Page 45 of Tell Me Why
“I thought that’s what this whole thing was about,” I say. “Offering me up to the guys.”
“Eh.” He glances away, and I catch something like confusion cross his face. Great, that makes two of us. “Things change.”
Um, okay?
“What things?”
His eyes lock with mine, and he searches my face for a second before saying, “Now no one touches you…except for me.”
There’s a shift in him. Something I can’t quite put my finger on.
“Why do you care?” I ask, swallowing past the dryness in my throat.
“I don’t know,” he admits, the raw honesty in his voice catching me off guard. I’ve never heard him sound uncertain before. “I shouldn’t.”
The moment hangs in the air between us for a split second before something in his expression hardens, like he realizes he’s revealed too much. The mask slips back into place—that cold, calculating look I’ve come to recognize.
“But what I do know,” he says, his voice dropping to that dangerous tone that sends shivers down my spine, “is that I need to make sure everyone understands exactly who you belong to.”
He steps closer, and I can smell the metallic tang of blood mixed with his pine scent. His hand moves to my waist, his fingers digging in.
“And the best way to make a point in this place…” His eyes darken as they rake over my body. “Is to make sure they all see it.”
My pulse races when I realize what he’s planning. Part of me wants to run, to fight against whatever twisted demonstration he’s about to perform. But there’s another part—a part I’m desperately trying to ignore—that’s drawn to this darkness in him like a moth to flame.
“Christian—” I start, but he’s already grabbing my arm, pulling me toward the pool table.
“Spread your legs,” he orders.
I glance around the room. People are still watching us, curious to see what he’ll do next. Blinking up at him, I shake my head. “No.”
“No?” That smirk returns. “You don’t get to tell me no, Eve.”
The easiest thing to do would be to give him what he wants. But if I spread my legs now, he’ll know exactly how that disgusting display affected me.
Then what’s he going to do?
…if I catch you lying to me, I’ll have no choice but to punish you.
He reaches under my skirt, and before I can even ask myself what I’m doing, I place my hands on his bloodied shirt, fingers splayed, and shove him back. He only shifts about an inch, but it’s enough for me to get away.
With my pulse thundering in my ears, I pivot sharply to the right and burst through the French doors that lead out to the back yard, the cool night air stinging my hot skin.
“Hey!” a voice calls out. Not Christian’s. One of the security guys, maybe.
But I just keep running. Where? To the beach? I don’t know. All I know is that I need to get as far away from Christian as possible or I’ll do something I’llreallyregret—like let him fuck me.
Legs pumping, I get halfway across the yard before I’m tackled by a gorilla from behind. Three hundred pounds of pure muscle knocks the air right out of my lungs and pins me down on the wet grass.
The gorilla rolls off me quickly and yanks me up by my arm. It’s one of the security guys. I’m gasping, trying to pull my arm out of his vice-like grip, but it only makes him clamp down harder.
Christian saunters up, like he has all the time in the world. “Thanks, Diaz. I’ve got it from here,” he says, gaze locked on me.
“You got it, Boss.”
I yank my arm out of his grip at the same time he releases me and walks away. “Asshole!” I call after him, even though I know he’s just doing his job. Still, was a full-on tacklereallynecessary? That takedown felt personal.
“Going somewhere?” Christian asks, and there’s a look in his eye. It’s the same feral gleam that was in his eyes when he was stalking Aidan earlier—a wolf circling its prey.
