Page 64 of Tempt My Heart

Dread made bile burn in her throat as she shook her head at him. “I loved you.”

“Your mistake.”

She reached into her clutch and pretended to rummage around in it, hoping that at any moment they would be surrounded by the cops and Jared quietly apprehended.

Nothing. Not even a whisper of sound aside from the impatient tapping of Jared’s foot.

“Stop fucking around, Ali. You can probably fit about three things in that purse. Give me the photos.”

She sighed. Where the fuck was Denver? And the cops?

“Oh,” she said with mock cheer as she finally let anger and adrenaline take over. “I found them,” she sang as she pulled her middle finger out of the clutch and showed it to him. “Dickbag.”

His hands curled into fists and her heart started thudding faster as he took a step forward. Ali moved before he could do or say anything else, slamming her knee straight up into his crotch and backing away when he doubled over.

“That’s for my mom’s house,” she hissed and couldn’t wait to tell Jesse she’d delivered the nut punching she’d requested.

“Bitch,” Jared choked out and lunged for her.

Anytime now guys,she thought sarcastically as he grabbed for her hair and missed, instead raking his nails down her arm.

“You better not give me rabies.”

The slap across her face stunned her and she fell to the ground, the rim of the fountain catching her in the stomach and knocking the air out of her for a moment. She looked up slowly, blinking her eyes to will away the blurriness as Jared dragged her up by the hair. His side pressed against her back and she slammed her elbow into his gut, decidingto hell with thisas she tried to run from him. This had been a terrible idea from the start. His hand snagged in her hair again and yanked her back towards him, and for some reason all she could think about was that he wouldn’t have been able to do that if she’d shaved her head like Jesse.

Ali’s foot hooked around his and they both went sprawling in the dirt. Something hit the ground with a thump and her pulse skyrocketed when she realized it was the same disk he’d taunted her with atArthur’s.She dove for it and he howled as he realized what she was aiming for. Her heel crashed down on it again and again and Jared fell to the ground, his hysteria making her feel confident it had been the only copy.

He moved quicker than she could have anticipated as he lunged at her, knocking her to the ground as he slammed his fist into her cheek and she felt it throb in response. He raised his hand again—

The blow never landed.

Relief filled her so sharply she could almost taste it. The cops. Finally.

But when she managed to get her eyes to focus, it wasn’t to find them surrounded by Denver and the boys in blue. No.Christopherhad grabbed Jared by the back of his arm and had twisted it viciously judging by the white look of fear on her ex’s face.

“I told you what I would do to your hands if you touched the woman I love.”

The woman I love. Love.

Jared snarled and attempted to wriggle free, breaking away long enough to clip her across the cheek with a flailing fist as if in defiance of Christopher’s words.

Acrackrang out as Christopher tackled Jared to the ground, his arm now bent at an unnatural angle as Christopher snarled. “I saiddon’t fucking touch her.”

There was a loud rustle as a group of men in dark flak jackets arrived and she was pretty sure she slurred when she laughed at them. “Just in time to be absolutely useless, boys. Thanks a bunch.”

Denver pulled Christopher away from Jared, who seemed to have passed out from the pain, and a man approached her to shine a light in her eyes.

“You know, that’s really fucking annoying.”

Denver crouched next to her next. “Jesus. I’m sorry, Ali. Are you okay?”

“Where the hell were you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. “Ah. The front gate didn’t want to let them in at first. Not until I called—”

“What the fuck is going on here?”

Ali’s eyes slid closed as everyone seemed to freeze. “Please tell me I’m hallucinating,” she muttered but looked up and groaned. Partially because it made her head hurt to move her eyes, but mostly because standing in front of them with a face like thunder was Rose and David Blake.

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