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Fuck him. Fuck them all.
There’s a flicker of surprise and terror in Damon’s dark eyes as my fist connects with his jaw. The impact is so violent, it vibrates through my entire body. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it. Bones crunching underneath my knuckles is all I feel. I hit him again, and again, not letting him get even a single punch in.
Tasha screams something, but I don’t hear a single word. I do, however, feel her hands against my skin, trying to pull me back toward my car, but I’m not done with this fucker…not even close.
“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Damon staggers, wiping at his bloodied lip and nose.
I point straight at him. “You!” I roar. “You are the problem. Having me come out here. Making me do this shit.” I’m losing my mind. My nostrils flare, and my body shakes. I tug at my hair, taking an unsteady step back.
“Me?” Damon huffs. “I didn’t make you do shit. You came here of your own free will, and that girl…” He points to my car.
I take a step toward him, ready to throw another fist at his face. Even the slightest mention of Elyse has me unhinged.
“She’s going to get you put back in jail, and then what…? What the fuck will you do?”
I shake my head, trying not to listen to him. Elyse is innocent, weak, unknown to the life I live.
She’ll never make it. I mean, look at her after just witnessing what she did tonight. Doubt swirls around inside my head.
I’m so angry at her, at myself…at my shit life. I’m obsessed with her, crazy with need for her, but I can’t risk hurting her. I can’t risk her being involved in any other crazy shit. This ends tonight.
“Do the right thing, Hero…” Damon backpedals, putting more distance between us, his hand wiping at his bloody nose, his eyes still piercing mine. “If you don’t, I will. We can’t have any loose ends ever, not even her.” I force myself to stay where I am.
I want to kill him, rip his heart out, but part of me knows he’s right. She’s a liability I cannot afford, and I don’t want to go to prison again. She’s ruined us—ruined it all.
Damon disappears back into the warehouse.
I can hear Tasha sobbing behind me. When I turn around, I see her hand over her mouth, fear spiking in her eyes. Good, she should be afraid, real fucking afraid. I separate the space between us in a second, my eyes bleeding into hers.
I don’t want to have to hurt Tasha, but I have to do whatever I can to protect myself…and since she doesn’t care about anyone but Elyse, I know exactly what I must do.
“Tell anyone what you saw here tonight, and I will hurt her,” I sneer, though my heart feels as if it’s bleeding as I say the words. “Anyone…the cops, a friend, your boyfriend, your grandma—anyone finds out, and I’ll destroy her.” I force myself to smile, making sure she understands how serious I am. “Do you understand?” I growl.
Tasha nods her head furiously. She looks like she might puke, but I don’t care.
I don’t fucking care about anyone. I’m broken, twisted, fucked up, and nothing and no one is ever going to change it.
If anything—tonight showed me that.
Chapter Ten
Elyse
Tears stain my cheeks and I force myself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out. But the panic attack claims me. I’m numb, hanging off the edge of a cliff, seconds away from falling into the unknown.
My heart is pounding so hard, I feel like I’m on the verge of a heart attack. My eyes are squeezed shut so tightly, I’m afraid to even open them. When I hear the squeaking of the car door and strong arms pick me up out of the backseat, they finally flutter open.
Hero’s holding me, carrying meI look up into his eyes, begging, pleading to see that man, the one I know cares for me.
“Hero…what’s happening?” I croak, my voice weak. He doesn’t answer me, though. In fact, his body is so tense, his anger vibrates off him, slamming into me.
I wish he would talk to me, say something, anything. I open my mouth to ask again, but the words freeze on my lips when he stops walking. His eyes stay trained ahead. Another car door opens, and he places me inside it. My gaze swings around, and I realize I’m now in Tasha’s car.
“What’s…what’s going on?” I’m in full blown panic mode. He told me he would take care of me, that he’d protect me no matter what.
“Take her to the hospital or back to the dorms. Whatever the fuck you want to do, but remember…” Hero’s voice is vacant of any emotion and a warning hangs in the air between them. I peer through the window, pounding on the glass with my good hand. Tasha visibly gulps, her eyes wide and full of fear.
