AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m advancing on Riggs, murder in my eyes, when Blaise opens his mouth.
"She probably likes it rough after slumming it with that dead gutter rat."
My balled up fist pops him right on his smirking mouth. I was aiming for his nose, but he's too tall. Ignoring any thought of my injuries, I launch at him while he's bent over and off guard. We both tumble to the floor, and somehow, mostly by luck, I land on his back. Blaise doesn't have a chance to recover before my arm snakes around his throat, and he's the one getting strangled.
Ash is yelling for Jaeger and Drake while I do my damnedest to choke out the asshole trying to flip me off of him. An arm comes around my chest as a hand pulls at my arm, and the pressure on my ribs has my breath sucking in. They're mostly healed but still hurt if they're pushed on.
"Riggs, be careful!" Ash snaps, rushing to the human dog pile. "She's still hurt."
Arm loosening slightly, Riggs growls into my ear, "Let him go, Sunshine." The old endearment makes me freeze long enough for him to break my hold on Blaise.
Head whipping around, I glare at Riggs while he drags me off the coughing man. "Don't fucking call me that. You have no right. Not after everything you've done." I struggle until he lets me go then back away, hunched over my own arm wrapped protectively around my middle.
My feelings hurt far worse than my physical body at the reminder of their betrayal. They used to call me 'Sunshine.' Not only for my pale bright hair, but because I was a happy, bubbly girl. Until they left me to Damien's care at a party.
Jaeger barrels in, slamming the door behind him as Riggs helps Blaise to his feet. Ash just stands there glaring at everyone.
"I could hear you all the way from the elevator. What the hell is going on in here?" Jaeger takes in the palpable animosity between me and the others before he zeroes in on me. "What's wrong with you?" I shuffle carefully past everyone to get my purse from where I'd dropped it by the door, ignoring him. "Is anyone going to explain why the door was open, and Ash was yelling for me?"
"Ask your butt buddies, Jag." My finger jabs toward Blaise and Riggs. They've retreated to the kitchenette where Riggs is getting Blaise a bag of ice. "You all better remember some subjects are off limits."
As I do my best not to limp to my room, Ash starts explaining to Jaeger. My stepbrother's groan is cut off by my door closing, but his demand filters through when he raises his voice.
"Cora! Get your ass back in here."
Yeah, that's likely. Not. Ignoring him, I strip my clothes off and turn the shower on as hot as I can stand it. With my entire body aching, I slide to the floor of the stall, wishing it were a bathtub instead.Tears course down my face as the day’s frustrations and the guys’ awfulness culminate with over-exerting myself. Something has to give because, as it stands, hiding out indefinitely is sounding like a pretty good plan.
Admittedly, I probably shouldn't have baited Ash, but his high-handed demand and assumptions got on my nerves. It isn't anyone's business but my own if I decide to move on from Kael— which definitely isn't the case.
