Page 26 of Depraved

Granite turned back to me, his voice soft, yet fierce. “You better listen good, ballerina girl, ’cause I’m only saying this once.” His grip around my throat tightened. “Do not fuck with me. You have no motherfucking idea what I’m capable of.”

I grabbed at his hand around my neck, desperate for air. But there was no way I could make him let go.

Fingers dug deeper into the flesh beneath my jaw, pushing my face up toward his. “You’re not strong enough to fight me, ballerina girl. But keep on trying. I dare you.” He brought his face inches from mine. “By fighting me, you only make me want this so much more.” He let go, and I crumpled to the floor like a ragdoll, coughing and heaving.

Granite remained still, towering over me like a demon about to devour a soul. “Now, I’m going to get you something to eat. And you will fucking eat it, or this little shit-show that just went down will seem like foreplay. Got it?”

I was still trying to get air down into my lungs when he grabbed my hair and pulled my head back violently. “Do you fucking hear me?”

“Yes,” I cried. “Yes, I hear you.”

“Good.”

He let go and stepped back. As if my body knew he was out of reach, I managed to breathe in deep.

The floor creaked under his heavy footsteps as he left, leaving me gasping for air on the floor.

Exhausted and sore, I didn’t even try to get up. Every bone in my body felt like it had been cracked in half. My mind turned into a bottomless pit of nothing, and I was too tired to fight. Too tired to survive. So I gave up, just for a few seconds, so sleep could take me.

CHAPTER NINE

GRANITE

As soon as the door slammed shut behind me and I heard the click of the lock, I pulled my phone out and dialed. Ink answered on the second ring.

“Yo, boss man.”

“You have the kid-beater?”

“Yup.”

“He still breathing?”

“Yeah. Why?”

I rushed down the stairs. “I’m on my way.” I hung up and saw Onyx waiting for me at the exit from the bar.

“Want to tell me what the fuck that was?”

“No.” I brushed past him.

“Where are you going?”

“Same place you are.”

We walked out the front door of the bar.

“And where’s that?”

“The warehouse. We’re meeting up with Ink and Manic.”

Onyx didn’t question me further. Good thing too. The blood in my veins was fucking singing with the need to fuck shit up. Anger scratched against my chest, wanting out—like a contained demon ravenous for something to ruin.

Alyx pushed me. She pushed me too far, and I had to show her who was in control. I knew she had an inner strength everyone underestimated. I just couldn’t allow her to think she could use that strength against me. So I lost my shit—which ended up being a good thing because she needed to be afraid of me. If she wasn’t, this entire plan would get shot to shit. The success of our entire plan depended on her fear of us…of me.

Getting on my Harley Road King, I put on my lid and started the ignition. I needed to get the fuck away from this place. Away from her.

I wasn’t a guy for speed. It was about the cruise, the open road, the fresh air. The sound of the engine, feeling the power vibrate between your legs. God, it sounded like a porn movie. For me, it probably was. Nothing got my blood flowing like a good run. But this wasn’t a run. This wasn’t a goddamn cruise. I wanted to get rid of the rage that seared my veins, and it made me impatient.