“Semantics. And these aren’t your stomping grounds anymore.”
“I’ll stomp anywhere I fucking want.” His eyes are filled with the same flaming cruelty I remember from our run-in last year. His voice just as thick with condescension and grudge. And as easy as it would be to walk away, I want him to know that I’ve made my mind up about him, just as much as he has regarding me.
“You’re disgusting. This air about you,” I hold up my palm and wave it. “Like you have some right to act this way, to treat me any way you want to.”
“Is this going to be a ‘do unto others’ speech? Because I guarantee you’ve fucked me enough by existing.”
“You’re ridiculous, and not at all worthy of a conversation.”
“You forget who you’re talking to.”
“Yeah, well, you can tuck your cock back in, asshole. This isn’t a pissing contest.”
“You have a disgusting mouth.”
“You’re a prick and a bastard, and my mouth and manners belong to civilized humans, not entitled sociopaths with zero compassion.”
He towers above me now, his scent invading. He’s got both Sean and Dominic beat by a few inches. His build is monstrous, menacing, like he went straight from infant to man, no in-between.
“You’re a little girl with a filthy mouth. And if I’m not worthy of a conversation, then why are you still arguing with me?”
“Good point. Go fuck yourself,” I step away from him just as his hand shoots out and snags my wrist in a vise grip. I struggle against it, but his eyes aren’t on me, they’ve zeroed in on the raven’s wing dangling from my neck.
“What is this?”
I can’t help my smile. “I think you know full well what this is.”
“Who gave this to you?”
“None of your business. Let me go.”
He jerks me closer and I drop my flashlight, clawing at the hand binding me to him just as his other reaches up to where my necklace rests. When I see his intent, I go feral. My free palm connects with his face, burning hot as I rear back to slap him harder. “Don’t you fucking dare!”
I’m no match for the brute when he jerks me flush to him, shaking me like a rag doll, jarring me, before tossing me onto the grass and straddling me.
“GET OFF ME!” I screech at the top of my lungs, fighting him, dragging my nails along his button-down, unable to find purchase in his skin. He overpowers me easily as if he’s fighting a gnat while he pins my wrists to the cool grass.
Hovering above, his eyes grow molten with fury. “Tell me right fucking now who gave this to you.”
I spit at him and congratulate myself when it nails him on the jaw. He effortlessly gathers my wrists with one hand, pressing them into the ground before wiping the saliva off, on the shoulder of his shirt. It’s then I see the flash of teeth and realize the bastard is…smiling in a way that makes me nauseous.
“I’ve ended lives for less.”
“You don’t scare me. You’re nothing but a huge body and an empty head.”
His dark chuckle sends a shiver down my spine. “You don’t even know you’re wet yet,” his heated whisper sets off new warning bells. “Maybe I should have waited until you discovered it yourself, until you slipped off your panties and agonized over it.”
“Fuck you.”
He leans in, the scent of spiced citrus and leather filling my nose. “Have you been lonely, Cecelia?”
“Get off me,” I struggle against him, using every bit of my strength to no avail.
“Playtime is over. Who gave you the necklace?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
“You don’t know.” His full lips stretch with an infuriating smirk. “This is epic. You don’t know which.”
He leans in, his voice filled with another damning promise. “I’ll make sure you never know.” He grips the necklace as I fight with everything left in me.
“Don’t, don’t! Please, don’t!” I beg, ripping at his hand when the metal clasp digs into the back of my neck just before it gives way and snaps. Enraged, I scream out at the loss. Fury filled tears burn my eyes as he rips me in half with one single act. “Why? Why? That was mine. He loves me!”
“Who…who loves you, Cecelia?”
“It’s for me, for my protection! It’s my promise!”
“Who do you need protection from?”