. It was the darker emotions that I feared. I hadn’t even begun a relationship with Juliet yet, and I was already obsessed with her. These feelings scared the hell out of me.
"I fought it," Raz admitted. “My version of love isn’t normal, neither is my lifestyle. I thought she’d be safer without me. But then I realized, to keep her safe, I had to be with her. I also realized that I was dying when I wasn’t with her. Life had no meaning without her. So, I stopped fighting it and gave in.”
"I didn’t fight that shit at all. I was all in from the start," Cas said. “Meka witnessed my darkness and decided she could handle it. For that acceptance, I’ll forever be true to this woman. I’ll forever cherish her.”
“I didn’t fight it either,” Leo admitted. “I don’t think Toya would’ve let me fight it if I’d tried. Her darkness matches mine. Hell, she may have a darker side than I do. Did I mention she’s insane?” Leo smiled, head over heels for her brand of insanity.
So, basically, trying to fight it would be pointless. These feelings in me, even the darker ones, were here to stay. I just had to hope and pray Juliet could handle them, could accept them.
"Are you actually going to do it?" Cas asked.
My brows rose. "Do what?"
"Kidnap this mystery woman?"
The room went silent. Even Leo stopped drinking to stare at me, awaiting my response.
“I have no choice. I must have her,” I admitted, feeling defeated by my emotions, my desires, my heart.
"Damn," Leo muttered.
Cas leaned against the bar. "Whatever you do, be good to her. And if you realize she doesn’t want you, I mean, truly doesn’t want you, let her go. Don’t hurt her. Don’t ruin her and yourself. Don’t be like...him."
He didn’t say more. I already knew who he was referring to. The man who’d raised us.My father.I nodded at Cas. But even as I did that, part of me wondered if I could do as my brother suggested. If once I had her, would I be able to let her go?
“And remember,” Cas said. “Men aren’t the only ones who do the kidnapping. Even Monique planned to kidnap Raz before the gala incident ruined her plans."
How could I forget? I’d given her the drugs needed to knock Raz out so she could snatch him up. Unfortunately, my dad ruined her plans.
"As I recall, you owe me for giving Monique drugs that sat me on my ass that night. So, as payment, tell me who your mystery woman is," Raz said. "What's her name?
“Where did you meet her?" Cas added.
"Does she know you're this obsessed with her?" Leo chimed in.
“Let’s change the subject,” I told them, not wanting to tell them more about Juliet yet.
“No fair,” Cas complained. “Tell us the details.”
“I’m done talking about her.”
“But...” Cas started.
