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I get back into bed with her because now isn’t the time for me to go on a one-woman revenge parade. Now is the time for me to be here for my friend. Damien bends down, making eye contact with her.
“I’m going to speak with him, but I won’t hurt him physically. Is that okay with you?”
She nods, and he gives me a look. He needs my approval to deal with this. I lift my chin to the door, letting him know he can go do his thing and I’ll do mine. My girl needs her friend, and I have to admit, a room full of pink and no sweaty men in sight is actually a nice little break from normal.
Chapter 42
I’m trying to rein in my anger. I told Laney I wouldn't hurt the man physically, but the kinds of mental shit I plan to do to him after seeing the bruises on her face will have to be good enough. It is never okay for a man to lose control. Especially like that.
I approach the teacher's housing on the far side of the island. My breathing is already coming in harsh pants. When I get to his door, I bang so hard I actually think I dent the metal in the storm door. Squinting in the moonlight, I can see that I did.
Arrow yanks open the door looking just like I do. Ready to pounce— to kill. I take a deep breath before making it very clear why I’m here.
“Did you know you left a mark on her?”
His head tilts in confusion. “A mark on who? Where?” I push past him and walk into his home, entering right into the living area. I sit on the couch so this feels less like it’s about to turn into a brawl because that’s not what either of us needs.
“Your girl's face.” I can’t hide the sneer in my voice but I stay seated, trying to keep things civil, which is more than I can say for him.
“You’re lying, I barely touched her… I… Did you see it?”
I nod and watch as that realization takes him to his knees. When regret washes over his face, I let him sit there for a minute to take in what he did. Then, I speak.
“Acting out in anger like that is not only childish, it’s foolish. Your title is something you value here, so I understand why you don’t show your relationship outside our home. You want to trust us with your relationship and we want you to trust us." I lean forward, leveling him with my glare.
“But I will make one thing very clear for you right here and now. You know who I am, you know what I do for our organization. If another mark ever appears on that girl by your hand that she did not openly consent to, I will not hesitate to string you up in my shed or the dungeons and skin you alive. Do you understand?”
He sits there frozen for a while. “I’ve never done that before. I never meant to…”
“From where I’m sitting, you have a choice to make. That girl loves you and wants to give you her heart, but she also loves someone else.”
Yeah, I was fake sleeping the whole time so that Laney felt more comfortable opening up to her friend while I listened for intruders.
His anger flares and I stand up, cracking my knuckles to let him know he doesn’t intimidate me.
“If you can’t swallow your pride enough to accept that, then you better walk away now and let her be happy with Havoc. You weren’t there during the break, but I saw that he helped her become stronger. Not just physically, but mentally too.”
I walk towards him, making sure he hears every word I’m about to say. “He helped teach her to believe in herself, showed her that being fake wasn’t how she needed to be with us. She walks with more confidence now, openly speaks her mind, and even spoke up to you when she was sure it was going to break her heart.”
I poke my finger in his chest to send the point home.
“You didn’t see that, but I did. That girl is like a sister to me. I will not let you tear her down over something as simple and as stupid aspride.”
“Really?” He shakes his head and moves to the couch across from me. I sit back down and wait for him to see reason.
“We mostly texted while she was gone, but I think you’re right. She loved training and telling me about all her accomplishments. I hated it was him who got to make her feel that way, but I loved celebrating her milestones with her anyway.”
He sighs, and I let the silence linger. I’m not normally a patient man. But when it comes to problems like this, I find reacting first and asking questions later is what leads to the problem to begin with.
“How do you do it?” he finally asks, looking almost defeated.
“I don’t think you’re ready to do it, man. You look too desperate.”
“I am desperate, but I want her to be happy. I want her to actually have everything she wants.”
I believe that he means that, but I don’t know if he’s actually ready to take that step. “Why do you think she needs him?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. Maybe because I’m not enough.”
