Page 27 of Monster

With him standing over me like this, he was even bigger than I thought.

He was as intimidating as he was fascinating.

Slowly, I took a small sip, trying not to let it show how bad I found the burning taste to be.

“More, wildcat.”

I took another sip, and he watched me intently, the unique hue of his blue eyes glinting in the light. I didn’t know why a small flutter ran across my belly just from being the sole focus of his attention.

I shifted a little on my feet as I drank some more, the alcohol coating my tongue and making me feel warm from the inside.

I handed it back to him when I didn’t think I could drink anymore without puking.

He finished off the bottle and let it join the first two in the trash.

One perfectly arched eyebrow rose expectantly at me, and I opened my mouth and tried again.

“I give private piano lessons to kids for some extra cash,” I said. When his expression didn’t change, I continued. “I was leaving the house of one of my students when I saw Braxton biking past. I recognized him from school. That’s when a bullet h-hit my car.”

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself over the memory.

Now that the events leading me to where I was right now were over, the adrenaline was leaving my body, leaving only my useless limbs and dark memories.

I didn’t want to get lost in the darkness.

Dominic shifted slightly, bringing my focus back onto him.

“The car,” I said suddenly. “It was small and black, and two men were in it. The driver had gray hair, dark eyes, and t-tan skin, and the man in the passenger side, the one holding—the gun has…”

I shook my head, trying to remember what he had looked like. Fuck, but why couldn’t I remember?

“Blond hair,” I said finally. That was all I remembered.

I blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears from falling.

His eyes were still unreadable, but I thought I saw something in there that looked a lot like pity.

I looked down at the floor and focused on my feet.

My Converses were dirty.

They were an old, worn-in pair, and there was a small hole in the tip of my left sneaker, but they were comfortable. Looking at them now, though, I realized they had gotten dirty from my walk to the farmhouse.

I had the sudden urge to wash them off.

Dominic stepped closer to me, bringing his black boots into my line of sight.

He had big feet.

I was sure his feet were bigger than the average man, but compared to mine, they appeared ginormous.

He touched his finger under my chin. He lifted until I looked up again, meeting his blue eyes.

God, I didn’t think I had ever seen eyes that blue.

The man was just too beautiful for his own good.

I didn’t think I likedroughon a man, but he made rough look so appealing.

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