Page 30 of Crave You

Christian is groaning and bleeding, but okay, at least.

Even as I struggle, Zane picks me up and places on my feet easily.

“He had it coming.” His eyes are creepily emotionless. “And don’t pretend there wasn’t a part of you that was enjoying trying to make me jealous back there. Well, you sure got what you wanted didn’t you. Now come on. Get in the car.”

I stand there, in shock. Is this really happening?

But it is. This is the Zander Erin warned me about. The predator. Brutal, savage and dangerous.

“C’mon,” Zander says, tugging me that way.

“No,” I say, gripping the pavement with my feet.

Zander raises an eyebrow and I shake my head. “This isn’t a game, Zander.”

A shrug. "Okay. Come on, then.”

“No,” I force my voice calm. “No, I am not getting in that car. You can cause as much of a scene as you want but it’s not happening. Not in this life.”

"You sure about that?” His tone is unconvinced, almost bored.

I turn my back to him. “I have nothing to say to you after this.”

I turn back to Christian again. “I’m so sorry,” I say to him.

“It’s not your fault,” he reassures me.

After I’ve helped him to his place, I head for home, walking fast, my head down. For some reason, I have this wild feeling that Zander is going to come up behind me and try to force me into his car.

But whatever he does, I won’t go. No, not after this. I can’t be with someone who thinks it’s OK to assault my best friend, no matter how hard it’s going to be to stay away from him.

Sure enough it’s only a few minutes before a car slows down beside me. “Get in the car, Leona,” Zander says.

“No,” I say.

“Don’t make me get out and drag you in,” he says. “And don’t think I won’t because I will, and we both know it.” He pauses. “I could also always go and pick up your friend Christian.”

I want to stand my ground and mean the no, but I can’t risk Christian getting more hurt because of me.

We aren’t far from my place, so I decide it will be easier to get in, get home, and then cut off all ties with him.

“Fine,” I say.

I get in the car and shut the door. Zander watches me for a second and then he starts the engine.

“About that back there,” he says as he pulls away. “I realize you’ve never been with someone like me before, so, I’m going to let it go this time.”

“You’re going to let it go?” I say, incredulous at his sheer audacity.

He nods his head.

“Are you fucking kidding? You punched my best friend in the face and almost slit his throat all because of a song he wrote ten years ago. It’s me who needs to let it go and it’s not looking likely to happen, anytime soon.”

Zander looks away from the road, fixing his eyes on me. He frowns.

“You’d better not mean that Leona,” he says.

“Oh, I mean it,” I say. “I’m sorry Zander. I can’t be with someone who thinks hurting people like that is the answer to every little thing they don’t like.”

---