Page 64 of Possessive Mr. Pen

Terror ices my veins.I shift my weight to go to her, but she throws her hands up and then smacks her thighs as she whips around and stomps toward us.

She stops the appropriate distance away to create a triangle with our shoulders as we all face the center of the mat.

We bow.

They both come for me.

Abandoning any form of offense, I focus on defensive maneuvers as they work together to force me down to the mat.Through sheer determination, I avoid Hilary’s arm bar and Uncle Levi’s headlock, roll out from between them, and lock my arms around Hilary’s midsection.I tuck my chin, press the side of my face against her back, and plaster myself to her as much as possible.

She rolls.I follow her lead.

Uncle Levi grabs my ankle in an iron grip.I stop with Hilary on top of me.She elbows and bucks, but I tighten my hold and dig my free heel into the mat.

Despite her torso pinning my head to the mat, I hear every unexpected syllable my uncle says.

“The thugs weren’t real, but your path in life was.We saved you, girl.”

She makes a sound of protest between gritted teeth and jerks her leg a few times.When it doesn’t budge, I realize he has one of her ankles, too.

“So what was the plan?Get me off the streets so you could use me in some convoluted revenge plot?”she hisses.

“Keeping you close was the only way to ensure your safety,” I growl.

“Then why did you sleep with me?”she snarls.

Mr.Carter’s hand clenches on my ankle.Pain streaks up my leg and into my groin as the master hits some hidden pressure point.I grunt and force myself to breathe through the agony.

His hand leaves my ankle only for both to wrap around my wrist and forearm.With a vicious yank and twist, he breaks my hold, shoves Hilary off me with his foot, straddles me, and raises his fist.

Hilary jumps on his back and locks him in a chokehold with terrifying ease, taking advantage of his distracted state, but she doesn’t squeeze.He doesn’t attempt to free himself.

“You didn’t know he slept with me before he hired me?”she heaves.

Uncle Levi’s stare hardens impossibly further as she reveals the sordid timeline.

“Of course you didn’t know.Why would he tell you?I’m the one who shut him down when I realized he’d be my boss.”

With my uncle’s fist looming over me, I shift my gaze to Hilary’s, but I don’t speak because of the threat of my own pain, I speak because the pain in Hilary’s eyes kills me.

“It wasn’t part of the plan.I wasn’t strong enough to stay away.I never am when it comes to you.”

Her hold on Uncle Levi loosens as she analyzes my words and their delivery.

“No amount of groveling will ever be enough.I’m sorry, Hilary.”

She scoffs and tilts her chin to my uncle’s raised fist.

“Yeah, sure, say that without the threat of violence,” she snarls.

“Anytime.Anywhere.As many times as you want,” I vow.

She pauses.

Mr.Carter clocks me square on the jaw.My head whips to the side.

Hilary’s angry shout echoes like angelic music in my ears.

They grapple for control, their grunts and ragged breaths ringing through my ears as I recover.When my eyesight returns, Hilary maneuvers out of a leg lock and rolls to kneel with her back to me.