Page 24 of Forged in Rain

“Yes,” he says in a tight voice. “You’re coming between me and mine, and I don’t like it.”

“Fine! I’ll find someone else to fucking hold me!” I shout, stepping back when his brows slam over his eyes.

After a moment in which he stares at me with a cold as fuck expression, he drops his hand from the door. “Fine. Go.”

Holding back the frustrated scream strangling my throat, I exit and stalk away, shivering in the cool air.

I need some damn self-control. Fuck.

I don’t make it far before the SUV pulls up beside me, and rolling my eyes to the heavens, I glance up at Cyn when he rolls down the window and says, “Get in.”

Of course, I contemplate saying no, but with this dick, I have to pick my battles, and I’m tired.

Warily, I get in and stare out the window as he drives me home quietly, the guys suspiciously absent. When we pull into the drive, he gazes at the house broodingly before saying, “Don’t go anywhere.”

“What?”

“Until Jagger fucking backs off, I’m responsible for your ass. If you’re not with me, you’re home. No more disappearing acts.”

With my hand clenched on the door, I whisper, “When will this all be over?”

“I don’t fucking know, but it can’t be soon enough,” he growls.

“Ditto,” I mutter, stalking to my front door and turning to glare at him, but when he stares at me expectantly, I huff and let myself inside, leaning against the wood tiredly.

I’ve got half an hour before I need to meet Iris, and I’m cutting it close.

“Rainy?”

Jumping out of my skin, I clutch my chest and gasp as Pam appears on the stairwell with a concerned expression, grasping her bathrobe between her fingers.

“It’s late, honey. Go to bed. You girls need to start following the rules,” she says sternly.

“Okay, sorry,” I whisper, following her up the stairs.

“Rain?” she says, pausing at the threshold of her room.

“Yeah?”

She’s quiet for a moment, and I absently note the sweat sliding down my back as I stare at her.

“I’m sorry about earlier. You shouldn’t have seen that,” she says with a heavy sigh.

“What happened?”

“Oh honey, I guess there are things about John I didn’t know. And I . . .”

Her lips tremble, and she wipes them absently before continuing, “I said things I shouldn’t have.”

Before I can ask more, she smiles tiredly. “Goodnight, hon.”

“Goodnight,” I murmur, watching her go with a burn in my chest before closing the door behind me and leaning my forehead against it.

This is all so motherfucking fucked up.

Straining to hear through the door, I huff under my breath at the ridiculousness. Frankly, curfews seem pretty meaningless with the shit we’ve been getting up to, but I can hardly explain that to Pam.

Once she’s back in her room and all is quiet, I tiptoe down the stairs and leave, glancing back once before making my way to the bridge.

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