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“What did you do to them? I came! I did what you said. You can’t—”
Micah shook her hard enough to make her teeth rattle, and the world spun around her when he finally stopped. “What did I just fucking say? Now get the fuck up.” He hauled her up to her feet by her hair, his cruel chuckle ringing in her ears as she bit back a scream. “It’s time to take you home where you belong.”
That’s when a deep voice surged out of the darkness. “You’re not taking her anywhere.”
“No!”She screamed it toward the trees as Micah hauled her back against him, wrapping her up in a bear hug that clamped her arms to her sides. “He hasn’t made the call yet!”
“You fucking cunt,” Micah growled, his arms constricting so tightly around her chest she could hardly breathe.
“Let her go, O’Neill,” Rafe said as he stepped out onto the path. His voice was so low, so deadly calm that it almost didn’t feel real. Not when her insides screamed with fear.
“Rafe, please.” Tears streamed down her face. “Please go.”
His gaze met hers for only a moment, but it was long enough to know he wasn’t going anywhere. Keeping up that veneer of absolute calm, he looked past her to Micah. “There’s no way for this to end that’s good for you. You have to realize that. Let her go and call this whole thing off before it’s too late.”
“So you’re Rafe.” Micah didn’t seem to have heard Rafe’s suggestion. “Even if she didn’t tell you she’s mine, you must’ve seen my marks. Only a desperate, weak man would fuck another man’s property.”
Rafe’s smile was hard and cold. “You’re the one who can only keep a woman by threatening her.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake. Antagonizing him would only make things a billion times worse.
Tightening his hold on her, there was a new edge to Micah’s voice when he spat out, “I told you not to tell anyone. Guess it’s a good thing I already told Doug to have his fun.”
“No!” She struggled against his grip as she screamed, her throat aching and raw. “I didn’t tell him. Please, I swear I didn’t. Do whatever the fuck you want to me. I don’t care anymore, just leave them the fuck alone.”
“He’ll have them by now,” Micah said, slamming a forearm into her stomach hard enough that she stopped fighting for several seconds, just trying to breathe. “He’s wanted to fuck you for years. Did you know that? But I didn’t want him touching what’s mine. You wouldn’t believe how excited he was when I told him you have a sister who looks just like you. He’s probably fucking her right now.”
“Actually, he’s not.” Rafe said it as if he was commenting on the weather. “I just got off the phone with Holly. Turns out her neighbor is a cop.”
The truth flew through her like a jet of cool, clear water, putting out the inferno raging inside her in a matter of seconds. “Oh.” She sounded almost bored to her own ears. “Well, in that case.”
Nell flung her hips to one side so suddenly, Micah didn’t have time to react. The force loosened his grip enough that she could throw a fist backward into his groin.
As he doubled over in pain, she ducked and twisted, breaking out of his grip for good, wrenching his arm around in the process. And when Micah tried to straighten and make a wild grab for her, she slammed the heel of her hand into his nose with the most satisfyingcrunchin the entire fucking world.
He crumpled to the ground like a collapsing house of cards, one hand gripping his crotch, the other trying to stem the gush of blood from his broken nose.
Nell stood over him as he cried and rolled around on the ground, adrenaline singing in her veins. “You,” she said, voice ringing out in the night, “will never lay your fucking hands on me again.”
CHAPTER16
Rafe
For the first time in his life, Rafe wanted to kill another human being. But since he was in love with a literal fucking goddess, it seemed that wasn’t going to be necessary.
Jonathan and Mason stepped out of the woods behind him, moving up to flank his sides. “While I would certainly understand her desire to do so,” Jonathan said, “I suggest you get your girl out of here before she kills him. That’ll just make for awkward questions when the police arrive.”
Holding up a bundle of rope, Mason added, “We’ll take care of the trash.”
The three of them moved in together, Rafe heading straight for Nell, the other two circling around to the other side of her still writhing and moaning victim. “Nell?” he said softly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She jumped at the touch, though she didn’t pull away. But she didn’t turn to him either, instead glaring down at her ex while her breath came in short gasps, her chest rising and falling so dramatically it looked painful.
Rafe slid his hand toward her neck, until his thumb found her pulse. It was going like a goddamn jackhammer. “Nell,” he said again, a little firmer this time. “I think you should come sit down.”
It was several seconds before she turned toward him, her gaze slightly unfocused. He had to grab her arm when she tilted precariously to one side. “Everything’s spinning,” she mumbled, clamping her eyes shut.
“It’s all right, sweetheart,” he said, scooping her up into his arms. “I’ve got you.” While Jonathan and Mason got to work behind him, he carried her out of the woods, setting her down on the nearest pool chaise.
