Coffee & Criminals

38. Trials & Tribulations

What Wolfe said finally sunk in. He wanted me to forgive him? After all he's done? Damn, if forgiveness came that easily, people wouldn't be killing each other.

With renewed strength, I pulled myself out of his arms and, since I had been sitting on Wolfe's lap and he had been sitting on the edge of the bed, there was nothing behind me so I actually fell right to the floor. Wolfe stared at me for a second, half amused and half surprised. My butt really hurt and I had just about no dignity left, but my pride kept me from backing down. Or in this case, getting back up. Fixing a frown on my face, I glared at Wolfe from where I had fallen. Dammit. Damn him and everything else in life, except Twizzlers.

"Are you serious?" I flashed him a furious look. "You made me jump out of a moving helicopter into the freezing Atlantic ocean. It's almost November. Do you understand how cold it was? I could have gotten hypothermia. I could have been eaten by sharks. Hell, I don't even know how to swim- I could've drowned, Wolfe! Forgive me if I can't forgive you for almost killing me. And that's not even the worst of it! I'm going to be in so much trouble. I could go to prison for this, you know!"

"Florence-"

Ignoring Wolfe, I continued, my voice growing higher and higher with each passing word. "I wasn't even supposed to leave the block!" I said. "The only thing they hadn't done is put an ankle monitor on me! They're going to think I tried to escape. That I tried to flee the goddamn city. They're going to think I'm working with you. Or for you. And then I'm going to end up in prison, where they'll make me pee in a bucket. Pee in a bucket, Wolfe! I can't pee in a bucket. My pee would go everywhere, you know, I don't have a dick to whip out and aim like you. You can pee anywhere! I can't do that!"

"Florence!" Wolfe growled.

But I wasn't done just yet. "You do not know  what you put me through, Wolfe. You made my life a complete hell. There are people coming after us, after my family. Because I have a connection to you, they're going to hurt us to get to you. Fucking fish bait. I'm in a huge legal mess, my future is basically nothing at this point, my best friend may very well just be working for you guys, you have an engagement ring, Preston might get fired from his job, and my parents will ground me for the rest of my life! If I don't go to prison first, that is. And you want me to forgive you for all of that-"

The rest of my rant went right back down my throat as soon as I saw Wolfe move. Since I was still sitting on the plush carpet floor, the way he came at me was terrifying from my viewpoint. In a flash he was on his knees hovering over me with one hand wrapped around my waist to keep me from moving back, which I desperately tried to do. Like before, it was useless.

"Stop, Florence!" Wolfe's voice portrayed his frustration. Anger laced the edge of his dark eyes, turning him into that authoritative monster that so many people feared. I didn't have his mentality and I didn't understand his psychology, so I couldn't really write a detailed explanation as to why he did the things he did. However, I knew enough to understand that an angry Wolfe was a dangerous Wolfe, and a dangerous Wolfe was not to be messed with. Fight with dogs and you'll get scratched, but fight with a wolf and you'll get your throat ripped out.

I was the last person to be able to tame wild things. I was no fighter, but I was no giver-upper either. No, I was Florence and I was going to take the rational path that wouldn't get me killed. But it was just so hard, with Wolfe glaring me down, begging for a challenge that I was oh so ready to give him. I couldn't let my anger take over, though. Because my anger, even at full potential, was no match for the temper of his. He was a thousand times stronger, a thousand times more resolved to destroy. Wolfe lived for this kind of thing, these disputes and fights whereas I had barely had so much as three disagreement in total in my entire life.