Page 119 of Drowning in Darkness

“Wrong guy.” I don’t add more, needing to get the hell out of the bar. Now.

My heart is too loud in my ears. I watch almost from a distance as Steph squares up with the creep again, her hand rising again. She’d lay this guy out if she had her way. That’s a terrible idea, considering we’re meant to lie low. This was all a terrible idea, and it’s about time we leave.

“Alright, wildcat.” I sling Stephanie over my shoulder, carrying her toward the exit while she yells at the guy who recognized me. That was an issue I wasn’t counting on at all. I don’t think Stephanie noticed. She wouldn’t be causing a scene if she’d heard the guy.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.

“Put me down, you caveman!” Stephanie pounds on my shoulder as I march us out of the bar and to the car. “James! Stop! Let me at that asshole!”

I’m not listening to her pleas. She almost started a bar brawl. So much for keeping our heads down. “Quiet.” I spank her ass, which is so very available to me right now, making Stephanie yelp.

In hindsight, carrying her like this was a poor idea. But I was trying to get her out of there fast. Now I’m thinking of things that really need to stay off limits.

But she’s not going back and fighting that guy, so I spank again. Harder.

It hits me when she groans, her squirming stopping. That sound is not what I expected to hear. Though maybe I should’ve. It doesn’t change the fact that Stephanie clearly liked it, and my cock kicks against the inside of my boxers.

Dammit.

Clenching my teeth, I get us back to the car and put Stephanie inside. We’re going home. Now.

FORTY

STEPHANIE

A taste only fuels the hunger. What I need is to gorge.

Fighting back and teaching a dude the consequences of touching a woman without her permission felt good. My hand aches, but it’s a reminder of the different woman I am now compared to the weak girl I was many moons ago.

“You’ll need to ice that hand when we get home,” James grumbles as he guides the truck back up the mountain to where I’m sure I won’t be leaving again for a very long time. Still, it was worth it.

“You can sing,” I point out, ignoring how he keeps trying to bring the conversation down because of one bad egg in a bar full of happy folks just looking to let their hair down.

“I can hold a tune and not sound like a dying cat. But singing? With feeling, emotion, and enjoyment? No.”

“It’s not always that deep,” I point out, turning in my seat to face him. This way, I can shamelessly study his features while he’s busy driving.

“And you got the chance to swoop in and be my hero. Even if I didn’t need it because I handled that creep just fine.” I flex my fingers, looking down at them as a mild ache hums. “And I don’t need ice. It’s not like his face was made of rock.”

James’s jaw is tight, and I don’t miss how it moves as he says nothing, eyes on the road. After a beat, he grumbles, “I’m not a hero. You should know that by now.”

Irritation warms my blood. His attitude is getting old fast, and it’s becoming a turn-off. Maybe that’s his intention. “So why’d you help me then? I mean, if you don’t care what happens to people, why bother stepping up when some guy crosses a line?”

“I made a commitment to protect you. That’s all.” James sounds pissier than usual, but I won’t have it.

“Bullshit. Just admit you care. Admit you did it because you didn’t want to see me get hurt, even if I didn’t need your help.”

James doesn’t respond. His hands grip the steering wheel while his eyes are glued to the road. Not a single sound leaves him. It’s ridiculous, and after everything, I’m so done with it.

Fuck this. “Pull over.”

His eyes shoot to mine. “What?”

I unclip my seatbelt. “Pull over.”

“Sweetheart, it’s pitch black, and we’re twenty minutes from home.”

Home. I love that. Maybe it could be exactly that if he’d stop being stubborn and acting like a martyr. I’m not stupid. He’s fully expecting that one day soon someone in the organization is going to realize his involvement with the FBI and take him down. But that’s not the only future available. I’m right here, if he’d only take a moment to look around.