Page 24 of Knight’s Salvation

Did she have any idea how much he wanted that?How much he wanted to just spend time with her, listen to her talk, learn everything about her. Take her to his bed, savor her body, touch her skin, her hair—fuck her hard, then take her slow and easy. He’d hold her in his arms and watch her sleep. Feed her. Take care of her.

Jesus fucking Christ.Where had that come from? What the fuck was wrong with him?

He dipped his chin, couldn’t look at her. “Why the fuck would you think that?”

Silence. “I just thought after this afternoon that…” Her voice shook, and though it killed him, and every instinct he had told him to worship her—protect her—he ignored it. That wasn’t an option. And in the end, would only put her in danger.

He was a piece of trash, tainted, filthy, didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her. Why couldn’t she see that as well?

What he was about to do was for her own good.

In two strides, he was in front of her. He wrapped a hand loosely around the base of her throat, her soft, warm pulse thudding against his palm, and backed her against the wall. His heightened awareness of her just pissed him off more, bewildered him. He let his frustration show. He sneered and gave her a slow hateful once-over. “This afternoon you were lucky I didn’t do far worse.”

Her eyes were wide, but she shook her head. “You wouldn’t…you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Was she serious? He had her pinned to his door. He could crush her delicate throat in less than a second. Mia thought there was good in him, but there was nothing but rage and hate. “One conversation and you think you have me figured out? You know nothing about me. I’m from Hell, Mia. I’ve done things that would give you nightmares.”

“I don’t care,” she whispered.

His chest squeezed painfully, and the foreign emotion welling up inside him sent a surge of fury through him. He couldn’t deal with it, couldn’t process it. His heart hammered so hard he was surprised she didn’t hear it. Didn’t she know how much danger she was in? “Do you have any idea what someone like me needs, demi?”

She shook her head. The pulse in her neck was fluttering wildly. Good. He needed her to fear him. He let his gaze drift over her curves again then up to her wide-eyed gaze. “Exactly. Now leave.”

Her entire body stiffened and her face twisted. “Why are you acting like this?”

“Like what?”

“Cruel.” She gripped his wrist and tried to pull his hand from around her throat.

He didn’t budge, not yet. He had to make sure she left him alone.

This pull, whatever it was he felt toward her, was too strong. He couldn’t resist it, couldn’t stay away from her, not on his own. He needed her to be the one to do it. She needed to understand that nothing could ever be between them, not friendship…not anything else.

She needed to hate him.

“You don’t know what cruel is,” he rasped.

She straightened her shoulders. “I know you’re trying to protect yourself…but you…you don’t have to with me.” She drew in a deep breath. “And I thought that perhaps…that we could spend some time together, that we could be—”

He got in her face, cut her off, didn’t want to hear what she was about to say. Couldn’t. Her scent surrounded him and he realized like a shot to the gut that Mia wanted him, despite the things he’d said, the way he’d treated her. And if he didn’t get rid of her soon, he’d lose his fucking mind.

Why did she have to come here? Why was she doing this?

Why would she want…him?

Pain began to radiate from the back of his skull, shooting down his spine. He needed to get into his room. In a matter of minutes he’d be paralyzed in agony.

He moved in closer, and goddamn, did it cost him. He didn’t like being close to others, but with Mia he realized it was different. So different. Nothing made sense.

Her soft curves pressed into him, but despite the way his pulse raced and his stomach clenched, it wasn’t hard to feign indifference. “There is nothingyou have that I want,” he said and ground his lifeless cock against her. She sucked in a breath, humiliation slashing across her cheeks.

She blinked and tears tracked down her cheeks. “You don’t need to say any more. You’ve made your point.”

When she shoved against him this time, he let her go. And without looking at him again, she pushed past and ran down the hall.

Zenon didn’t have time to regret his words, and shoved his key card in the door. He stumbled into his apartment and managed to slam it shut after him before his legs gave out and he hit the floor.

No one could ever know his weakness, what he was. Not his brothers and especially not Mia.

But dammit, as he lay there, paralyzed, lost to the agony, the only thing that stopped him from being sucked under completely was Mia.