Page 78 of Give In

Because beyond the anger and disgust had been fear. Real fear.

And no one was allowed to scare my depraved angel but me.

Which was why the bouncers had carried the bastard outside, but it’d been me who’d slammed him against the building. Me who’d bounced his head against the hard brick until he’d blubbered and begged. And me who’d dropped him to a heap on the hard pavement before kicking his kidney until he’d piss blood.

That didn’t even cover whatever the bouncers had done after I’d walked away.

Driving behind Eden, my anger didn’t wane.

It grew.

I was pissed about the night. I was pissed about whatever had led her to working in a strip club and living in a slum apartment.

And I was pissed at her. At the small, relieved smile she’d given me when she’d seen me near her car. At the whispered ‘please’ she’d given me when I’d told her we were going to my house.

When we reached my place, she pulled into the driveway, likely not considering the repercussions of it. I did, however, consider them. And I liked them. Which was why I pulled in after her, blocking her car.

Eden climbed out of the piece of shit and walked to me. “Okay, before you say anything—”

“Inside.” I placed my hand on her lower back.

“Okay, but—”

“Eden, we’ll talk inside.”

“Fine,” she sighed, crossing her arms but not moving from my touch.

Even when I pushed further by sliding my hand to her hip and pulling her closer, she didn’t step away.

No, she leanedintome instinctively, not even seeming to notice she was doing it.

Her small smile.

Her whispered ‘please’.

The way she shifted closer.

None of it warmed my cold heart or eased my twisted soul.

If anything, they made me angrier because they were reminders of what she was trying to take away from me.

And I’d be damned if I let that happen.

*******

Eden

As soon as we stepped foot inside, I turned toward Damien. “You can’t try to tell me what to do all the time.”

“I know,” he replied, his tone withdrawn and his body language distant.

“I have bills,” I added, though I wasn’t sure why.

“I know,” he repeated, starting up the stairs.

Without thinking, I followed so I could continue spewing the justifications he wasn’t asking for. “I can’t just quit my job with no other options.”

“I know,” he said yet again as he walked into his bedroom.

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