Page 53 of Beneath Her Skin

Rhea is a goddess, one that I would spend the rest of my days worshipping if she gave me the time of day. But now? Now that she surely knows I’m responsible for the death of her only brother—no matter how sick that asshole was—she’ll see me as a monster too.

“Rhea, you came for me.” Elias visibly relaxes while Bianca struggles to communicate.

They can’t see me from this angle, but I see them all, frozen to my spot. Rhea’s bitter laughter catches me by surprise.

She sizes him before getting in his face, her emotion unreadable. Golden curls frame her face as she cocks her head, the kind that look soft but probably have a mind of their own. “I don’t believe it. This has to be the best welcome home gift.”

Elias stills, eyes growing wide. “What?” His voice trembles.

“Go fuck yourself, Elias.” Rhea’s cold words shock me. “You deserve to rot in your misery, and watching the light leave your eyes will be the only good memory I’ll keep of you.”

I’ve never heard her speak that way, but who knows what she has experienced these past years. More importantly, what the hell did he do to her? I’m well aware that if I expose myself now, I risk this being a set-up to pull me out of my hiding place, but Ineed to see her, really see her. I need to touch her and make sure this isn’t a hallucination. I need to know what he did to warrant this reaction from her.

Holding my lungs captive, I inch my way fully down the stairs. Elias and Bianca’s gaze shoots to me, filling with fear. The moment Rhea notices she goes rigid. I take a step closer, and finally, she shifts to face me, forcing my breath to escape me.

When I see her, it’s like an explosion of color and sound. Sky-blue eyes stun me, sending a spark of electricity down to my toes.They hit me like a slow burn—light, sharp, and impossible to look away from. That hasn’t changed after all these years. Neither has the storm of emotions that tear through me when I’m near her.

Her poker face falters, and I know she feels it too.

“Tiana.” My name rolls off her lips like a prayer, as if she’s been waiting for this moment as much as I have.

I won’t let her go this time.

5

RHEA

Tiana Ortega is the only reason I stuck around this godforsaken town after my business here concluded. My childish crush on her spiraled into an obsession while I was away, one that tempted me no matter how far she was. I always had eyes and ears on her, whether it was through camera bugs, tapping into her phone, or having somebody follow her.

I had to leave for me, the past five years were chock full of rebuilding myself from the ground up. My only friends were memories of Tiana's sweet essence and my ever-growing rage. They tore me down, shattered my soul, and thought they won. Meanwhile, I was only getting stronger. Now, I’m back for my lady and my vengeance. I walk and move like I mean it. No hesitation, no second-guessing. If I don’t own my space, someone else will try to.

“Tiana,” I whisper in reverence.

She tilts her head slightly, the movement making her features—her sculpted jaw, her full lips—stand out like an artist’s masterpiece. My body lights up inside at the sight of her, sparks swimming inside me. A veil of fear still hangs heavily in the air. The combination is heady, sending shockwaves straightto my pussy. My girl looks so damn beautiful with different hues of crimson smeared over her face and neck. Her full lips part in shock, and all I want is to sink my teeth into them.

Tiana drops the gas canister, taking a tentative step forward, and I march to her confidently, cupping her face tenderly. She is the only person who can render me speechless with just one look. The look that screamsyou’re my person.

“I…can hardly believe it. I never thought I would find you,” she whispers, squeezing my arms.

“I just needed time, but I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere.” Her eyes soften and something in her gaze makes me snap. “Fuck it,” I say before pulling her to me, crashing my lips onto hers. Every single thought in my brain fades away as she melts into me, deepening the kiss. A small moan slips from her, and I use the opportunity to explore her mouth with my tongue, pulling her impossibly closer. The coppery tang of blood lingers, igniting something deep inside me. Nothing matters except forherright now.

A deep, grating voice cuts through the cloud I’m on. “What the fuck is going on?”

When I pull away from Tiana, all I see is red. Elias has only ever been good at ruining shit. My girl did a number on him, but he never knew when to quit. I’m surprised she kept him alive for this long. Then again, I’m surprised she had all this in her. Wordlessly, I rush to him, picking up a discarded bat, but Tiana grabs onto the other end before I can swing.

“Don’t waste your energy on him, he’ll be dead soon anyway,” Tiana rationalizes calmly, diffusing me like a bomb. “I would like an explanation from you though. What did Elias do to you?” Her expression hardens as she stares me down, unwavering. That’s not what I was expecting, and she catches it. “Any other questions I have can wait, but I know you. The way you react tohim, the way you look at him, it holds so much pain and rage. What did he do,mi amor?”

No matter how much time has passed, no matter how hard I try to detach myself from that horrible night, it still has a hold over me. A knot forms in my throat and my body gets hot while I struggle to find the words. My eyes fall on the stairs behind Tiana as my mind replays the scene.

“He let him. He walked in on Jericho raping me and did nothing. I begged for help. I prayed for death. I fought and cried and bled. All Elias ever had to say for himself was,‘Jericho told me he was sorry, so just let it go.’As if sorry could ever change what he did. As if the apology was even directed at me. As if my brother, my protector, didn’t have a hand in the very event that killed me inside. The Rhea everyone once knew is dead. I’m here to kill the ghosts of her past.”

When I refocus on Tiana, she’s tremulous with unshed tears and anger flashing in her eyes. Her form is rigid and her eyes shoot to Elias. “How many girls…” she grits out. My heart sinks at the insinuation, but all I can do is take her hands in mine and grab her attention.

“We won’t let them hurt anyone else, Tiana,” I coo soothingly. “Jericho was the first person I paid a visit to when I landed. He got what he deserved.”

Her eyes darken. “Finish him, but make it painful.”

Those words are music to my ears and make my lips quirk up. Fisting her collar, I pull her face to mine within a hair’s breadth to whisper huskily, “I’ll make it painful, then show you how it can be pleasurable. Will you let me do that?”

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