Page 42 of Switch

Rev huffs.“Bullshit. You’ve been in a mood for days. You wanna tell us what’s got your head so fucked, or you just going to sit there brooding like some emo teenager?”

I exhale sharply, setting my glass down harder than necessary.“Just got shit on my mind.”

Blade raises a brow.“By ‘shit,’ you mean a certain brunette who’s got you looking like you swallowed a fucking grenade?”

I glare at him, but he’s not wrong.

Rev leans in slightly, his tone more serious now.“Look, I like Bella. She’s cool as hell. Not a pain in the ass like some chicks we’ve seen come through here.”

Blade nods.“Yeah, she’s a good one. Got a little fire to her, too. I respect that.”

Rev tilts his head, watching me.“So, what’s really bothering you?”

I shake my head, jaw clenching.“She’s pulling away, and I don’t know why.”

Blade lets out a low whistle.“That explains the sour mood.”

Rev studies me for a beat.“You talk to her about it?”

I scoff.“And say what? ‘Hey, babe, why the fuck are you acting different?’”

Blade snorts.“Yeah, probably not the best approach.”

Rev shrugs.“Maybe she’s just got shit on her mind too. Maybe it’s got nothing to do with you.”

I want to believe that. But something in my gut tells me otherwise.

Without a word, I pull some cash from my pocket and drop it on the bar before shoving away from my stool.

“Enjoy your night.”My voice is clipped, my body already moving toward the door.

I step out into the cool night air, my head a fucking mess and my knuckles itching for a fight. I don’t know what the hell’s going on with Bella, don’t know if I should fight for this or let her go.

But for the first time, a thought I don’t want to acknowledge creeps in.

Did I make a mistake letting her in?

I leave Perdition in a fucking mood, my head a mess and my knuckles itching for a fight. Rev and Blade’s words won’t quit playing in my head, and the only thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to be around anyone.

So, I ride.

I don’t have a destination, don’t care where the road takes me. But after a while, I realize the only thing that will actually make me feel better is seeingher.

Bella should be home by now, back from her girls’ night at Brooke’s. I don’t even think twice before turning toward her place, my bike roaring through the quiet streets.

But the second I pull up, my blood runs cold.

There’s a man in her fucking bushes. Lurking. Peeking through her goddamn windows.

I don’t think—I react. I kill the engine, jump off my bike, and grab the bastard before he even knows I’m there. I spin him around, my fist cocked back, ready to knock his teeth down his throat.

Then Iseehim. And fuck, Iknowhim. It’s that piece of shit from the carnival.Mike.The asshole Bella went on a date with. The one who got drunk and tried to put his hands on her. The one who almost hit her before I stepped in.

Rage surges through me, white-hot and uncontrollable. I throw the first punch, my knuckles connecting with his jaw in a sickening crack. He stumbles, but I don’t let him fall—I grab his collar, pull him up, and drive my knee into his ribs.

He grunts, doubling over, gasping for air.

“What thefuckare you doing here?” I growl, shoving him back against the siding of Bella’s house.

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