Page 58 of Tangled IN LIES (IN YOU 3)

“She has suffered enough. We all did, but life goes on,” I add.

Something dark triggers in Lucas’ gaze as I see him move so fast. I only have time to push Cassandra out of the way and brace for the impact. The punch hits my jaw like a brick, bringing the familiar sting of pain. The impact rams me into the table, and my chest explodes with violent energy. I strike him in the guts and then his ribs, shoving him off me.

The metallic taste of blood flares in my mouth, and I get high from the adrenaline coursing through my system like fuel, flooding my senses. My temples throb, but I can’t hear or feel a thing.

At some point, we both stagger into a shelf, pushing it to the floor and shattering the entire contents. But we don’t stop or take a break. We can’t. There is too much history between us, too much pain and secrets destroying us from the inside.

“This woman is no longer yours to take care of. She is mine, and I won’t allow you to stake the claim and keep me away from her,” I growl at him. They all tried to keep us apart, afraid I might tell her the truth. Afraid of what she will do.

“Lucas, Mark, stop!” Her melodious voice filters through the room, but Lucas smirks at me, and we both dive back.

“Darren, stop them! They’re going to kill each other!” Helen’s shrieks pierce the room, but we’re beyond caring.

Until someone plunges between us like a sledgehammer, forcing us apart.

“Hey, hey, stop it, right now! Mark, stay down! Lucas, dammit, don’t move!”

But I see Lucas is about to get through the barricade, regardless of Darren’s attempt to stop us. He’s about to push his father out of the way, but Leif joins the force.

He gets in my face, still high from adrenaline, and my punch flies into his face.

“Fuck, I don’t mind a bloody lip, but you need to calm the fuck down!” And then he barrels into me until I hit the wall, losing my breath. “We have kids upstairs, and you make enough noise to wake the neighbors.”

I want to fight him as we did so many times in the past when we were kids. Both looking for trouble and a way to take the edge off.

“Mark.” Cassandra’s voice penetrates the bloody haze. I find her standing a few feet away with her son, Leon. With eyes huge like saucers, he clutches her hand in his.

“Cassandra.” I shut my eyes and suck in a breath, seeing her disappointment clawing at my chest. I realize she called her sister’s husband, who lives a few houses away from their residence, to separate us. Fuck, I only helped this family to prove Lucas’ point.

“Mark, you should go, it's late. I’m going to call you tomorrow, all right?”

My hands clench at my sides and my shoulders slump forward, defeated. Lucas reduced me into a violent teenage boy, and I let him. Her son shouldn’t have seen us fighting. Regret bores into me as I lock my apologetic gaze with hers, hoping she would understand.

“Lucas, you should also go.” Surprised, I snap my gaze to Lucas to see how he’s going to counter her request. But he nods, not even arguing. He knows what he did.

Lucas looks rough with a busted lip and his eye slightly swollen, but otherwise, he’s like a mountain ready for another round. And I wonder if he did this to force me out of her life.

“Mark, I trust you to act like an adult and take Lucas to the hotel.”

I nod, straightening my spine.

“And if I have to go bust you out of jail, I promise, you won’t step in this house ever again. Do you get me?” Her quiet command sends heat down my spine and straight to my cock. She looks sexy as fuck when in charge.

Glancing at Lucas, I nod in silent agreement. Afraid if I speak, I might say something I won’t be able to fix with a few apology words. My blood still boils thinking about his possessiveness and my hands itch to make my point.

“You know where the door is. I want you both gone.” And just like that, she turns and goes upstairs. Leon studies me with his sharp pale blue gaze until they both disappear from view.

Fuck! How did I mess this up? I glance at Lucas, and the idiot tries to hide his satisfied grin into his bloody fist.

“Let’s go, before I decide we aren’t done here.” He snorts but stops because of his father, glowering at him with those formidable eyes of his.

“You two better not get into a fight again, you hear me, boys? Or I’ll lock you up to teach you a lesson.” The warning sends tremors through me, and memories like demons rise to the surface, triggered by his threat.

Me in a cold cell, abused, raped, and left to die. Except I would wake up the next morning just to live that nightmare again. I rein in my dark memories and stay silent, knowing I have done enough damage here. Darren won’t understand. He never did.

“Let’s go.” Lucas moves toward the door, and I follow him, but before I leave, Leif grasps my arm, halting my exit.

“What are you doing, Mark? Let her go. Cassandra has been through enough. She is Logan’

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