Page 114 of Like Grim Death: Part One
Ezra, beside me, laughs. “That’s because she likes me better. Not all the rest of you fuckers.”
Brooklin scoffs, but it sounds pained. Like maybe she doesn’t like the thought of Ezra touching someone else.Have I got news for her.
Ella’s pale throat rolls as she swallows and the numerous freckles on her face seem to stand out more than usual, contrasting against her complexion. She drags her fingers down my chest, glancing between us, long lashes brushing her cheekbones. “That was before.” She whispers it, so quietly. Then she risks a peek at Sid before dropping her gaze again. “I didn’t think you’d want to share me now.”
I don’t. That’s why I’m fucking pissed.
Beside me, Sid shifts on the couch. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” she bites out. “Why’d you look atme?”
Both Ella and I turn to stare at her.
“Don’t start,” I tell my sister, narrowing my eyes. “She didn’t say a fucking thing about you.”
Sid’s gray eyes are turned on Ella. She looks like she’s gonna say something smart which won’t go well for her, but finally she just shoots to her feet, then walks around the couch and I hear the screen door thwack behind her.
“Good one,” Ezra murmurs.
I turn back to my girl and notice Atlas watching us from across the fucking coffee table. Then a second later, I hear him speak. “I’m waiting for the show to start. I’ve always secretly had a thing for redheads. I bet her ass would bruise easily too.”
She stiffens with his words, but I fuckingexplode,Mikhail’s threats ringing in my ear. I push Ella back and she scrambles to her feet, then knocks into the coffee table. I hear the bottles swaying at the same time, from the corner of my eye, I see Atlas stand, stepping around the table and grabbing Ella’s arm.
He hauls her back into his chest and even Brooklin isn’t glaring at me anymore.
I get to my feet and I don’t think when I sidestep the table and shoot my hand out, grabbing Atlas’s fucking throat and jerking him close to me, Ella between us.
“Let go of her,” I snarl. He’s got an arm banded over her fucking chest.
Ella tries to move, but she can’t go anywhere between us.
Atlas smiles at me. “I don’t think I want to. Her ass is pressing against my cock right now and it feels really fucking good—”
A snarl leaves my lips and I move Ella to the side at the same time I dive at Atlas, my hands around his throat, my feet leaving the floor as I launch myself on him.
He stumbles back and I hook my leg behind his so he fucking falls. The deck thuds beneath us and I hear his breath leave him in a rush from the impact. I squeeze with both my hands around his throat, his face going red as I choke him. But he brings his forearms to my wrists, his elbows pressing against the bones, and he liftsup,putting as much weight as he can against my wrists and causing my hold to loosen enough for him to gasp down air.
Ella and Brooklin both are calling my name. Ezra is silent but I know he’s watching. Or maybe not because I hear the door open and close, someone walking off the deck.
I don’t fucking care.
As much as it aches, Atlas’s elbows on my wrists, I only tighten my fucking hold. “I’m gonna fucking kill you,” I tell him, and in this moment, my body on his, I think I might mean it.
He smiles at me though, then he slips his arms up and his thumbs come toward my face. He presses against one eye but I turn my head so he can’t get the other. It doesn’t matter, the pain in the one and the panic in my brain is enough that my fingers slip from his throat and just when I rear back, grabbing his wrists to pull him away from my eyes, the door slams against the wall as someone pushes it open.
A second later, strong hands are hauling me off Atlas, jerking me by my shirt. Then a hand clamps on my neck and Cain’s knee comes to my back as he bodily pivots me and drives me toward the door inside the house.
I try to turn to call out for Ella, but Cain grabs the back of my skull and pushes me again, hard. Brooklin yanks open the door as Cain forces me inside.
Once we’re in the house, I spin around, throwing up my hands and breathing hard as Cain closes the door to the deck, blocking it with his body.
“What the fuck was that?” I thrust my hand toward the door and I notice Cain has the baby monitor gripped in his fist. Rain must be in his crib. “He was talking about fuckingmy. Girl—”
“Keep your voice down. Sid and Rain are both trying to sleep,” he interrupts me in that quiet, poised tone. He’s not even breathing hard from fucking manhandling me when he asks, deftly switching back to our conversation, “And have you asked him once how he’s doing?”
I try to look past him, onto the deck, but he moves with my gaze, blocking my view.
I pull at my shirt, then drop my hands and force myself to meet his gaze. “Why would I ask him that?”
He smiles. “Because his girl’s brother’s body was found in our field. Because when’s the last time you laid eyes on Natalie, huh?”
