Page 103 of Redeeming the Villain

“He’s not getting away with it. You deserve to get justice.”

Her bottom lip quivers. “I just feel so stupid.”

Jumping up, I slide into the bed next to her and pull her into my chest. “Don’t say that. You aren’t stupid, Alora. You’re trusting and kind. You idolized him, looked up to him; there was no reason you would have thought differently about him.”

She looks up at me. “But even you said you didn’t like him.”

I shrug. “I saw something in his eyes. But I like to see the worst in people and prepare for the harm they’ll cause. You see the best, and I would give anything to see the world through your eyes.”

Leaning down, I grab her chin with my thumb and forefinger and tip her head back, kissing her gently. Her lips meet mine with the same warmth and passion.

Part of me wants to tell her what I did in her practice room, but I’m scared it might run her off.

I can’t simply like her and hold her hand, smiling. I need to protect her, consume her, obsess and devour her. Which is why I might have hidden a small camera in the room …

After the day I saw him look at her a little too closely, I had Asher help me install it in case he ever tried something.

It’s not a matter of someone believing Alora’s account. I have him on fucking camera, every moment documented. I swear, every single place he touched her, I’ll break on him.

My phone dings. Once, twice, three times.

Checking it, I find more texts from the boys.

Griffin: ETA? Ready and waiting.

Asher: Schedule says he’ll be at home for the next two hours, so we might want to hurry it up …

Dean: I’ve got Elias and Finn with me.

Heading to Griffin’s in a minute. Meet up there.

“Hey, would it be okay if I go run an errand quickly? I’ll be back in just a little bit.” I’m hesitant to leave her at all but this needs to be taken care of sooner than later.

Her warm gaze meets mine. “Of course. Sunny and I will snuggle and watch a movie or something until you get back.” She stutters, ”I-If you were coming right back I mean.”

Leaning down, I kiss her forehead. ”It’s the only place I want to be.”

* * *

The first thing I do when I get to Griffin’s is change from my hockey gear and jersey that I switched back into before leaving Alora’s. And then I pull up the footage of my hidden camera to see exactly what the fuck he did to my girl. I won’t let anyone else watch it; that’s Alora’s business, and no one else needs to see it without her permission. But I almost can’t even keep my eyes on it.

The way he cornered her, forced himself on her … it makes me feel sick and feel an anger that I never knew was possible. One so deep that I’m scared what I will do when I see him.

I give the guys the gist of the information, and then we load into Griffin’s truck and my Corvette, following the directions Asher gave us.

We haven’t even made it to the professor’s house yet, and my fists are already clenching so tightly that my fingers have gone numb.

Wringing my hands on the steering wheel, I force myself to take deep breaths—in through my nose, out through my mouth. But nothing will calm me down, no matter how hard I try.

“About a minute out,” Asher mumbles, riding in the passenger seat next to me.

The rest of the guys are in Griffin’s pickup behind us.

Taking the last right turn onto Spindle Street, we pull up to a ridiculously nice house. One that this fuck doesn’t deserve.

I kill the engine, and Asher and I get out, followed by everyone in Griff’s truck—Dean, Elias, Finn, and Griffin. I wonder if Rupert has noticed us yet.

I lead the way up the sidewalk toward his front porch, climbing the few stairs and ringing the doorbell.

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