Page 21 of Some Saviors Can Break You

Justin Bates launched across the table, which was thankfully bolted into place, or it probably would have connected with her before she could move out of the way, and lunged for her.

She and Jake reacted simultaneously, she grabbed Justin’s arm and twisted it up behind his back, eliciting a howl of pain from him, and slammed him into the wall as Jake snapped a pair of handcuffs on.

“You think you can talk to me like that,woman?” Justin bellowed as they opened the door and dragged him into the hall, fighting against them every step of the way. “You’re what’s wrong with the world. Women like you who don’t know their place. You think you can tell a man what to do. Women belongin the house, cooking and cleaning and taking care of their man. I bet you don’t even have a man. Who would want a woman like you?”

With that final statement, he shoved his bodyweight sideways, throwing her into the wall. Her broken wrist got caught between her body and the wall, and she hissed as pain sliced through the limb.

Cops filled the hallway, dragging Justin away from her and down toward a holding cell where he would be kept until he was taken off to jail, charged with assaulting a police officer, which would hopefully get them the warrants they needed to look closer into his life.

“You think you can get away with treating men like this?” Justin screamed at her. “Sooner or later you’ll get what you deserve. Someone will wipe that smug smirk off your face.”

“You okay?” Jake asked.

“Fine, I've had worse.”

“What was that all about?”

Florence jumped at the silky, smooth voice behind her. Just hearing it had her insides turning to melted butter, and her lips tingled just remembering the kiss they had shared last night.

That kiss had kept her up half the night as she obsessed about whether or not she should trust Eli enough to give him a chance.

“It was nothing,” she said, not wanting to get into a discussion on what had just happened. In her life it really was nothing.

“It didn't sound like nothing. It sounded like that man was threatening you.” Eli’s hands clamped—albeit gently—around her shoulders and turned her to face him. Protectiveness was oozing out of him, and she had to roll her eyes at him.

“You remind me of my brother.”

“Excuse me?” Eli looked aghast at the prospect. “That is not what a man who was kissing you just twenty-four hours ago wants to hear.”

“Relax, Romeo, that’s not what I meant. I didn't say that I wasn't attracted to you. It’s just the protectiveness, you're just like Fletcher. You know I am trained, I know what I'm doing, this isn’t the first time a suspect has threatened me.”

“You're attracted to me?” Eli was grinning at her like an idiot.

“I thought we already established that last night.”

“You mean when I kissed you?” His arm circled her waist, and he drew her up against him. As it always did when he touched her, her heart began to beat a frantic rhythm in her chest, and she became hyper-aware of every part of her body that Eli touched. He lowered his head, his lips hovered just above hers, she could feel his warm breath, and she tilted her head to bring him closer. Just when she thought he was going to kiss her, he spoke instead, “Can I drive you home?”

Surprised and disappointed, that he hadn't kissed her or even asked her out on another date, Florence quickly stamped down the feelings. She was the one who had consistently turned him down, she shouldn’t be surprised that he had finally decided to take her at her word.

Why should she expect him to fight for her when she hadn't been sure she was willing to fight for herself?

No one in her life had fought for her.

Even her brother had left to go to college, leaving her behind in that hellhole.

Eli wasn't any different.

No man was different.

6:37 P.M.

Vulnerability was obvious in Florence’s sky blue eyes, but somehow Eli knew she wouldn’t want to know that he could read her so easily.

“You leaving now?” he asked, releasing his hold on her but claiming her hand.

“I was going to do a little more work into researching our suspect before I called it quits for the day.” Florence tried to tug her hand free from his, but he only tightened his grip, and she finally gave up.

“We can do that in the morning,” Jake spoke up. “Callie asked me to be home by seven because her parents are coming over for dinner, if I leave now I can be there not much after.”

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