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“Think about that,” I said. “You’re good at killing people, so you do it. Most normal people don’t know they’re good killers, much less are happy to just keep doing it.”
He spreads his head. “I am what I am.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” I stared into his eyes. “I don’t want my baby to be like my father. And you’re too much like him. It scares the hell out of me.”
“I’m nothing like your father.”
“You both hurt people,” I said, starting to feel my heart race. I shouldn’t say these things to him. I knew I should keep my mouth shut.
Tanner was dangerous. I kept seeing him kill Bennigan. I kept seeing the look on his face afterward.
Blank, almost bored.
He didn’t care that he had another man’s blood smeared all over him.
That scared me so much. Even more than the idea of Bennigan killing me.
“Your father does more than hurt,” Tanner said. “And I don’t choose the people I kill. I’m given a job, and I do the job. I mostly kill scumbags, people in the business, people that deserve it.”
“My father thinks he’s right too, you know,” I said. “He thinks everything he does is for a good reason.”
“I’m not your father,” he said, leaning toward me. “I’ll give up killing, if that’s what it takes. Would your father ever give up what he has?”
I shook my head. “No, he wouldn’t. But it’s easy for you to say you’ll walk away. Harder to really do it.”
“How can I prove myself?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Then I guess I’ll have to figure something out.”
I let out a frustrated breath. “Why are you doing this?” I asked.
“Because you’re pregnant with my baby.” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m not the kind of man to turn my back on my responsibility. And you’re my responsibility, Elise.”
“I don’t have to be.”
“I want you to be.” He leaned toward me. “And you want it too. I know you do. You pretend like you’re so afraid, but we both know you want it just as much as I do.”
I shook my head. “Come on,” I said. “You don’t owe me anything. You don’t want this baby. You’re just… you’re just trying to do the right thing, and it’s bullshit, okay? You can just walk away, Tanner. Nobody’s keeping you here. You’re not a part of this anymore.”
That seemed to get him. He shook his head and his eyes lit up, a little bit of anger showing through the mask.
“So long as you’re pregnant with my baby, I’m a part of this,” he said. “I always will be, whether you like it or not.”
I stood up. “We had a moment back there,” I said. “I’m not going to pretend like that didn’t happen. We had a really good moment and we had a lot of fun, and some of it felt good, but it’s reality time now. I’m pregnant and a crime family wants me dead. I need to stay with my father until this all passes over and I can have a life again. So just… just leave me alone, okay?”
I went to walk past him but he stood faster than I thought he could. He took my wrist and pulled me away from the door. I let out a soft, surprised yelp as he yanked me against his body.
“Don’t bullshit me,” he growled.
“Tanner,” I said.
“You walk around like you know what’s best, like you know what you want, but it’s bullshit,” he said. “You say you don’t want me, you say you’re afraid of me, but every time I touch your skin, you light up like you weren’t even alive before. I make you feel good, Elise. I make you feel better than you ever have before.”
“Stop,” I whispered.
He leaned down and kissed me.
I groaned into that kiss. I tried to push him away but he held me tight. He kissed me slow and deep and I sank into that kiss. I stopped struggling and put my hands flat on his muscular chest, letting my world vibrate around him like lightning.
God, he was right. He made me feel good. So good I could barely breathe.
He turned me toward the house and pushed me up against the wall next to the door, away from the window. I gasped as he kissed my neck, palmed my breasts. I shivered with delight as his hands moved down my hips and grasped my ass hard.
“I’m tired of you running away,” he said. “I’m tired of your excuses. You keep acting like you’re better than me, like you’re afraid of what I do. But fuck that shit. You want this, you dirty girl. And I’m taking it.”
“Oh, fuck,” I whispered as he slid a hand down the front of my yoga pants.
I was wet, dripping wet. His fingers slid up my lips and teased me as I kissed him harder and grabbed his hair. Pleasure exploded through my body as I thought about his words, about him having me, controlling me, dominating me. He pushed me against the wall and I knew he could do exactly what he was threatening, and I knew I wanted it so badly it hurt.
