âWilson, please⦠donâtâ¦â Victoriaâs voice cracked as her face her eyes, and she was barely holding herself together.
w impossibly pale. Tears were pooling in Wilson didnât even flinch. His cold, strikingly handsome face remained hard as stone, showing no mercy.
âWilson.â Yvetteâs voice was soft, but it cut through the tension like a knife. Instantly, the fury that surrounded him vanished, and without a word, he was back at her Lionel, still on his knees, let out a shaky breath. His face was ghostly white, his body trembling with relief.
Wilson had been seconds away from ending him. Lionel knew that if Yvette hadnât called him off, heâd be dead already.
W And the thing that terrified him the most? He hadnât even ned Yvette. The murderous intent Wilson had unleashed was just from the threat. If heâd actually laid a hand on herâ¦
He didnât even want to imagine what wouldâve happened. Who knew Yvette had such a hold on Wilson?
âTake her to the hospital,â Yvette said coolly.
Her fingers slipped into Wilsonâs larger hand, a small gesture meant to calm him down. She glanced at Victoria, pale and trembling, blood seeping from her scraped knees.
Yvette had pushed her, sure, but it hadnât been that hard. Just a nudge. Still, Victoria had fallen harder than expected. Yvette wasnât about to walk away from that without owning up.
Wilsonâs fury simmered but didnât die out completely. His cold, dangerous gaze remained locked on Lionel, practically daring him to make a move.
âLock him up in the dungeon,â Wilson ordered. âLet him pay for this.â
Everyone knew what that meantâunimaginable torture, the kind that would leave one praying for death. Only the worst offenses were punished that way.
Samuelâs skin crawled at the thought of it. He shot Lionel a glance of pure pity before nodding.â
Understood, Mr. Quinn.â
Lionel might survive, but if he did, heâd never be the same again.
âWilson, please,â Victoriaâs voice trembled, her eyes red with unshed tears. âLionel only acted out of fear for me. He wasnât thinking. If you need to punish someone, punish me. Just⦠Donât hurt him.â
Her soft, broken sobs made her look so fragile, the kind of sight that would make anyoneâs heart soften. âWilson, heâs already injured. If you send him for punishment, itâll kill him! He canât survive it!â
But Wilson remained cold, unmoved by her pleas. His jaw tightened, and without even sparing her a glance, he turned to Samuel. âTake her to the hospital.â
Samuel, clearly uncomfortable but knowing better than to argue, gave a respectful nod. âYes, Mr.
Quinn.â Victoria was practically forced into the car, her tearâfilled eyes wide with desperation. She opened her mouth as if to say something else, but Samuel swiftly closed the door, and her words were swallowed by the slam.
âYouâre not going to check on her? She looks pretty badâ¦â Yvetteâs voice faltered as Wilsonâs hand clamped down on her chin.
âDo you even hear yourself?â Wilsonâs eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, his anger palpable. âYou want me to go be with another woman?â
Most women would be seething with jealousy, but not Yvette. Instead of feeling betrayed, she was actually suggesting he comfort Victoria. Did he really mean so little to her?
âAre you trying to drive me crazy?â
Yvette hadnât anticipated her words would strike such a nerve. Realizing her mistake, she quickly pressed herself against him, her slender arms wrapping around his firm waist.
âIâm sorry,â she said softly. âI didnât mean it. Please, donât be angry with me.â
âDonât think this gets you off the hook,â Wilson said, his hands gripping her waist with a firmness that made it clear he was still upset.
Yvette, sensing his anger, bit her lip and then stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick, gentle kiss.
She really knew how to calm him down.
Wilsonâs irritation seemed to melt away almost instantly. His grip on her waist tightened, and his voice, though still deep and gravelly, held an edge of vulnerability.
âBaby, donât ever push me toward someone else again, he said.
Yvette nodded, her eyes earnest. âI wonât.â
Wilsonâs gaze softened as he looked at her, but the gravity of the situation soon returned to his features.
He spoke in a low, unwavering tone, âI promise you, Yvie, something like this will never happen again.â
A sleek black Porsche eased to a halt in front of Jubilife University. The door swung open, and a group of imposing men stepped out. At the head of the group was Adam, whose commanding presence was impossible to ignore.
âYou all insisted on tagging along to pick up Yvie,â Adam said. âBut let me warn youâact civilized!
Donât scare her!â
Civilized?
The group of tough guys exchanged puzzled glances, clearly bewildered by the term. Did Adam even know what that word meant?
âIf any of you mess up my flawless image in Yvieâs eyes,â Adam warned, his voice low and intense, âIâll deal with you myself!â
âGot it, captain!â they responded, halfâheartedly.
Though they agreed, whispers of disbelief and amusement quickly spread among them.
âCaptain, with Yvie looking like she does, I bet sheâs got a bunch of guys after her at school, huh?â
âThatâs a given! Yvieâs like a goddessâsheâs got that fierce, cool vibe. Itâs, not just the college guys whoâd be into her.â
âCut it out!â Adam snapped, his irritation clear. âYvieâs still a kid. Sheâs not getting into relationships yet!â His sister was too remarkable for anyone to be worthy of her. Any guy who dared to get close would have to deal with him.
Seeing Adamâs rising anger, the rest of the team quickly shifted the topic.
âMan, these college kids today, making out right by the campus gateâtalk about a public display of âYeah, talk about being hit with a face full of PDA⦠Wait a minuteâCaptain, isnât that our sister over there?
âWho the hell said sheâs your sister? Sheâs my sister, and mine alone!â
Adamâs anger erupted. When he saw Yvetteâs face, his rage intensified even more. âWhat the hell?
Whoâs the idiot hugging my sister? Iâm going to break his damn hands!â