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I, for one, was proud of her for finally standing her ground on something she wanted. I never understood how she’d let them control her like they did. However, sometimes I was jealous of how much they loved her. For years, I wished I had that.

I thought being popular would fill the void in my heart. When that didn’t work, I started hanging out with guys, hoping to fall in love with one of them or find someone who loved me. It was the opposite; men simply wanted one thing from me, and I refused to give it to someone who wasn’t worthy of my body.

It didn’t mean I wasn’t a flirt or loved the attention I received on the daily. I used it to my advantage, hoping to meet my soulmate eventually.

I shook off the sentiment, rolling down the window and lighting a cigarette. I only smoked when I felt this way because it helped calm me down. Bringing the cigarette up to my lips, I inhaled deeply. Out of nowhere, it was roughly ripped out of my hand, causing me to snap around.

I came face-to-face with the person I least expected.

Jace fucking Beckham.

The bane of my existence.

“What the fu—”

“Do I need to remind you that smoking causes cancer?”

My eyes widened, instantly furious as I watched him throw the cigarette to the ground and stub it out with his boot.

Meeting my glare, he questioned, “When the hell did you pick up this bad habit?”

I couldn’t believe the balls on this man.

With a shrug, I sassed, “Probably around the same time I started smoking crack and spreading my legs for truck drivers at rest stops.”

“Cove…”

“Jace…” I mocked in the same snide tone he was using on me.

“I won’t ask you again.”

“Lovely. Then I won’t have to repeat myself.” I pulled out another cigarette, but he yanked the pack out of my hand.

“Jace!” I stormed out of my Jeep, getting in his face. “Give it back! Now!”

He held it away from me.

“I mean it.” I reached for the pack again. “Give them to me!”

“Not a chance in hell.”

“Jesus!” This was the first time he played this parental card on me. “What’s your problem?”

“Currently,” he declared, “you are.”

“Who the hell do you think you are? You can’t boss me around like you do your sister.”

“Well, someone has to.”

“Oh my God!” I lunged for the pack, but he gripped my throat and shoved my back against my Jeep door.

I tried to yank his hand away, but his hold was too firm, so I held his wrist instead.

“You got a death wish, Cove?”

Scowling, I demanded, “Let go of me.”

“No.”

“You have no right to do this to me.”

“From where I’m standing, I have all the right in the world to protect Haven from your rebellious teenage bullshit.”

“I’m eighteen, asshole. You know I’m an adult.”

“I know you think you are.”

“I don’t need your approval on what I can and can’t do, G.I. Joe. Haven doesn’t smoke. Okay? It’s a me thing.”

He eyed me up and down before slowly letting go of me and backing away.

I reached for the pack again, thinking he would hand it back to me. Except he didn’t. In one quick motion, he threw the pack on the ground and roughly stepped on them with the heel of his boot.

I gasped, caught off guard.

“If I catch you smoking again,” he warned in a voice I didn’t appreciate, “we’re going to have a problem. And trust me, Cove.”

Without any hesitation, he added…

“You don’t want to fuck with me.”

Two

Cove

As soon as I saw Haven pull in, I jumped out of my car and darted toward hers. She was crying when I opened her door.

“Oh my God! What’s going on?”

“Oh, Cove…”

She immediately threw her arms around my neck, breaking down.

“Haven.” I rubbed her back. “You’re freaking me out. What happened?”

Once she calmed down and we were in her bedroom, she finally shared some unsettling news about why she was so upset. I felt the weight of her words and tried to listen before I gave my opinion on the fucked-up situation she found herself in.

“He’s been warning me for months he is not who I think he is, and now I’m like, why didn’t I believe him?”

Hayes was the bad boy her brothers would destroy if they found out she was dating.

After we went back and forth for a minute, I replied with the only thing that seemed right. “The way I see it, he’s got a darker side to him.” I continued, doing my best to reassure her.

“That’s what scares me. What if he does this all the time?”

“Maybe he just takes out bad guys.”

“This isn’t Dexter, Cove.”

I smirked. “I love that show.”

To me, Haven hit the jackpot with Hayes. I’d love to have a man who was fearless and a badass.

She shook her head. “We are not the same. How are we best friends?”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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