Page 45 of Brutal Collateral

Her sable eyes leave my cock and roam my face. “I don’t remember your lips being so big, or your nose out of whack. What happened to you?”

“You beat the hell out of me just now.”And I loved it...

“I have new clothes for you both, Griff,” Connor peeks behind the shower curtain. “Hey, moved right to the honeymoon?”

I use my elbow to push him away. She’s naked and she’s my... Christ, I don’t know what to think about her anymore.

“Ava, listen to me...” I have to get my shit together if I’m going to survive this day. “We need to get cleaned up and get out of here. Didyoukill Brandon’s guards?”

“No comment.” Her vacant eyes don’t leave mine, but it’s like she can’t see me.

Me...

I can’t imagine Brandon would decide to kill them, but it doesn’t matter.

“I’ll punch you again the second my arms are free,” she murmurs.

“It’s over, Ava.”

“Hadleigh.”

“I know you’re Ava Zervas. Your brother made a deal for you and me to be married.”

“I’m not marrying you oranyone.” She struggles not to cry and it breaks me.

“Sorry, once I bring you back to your brother, he’ll explain it better to you.” It’s not my job to convince her. “Now, I’m getting up. You can hit me some more. You can try to escape. You won’t. I have my two brothers with me and eight other guys here to help us take you home.”

“Fuck you,” she says with a husky cadence that stiffens my cock.

“Right now? Wearesupposed to get married.” I lean into her ear. “I seem to recall you loved my cock.”

She struggles in my hold with bruised and scarred arms. “Get off me.”

I could lob another sexual innuendo at her, but I loosen her hands. Plus, the water is running cold. Shrinkage will set in. Leaving her hands slack, I wait to be punched again.

But Ava just sits there and pulls her wobbly knees into her chest until she’s rolled into a ball. The water is running clear of any blood from our bodies, so I get up and turn it off, keeping my eyes on her.

“The sooner you get up, dry off, and put on clean clothes, the sooner I can get you back to your brothers.”

When she doesn’t say anything, I step out of the shower and yank a towel from a rack to dry myself. The clothes I came here wearing, the bloodied ones are gone, taken away, and given to the clean-up crew.

Hanging on the back of the door is a...a suit.

My phone on the counter buzzes, drawing a frown. “Aw, fuck, Trace’s wedding.”

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