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My spine straightened and I couldn’t do it anymore.
I dropped all the guards I usually hid behind.
I didn’t try to hide the depth of my feelings.
Whatever she saw in my gaze made her trip backward with a soft gasp, coming to a halt as the guy kept her pinned with his hand.
Tearing my eyes from Neri, I glowered at the bastard. “I suggest you let go of her before I break every single one of your fingers.”
A few years ago, I would’ve cringed at saying such things. I’d cower from the memory of where I’d come from and the bloodline I carried, but not here, not tonight. Tonight, I would happily tear off his arm and feed it to him if he didn’t let Neri go.
“Fuck off, mate. I was here first.”
My nostrils flared.
Neri shoved his hand off her shoulder. “I told you, you idiot. I’m not interested.”
“Wasn’t what you said before. You batted those pretty eyelashes at me and—”
“I was being polite! You asked me if I was having a good night and instead of telling you I had a shitty one, I gave you a smile and moved out of your way.”
“Bullshit, you pressed your tits against me—”
“I was pushed!” Neri waved her arms at the crowded bar with its craypots hanging from the ceiling and the seaweed draped candelabras above. “It’s busy. You can clearly see that.”
“I can see you making excuses. I bought you a drink.”
“I didn’t ask for it, nor do I want it.”
“Well, you owe me. Fucking pay up. Give me your phone number. A drink for a date.”
My hands balled. Power siphoned through my blood. I prepared to choose violence after running away from it all my life.
But then Neri shocked me stupid by coiling her arm through mine and hissing, “I can’t go on a date with you because the truth is, I’m with him. This is my boyfriend. I already have one. See? So I suggest you give it a rest and—”
“Him?” The guy with his overgrown black hair looked me up and down. He was my height but heavier. I could win against him, but it wouldn’t be easy. I’d get hurt.
Then again, I wanted to hurt.
I wanted to feel something, anything, so I wasn’t so dependent on Neri for existing.
“Yes, him. We’re together and—”
“I call bullshit.” The guy crossed his arms. “He’s just some guy trying to be a hero.”
“Careful,” I seethed. “I’m really fucking close to hitting you.”
“Go ahead. I’ll squash you like a fucking cockroach.” Pinning his stare on Neri, he sniffed. “Give me your number. Stop lying. Admit that you want me and save this bloke a lot of pain—”
“I told you, he’s my boyfriend. Not that it’s any of your damn business,” Neri hissed. “Now let us pass.”
The guy laughed. “Gimme a kiss first.”
I snapped.
I gave in to the red.
Yanking my arm out of Neri’s hold, she gasped and tried to grab me.
“Aslan, don’t—” Her eyes flared with fear that I’d punch the bastard. But she had me wrong. I had me wrong. All this time I’d chosen wrong, but right here, right now...I was choosing fucking right.
“See, I called it.” The guy laughed. “He’s not your fucking boyfriend—”
“You want proof?” I curled my arm possessively around her shoulders, jerked her into me, and grabbed her jaw with my other hand. “I’ll give you fucking proof.”
My mouth slammed down over Neri’s before my mind caught up with my body.
Our lips crashed together.
Her moan tore through my ears.
And that was all it took for me to die.
I motherfucking died in her arms and was reborn again in a flash of burning fire.
Bone-breaking lust ricocheted through me.
I stumbled and shoved her against the bar.
Her hands dove into my hair.
My tongue speared into her mouth.
Everything vanished.
Nothing else existed.
Just her and me and this.
Fucking this.
I groaned as her tongue licked mine. Experienced and wet and hot.
I licked her back. Savage and raw and violent.
Our mouths opened wide, our kiss—our first official kiss—slipping straight into hell where we burned and mauled and scratched and bit.
A hand landed on my shoulder, wrenching me away from her. “Get the fuck off her, you animal!”
All the noise, all the lights, all the world that I no longer cared about came rushing back.
I blinked at the asshole who’d just ruined the best moment of my life.
And I didn’t hold myself back this time.
I leaped headfirst into the darkness I’d inherited.
With a sharply aimed punch to his jaw, I spun on my heel and kicked him square in the chest.
He soared backward, landing with a loud grunt.
Eyes fell on me.
Eyes that saw everything I was.
Eyes that could steal me from Neri and everything I wanted.
I wouldn’t let that happen.
Not now.
Snatching Neri by the wrist, I ran.
I pulled her tripping and gasping through the Craypot, fell out the door, and bolted down the street to where I’d parked her father’s Jeep.
