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She huffed. “You’re pretty confident I’m not going to run the first chance I get.”
“I am. I’ll tear apart any man who dares lay a finger on you.”
He edged his tone with finality, but that didn’t seem to scare her. To his surprise, it made her smile.
“Is that so?”
“I’ve never felt fear like I did tonight when we couldn’t find you.”
He buried his fingers into her soft curls splayed over her shoulders and down her back. He held her against him, resting his chin on her head. “You should have never put yourself in that kind of danger.”
She leaned back, forcing him to drop his hold on her.
“Sevastyan, whatever this is between us you need to know I can take care of myself. I appreciate you playing defense—and offense for that matter—tonight but I know the dangers out there and that won’t stop me from doing what I have to in order to find my father’s killer. I need you to know that. All of you. Especially Roman. That man never let me leave his sight for days.”
He tore away from her with gut-deep anger riding him so hard the entire room turned red.
“Even if it gets you killed? Did tonight not teach you that you don’t get second chances in my world or yours? A bullet stops you cold. Period. I refuse to let that happen to you.”
He turned on his heel and shoved his hands through his hair. That or he would tie her to the bed until they were both sated and he made her forget all about her death wish of a plan. Probably not the best way to earn a woman’s trust. So he kept his distance.
“Why the fuck did you leave the safety of my protection tonight when I told you to stay put?”
“I’m not one of your foot soldiers. Someone had to help Maya and all I saw was you getting cozy with the enemy. Or, at least he’s my enemy. You seemed to get along with him just fine. And as long as you want to snarl at me with a temper like some rabid monster you can leave me to my shower now. Suddenly I’m very tired and want to shower and then sleep.”
He laughed. “You haven’t seen my monster, little girl.” He narrowed his eyes on her, and he’d lie if he didn’t admit it gave him a deep satisfaction to see the racing pulse in her neck when he prowled across the room toward her.
She took a step back and then another until she was pressed against the closed door leading to the master bath.
He raised his hands until he had her pinned between his arms. Her breaths came out as hard pants and her pupils dilated. He didn’t miss the way she licked her lips either.
“You’re like fucking fire and ice, woman. Soft one minute and hot as Hell’s fire the next. So damn stubborn and so damn loyal. You’ll get yourself killed one day trying to play someone’s savior.” He paused, caressing her bare skin with his gaze as she looked up at him, her lips slightly parted.
“You better understand this the first time I say it because I won’t repeat myself so nicely next time. I’ll die before I let anything happen to you because you have this warped sense of standing up for people who don’t deserve you. Even for me.”
He pulled back, rising to his full height.
“Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?” Her voice hiked in volume with every word, and she didn’t look like she was nearly done. She poked a finger to his chest. Scarlet fanning across her dirty cheeks. He didn’t know if he wanted to fuck his anger out of both of them and exhaust their minds and bodies or kiss her until she saw things his way.
Both options were foolish thinking. No man alive could break this fiery woman. And he wouldn’t have her any other way. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t have some fun trying.
“You’re damn mad, woman.”
He lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. “Holy shit it’s a miracle I’m not standing over your body in the morgue.”
Sevastyan sighed and reined in his simmering temper. He didn’t give a rat’s ass if she hated him for the rest of their lives. This was the last time she would be putting herself in the line of fire.
“Yeah. Maybe.” She crossed her arms over her chest and it looked like she was about to do battle.
“Do you know what you were up against when you stormed out of Haven? Or did you just wing it all like you did when you walked into my club the first time?”
The pursed lips told him everything.
“You have no right to judge me.” She flicked her anger like a whip, and the simmering fury he saw in her eyes drove his hands into his hair. At the risk of pulling out every strand, he released his hair and let out a fierce growl.
“I need a shower and you’re coming with me.”
He stalked across the room and backed her up against the bathroom door. This time, he reached around and flung the door open. “Better yet. You go. I’ll take my own damn shower. You’ll find everything you need in there. I’ll wait for you out here and then we can talk after I’ve had a chance to wrap my brain around why the hell you are hell-bent on dying.” He would always have her best interest at heart even when it didn’t look like it to her.
He turned on his heel and left her standing outside the master bathroom, mouth gaped open.
Liquor. Two fingers, no four, would do the trick. Hell, maybe he needed the whole damn bottle. Because in his state he would scare her with the amount of pent-up need that raged through him to toss her over his shoulder and carry her off to some tower where no harm would ever come to her and he could worship her body with no interruptions. Since caveman behavior wasn’t smiled upon anymore, he’d have to wait until he could rationalize thoughts again and not react on gut instinct.
But he couldn’t promise it was a distinct possibility.
