Page 53 of Possessive

He lowered his hand and nodded once like that was that, end of story.

I pressed my lips together and rolled them a couple of times. "You might be biased."

He didn't know the circumstances and he wasn't going to hear them from me tonight.

He was guessing, based on his feelings for me. Feelings that were sweet, but were they misplaced?

Seeing that kid standing there tonight brought everything back into painfully sharp focus. Maybe Kurt was fucking with me, but he'd succeeded in rattling me. He'd gotten right back into my head. Reminding me of who and what I was.

I wasn't sweet little Mina anymore. I hadn't been for a long time. Longer than most people knew. Everyone except my father, and a couple of other people, including Kurt.

"If I'm biased, I don't give a shit," Gianni said. "I meant what I said. Whatever the fuck went down, I don't blame you for it. Not even if anyone else does, you've more than paid the price. I'll fucking tell them all that too."

He fixed me with a look like that was that, whether I liked it or not. His determination was endearing, as was his blind faith. He'd made up his mind and no one and nothing was going to change it for him. Or so he thought. The reality might end up being very different. He might end up being the one with his heart torn clean out of his chest.

"Yeah," I said softly.

We stepped out the front door of the house and back down the steps.

We reached the street as Frank bundled Holly into a small hatchback. The vehicle looked old enough to back up his story about needing money. It had definitely seen better days.

He glanced over his shoulder at us before quickly jumping into the driver's seat. The door slammed behind him with a thud before he roared off down the street and was gone.

A heartbeat later, the house beside us exploded into flames.

CHAPTER 21

MINA

Gianni pushed me off my feet and threw himself over me, arms wrapped around me tight.

I landed on the footpath with a thud, forced my eyes shut, and curled up as small as I could.

He let out a grunt of pain. His ragged breath was hot on the side of my face. Fingers dug into my hip, holding frantically while hell rained down behind us.

I heard a shout, but couldn't make out the words past the ringing in my ears.

Gianni's body pressed against me was overwhelming. Conflicting. Both comforting and terrifying at the same time.

Finally, everything fell. Everything but the pounding in my heart and the roaring of blood through my veins.

"Mina?" Reuben's voice sounded distant, like he was talking through a tunnel.

Someone helped Gianni to his feet. His weight was suddenly gone from me.

I opened my eyes and squinted.

Reuben crouched beside me.

"I'm okay." I rolled over and sat up. "Gianni?"

Gianni waved me down. "I'm all good. The back of my shirt might be a little singed." He grabbed the hem and pulled it around to frown at it.

"I'll buy you another shirt," Damon told him. He stood between Gianni and the burning house, flames dancing in the night behind him.

"I knew you cared." Gianni gave him a quick hug before he too crouched down beside me. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine," I said vaguely.

---