Page 81 of Playing With Danger

I felt every millisecond of the breath I sucked in. It seemed frozen in my chest in direct contrast to the fire pumping through my body.

Hideous, toxic memories assaulted me like they always did. Hatred and guilt fueled me to push on and give her the rest.

“I can’t do this with you. I tried. I thought I could do it. But I’ve spent the last twenty-seven years of my life promising myself I’d never be like him. And all it took was you looking at me and I got lost in something I can’t allow. I can’t be him, sitting on that couch, day in and day out staring at a picture of the woman he lost drinking away the pain. This has to end before I lose myself completely. Before you get hurt.”

The anger had leaked out of Sophie’s gaze, but that wasn’t to say she wasn’t angry. I saw her hands shaking. Her body stiff and perfectly still.

I was so close to getting what I needed, the repulsion was leaking in. The silence was deafening—blood roared in my ears, my gut clenched, and the pieces of my heart that weren’t already broken shattered.

As soul crushing as it was, I was doing the right thing.

I had to let her go. She had to be free. Sophie Huxley was a one-in-million woman, the kind who needed a good man who’d love her completely. And that was exactly what she was going to get.

“I’m not worth it,” she whispered. “That’s what you’re saying.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

“No, Sophie!” I shouted. “What I’m saying is you are worth it. You’re worth everything. You deserve a man who isn’t?—”

“Call yourself a name again, Valentine Malone, and see what happens,” she snapped indignantly.

Why wasn’t she leaving?

“Fuck this,” I snarled.

If she wouldn’t leave I would.

I didn’t bother looking at her when I got to the door.

“Don’t be here when I get back.”

“I’m not leaving,” she warned.

Without fully turning I craned my neck to look at Sophie.

She’d never been more beautiful, with her pretty eyes boldly holding me captive.

“I don’t want you here,” I lied.

I watched her flinch before she rallied.

“I wish with all my heart your mom and sister were still with you. My heart hurts for you and I wish I could stop your pain but I can’t. The only thing I can do is stand my ground and prove to you, you are worth it. You’re worth everything. You’re worth my dignity. You’re worth the pain you just inflicted. You’re worth my anger. You’re just plain worth it. So you might not want me here, but I’m staying. I’m going to fight for this until I have nothing left. I’m going to fight for you even if I have to fight you to get it. You do what you need to do but know when you get back I’ll be here. So come prepared to battle, Valentine. I won’t give you up.”

Fuck.

Her aim was true.

So when I walked out my front door I did it bleeding.

20

I was shaking.

My stomach was knotted worse than the other day when Hayden made me go to the hospital.

Everything hurt.

There wasn’t a single inch of me that didn’t feel like I’d been beaten.

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