Page 52 of The Sins That Bleed
I sigh once the doors close to take him back down to Cherry Poppers as I prepare myself to find Rai. I don’t owe him an explanation, we’re not an item, yet I know it needs to be done.
Curse these motherfucking feelings that have somehow grown around my rotting wasteland of a heart.
I’m turning soft.
I turn on my heel and march to his suite, making sure the halls are empty before I increase my speed to unnatural levels to get to him faster. From outside his room, I can hear him pacing and then the rustling of clothes. He’s packing.
Like hell will I let him walk out of here after Alaric Vonbarro had some of his goons target their apartments. He can hate me, think less of me and do whatever he wants, I don’t care, but he’s not leaving the safety of this tower. I’ll chain him to the bed if I have to.
I ignore the salacious images that pop into my mind at the thought.
I contemplate knocking but I know he’ll slam the door in my face, so I twist the handle and to my surprise, it’s not locked. The heavy door swings open and I step inside the room, the clickingof my heels on the marble floor giving me away as I close the door behind me.
Rai stops pacing, bag in hand, as he whirls toward the sound. I take an involuntary step back at the rage on his face as it reminds me of someone else. For a moment, I’m the naïve woman that couldn’t understand why her husband turned out to be so cruel.
I fuckinghatethat Kian can still infiltrate my mind after all these years.
“Get the fuck out!” he snarls at me, dropping the bag and stalking toward me.
I square my shoulders and stand up tall. I’m not that person anymore and I refuse to be scared. He’s in here withme, not the other way around. I hold my ground as he comes closer, the fury rippling from him and pounding into me.
I can take it, I’ve had worse experiences.
“I said get the fuck out,Valeska.” He spits my name like I’m a démon before him.
“No.”
He balls his hands into fists as he stands before me. I don’t move a muscle as I stare into his hate-filled blue eyes, daring him to strike.
I hadn’t been lying to him the first night I visited him; I really do enjoy a good fight before fucking.
“I’m leaving, and there’s nothing you can say or do to stop me. I don’t even want to know why my boss was on his knees in your office, dragging his tongue up your legs, because I don’t fucking care anymore. Get out of my way.”
He’s close enough now that his nose is practically touching mine, his chest heaving with the anger vibrating through him. If this was the other way around, I’d probably feel like this too, but the other person would be dead already.
“No, you’re not. It’s not safe for you out there.” My voice is calm as I speak.
I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe.
He storms away from me, snatching the bag off the ground and throwing the strap over his shoulder. I don’t move, just watch him as he scans the room for any of his other belongings before turning back to me.
Muscles flexing, he marches toward me for the second time and the intent is clear on his face. I either get out of the way or he’ll make me, but I’m not about to let that happen. I won’t make this easy for him.
“Move, now, or I’ll fucking make you,” he spits.
I shake my head and brace myself for his touch. His arms snake out and grab me by the shoulders, his grip is firm but not painful, and I relax a little. He’s nothing like my dead husband. He tries to move me sideways so he can get out the door.
I move with lightning speed as I shake his grip, snatching his wrist and twisting him around. I have his hands behind his back and his body pressed up against the door he’s so desperate to leave through.
“You’re not leaving, Rai. If I have to chain you to the bed to keep you safe then I will. Hate me all you want, but don’t get yourself hurt because of it, think of Nico.”
He fights against my hold. He’s a strong guy and if I wasn’t a vampire this would be going very differently.
“Keep Nico’s name out of your filthy mouth. You disgust me, using your body like that for what? Information? Maybe you’ve been fucking him all this time and using me as a pawn in your games. Well, I want no fucking part in it.”
His words sting against my skin as he intended them to. He breaks free of my hold and it’s my turn to be caught up in his hands. He grips both hands behind my back at the base of myspine using only one of his, as his other sinks into my hair and pulls tight.
Tears prick at my eyes from the sting, but I refuse to let them fall.
