Page 94 of Tormented

TWENTY-EIGHT

Sawyer

She’s a fucking angel in one confusing little surprise package. Gave that speech one other time to a girl, and she tried to knock me out with my own boot before bolting out the door to her so-called freedom.

Pretty blonde thing only made it fifty yards before I knocked her ass out and dragged her back to my room.

But Abbey? She stared at me wide-eyed and then did the worst thing of all. She fucking nodded, rolled over, and got into bed.

She’s going to be so much fun . . . .

She ain’t yours to play with, asshole.

But listening to me isn’t that bad, is it . . .?

I narrow my eyes, giving the bastard pause to continue.

Remember what happened when you went home? When Daddy gave you a sweet little surprise. When you silenced me . . .?

Yeah, I remember; Dana died. First time I truly thought I was in love. Only time a woman’s had the ability to shut the asshole in my head up. And what came of it? I made my own decisions for a change, and they led her straight to her death.

Fuck. I need you, don’t I?

Sure do . . . .

So, what do we do now?

We test how suitable she really is . . . .

By doing what?

What did your message from Tuck say . . .?

I glance over at Abbey as she sleeps from my position on the side of the bed. She’s all curled up on herself, knees tucked into her chest, and the sheet is mostly covering her face. She’s not ready for what the hidden side of my world has to offer, not yet.

Are you sure? If you want to know if she’s the right girl for you, you need to try her . . . .

My phone screen lights the room in a pale glow as I thumb through to the message Tuck sent. It’s an address, nothing more, nothing less. But it’s what it represents. It’s me at my worst. It’s who I really am. And it’s everything that could scare her away for good.

I’m in two minds as to whether I do the job. King doesn’t seem to be in a major rush for us to get back to Lincoln, but at the same time I’m not sure he’d be down for me making a half day layover in the name of sorting out trouble for the Devil’s Breed.

What to do . . . .

Oh, I know what you’d do, asshole. The sing of metal gliding across metal fills my head as the devil sharpens his knives.

If I’m going out, I need to do it soon. The target is supposed to be gone from the address by dawn, from what Tuck told me on the phone while Abbey showered.

While Abbey played with herself . . . .

Yeah, I’d kind of like to see that a few more times before I scare her away.

What better time than now, though . . .?

God, I hate the asshole. As much as I don’t want to admit it, he’s swaying me to his way of thinking. Why build on something here if she’s just going to bolt the first time she discovers what she’s really got herself in for? She wants inside my head, well then what better way to show her than in living Technicolor?

I drop the phone, reach over, and tap her shoulder. She goes rigid, and then sits up in a frantic mess of dark hair and sheets.

“Fuck! What is it? You startled the shit out of me.”