Eleven
“Erin! Erin!”
She laughed as the kids swarmed around her, hugging her waist and legs.
“We’ve missed you!”
She sat down cross-legged on the floor, letting them pile on her. “Oh, I missed you, too.”
Their smiles and cuddles were sunlight to her heart. She listened attentively to their chatter and played dumb games with them, forgetting her troubles for a while.
“It’s time for your afternoon lessons, children.” Journey came in.
They all groaned dramatically but obeyed and headed off to the school room. Erin wanted to run into Journey’s arms, but she held still, in a state of apprehension as the Storyteller stared at her chest, a look of mild surprise on her face. Then she looked up into Erin’s eyes and smiled.
“Congratulations on finding your life mate.”
Erin grimaced. “You can see that, can you?”
“Of course. It’s helping you through this hard time, you know. Your spirit is stronger.”
“Can you see who it is?”
Journey smirked. “No. But he’s trying to help you right now, sending you feelings to try and ease your pain…You’re lucky. You have a very thoughtful mate.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “He is many things, but thoughtful is not one of them.”
“Hmm…” She gave her a funny look and gestured for Erin to follow.
They headed down the hall and through the door to Redge and Journey’s apartments. “Sit down, Erin. I’ll make you some tea.”
She sat at the comfortably worn table. Redge came in and sat down next to her, grabbing a cookie from the plate in the center of the table.
“How are you?” he asked. “Didn’t expect to see you for a few more days.”
“I know. I just needed to be here for a little while. Life is upside-down.”
“Is it your dad?”
“No. I mean yeah, he’s not good, but—”
Journey came back and poured tea for all of them and sat down. “She’s found her life mate, Redge, but she’s not too happy about it.”
“Why is that?” he asked.
“It doesn’t suit. I’m going to reject him.”
“Ah, well. I rejected my own mate, you know. Never regretted it for a second.” He covered Journey’s hand with his own. “Who is it?”
She pursed her lips. “I better go. I need to get home and check on my dad. I’ll be back to work in the morning.”
“No you won’t,” Journey said sternly. “Not yet. If you want to drop in, you’re always welcome, but you aren’t working for a while yet.”
She scampered out the door.
Journey snickered when she was gone, and Redge crossed his arms.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“You’ll never guess…” She paused for dramatic effect. “It’s Maddox.”
He laughed. “You’re right. I never would have guessed that. Knowing Erin, I see why she doesn’t want to keep the connection.”
“I hope she does, though.” Her eyes slid out of focus. “Everyone’s heart has a different resonance. Like music. Until I saw their connection in her heart, I never would have thought mixing his resonance with hers would have worked, but now that I’ve heard it…it not only works, it’s beautiful.”
Redge nodded thoughtfully. “Not many could be strong enough to save him. She is.”
“Yes. And he’s worth saving. I hope she realizes that before it’s too late.”
“I can’t even imagine doing what she’s contemplating. I never connected to my life mate. I didn’t meet her first.”
“Yes. She wants to cut out her own heart because she’s mad.”
“Always was a long temper on that one, despite how warm she is.”
Maddox and Melina went back to his place when the afternoon grew long. The portal hummed inside the smooth little black box on the counter next to Erin’s new watch. Melina put it on her wrist for the third time, holding her arm out, admiring the look of the scrolling band against her skin.
“It’s so pretty. I love how it snakes around my arm.”
“So why didn’t you ask Tesla for one for yourself?”
“I dunno.” She took it off again. “I’d feel like a freeloader.”
“You should feel like an ass.” He smirked. “You know Tesla wouldn’t even blink if you asked.”
“I hate asking for things.”
“That’s because you’re spoiled rotten and you like things handed to you so you don’t have to ask.”
She chuckled. “I’m spoiled? That’s the kettle-pot calling.”
He laughed. “You have that saying screwed up, Mel. But you’re right—takes one to know one.”
He flopped onto the couch and scrolled through his new watch, wondering vaguely if his other new one was still floating around Fortress. He sighed, deleting his list of skanks. Tesla had transferred all of his contacts again, even though he hadn’t asked her to. He didn’t want them anymore. His list went from overflowing, down to just family and a few friends.
Melina’s company really helped distract him, but the hours since he’d seen Erin began to feel like months. His body ached all over, and depression invaded and took over.
“You okay, M? You don’t look so good.”
He rubbed his temples as they began to throb. “I feel sick. How long has it been?”
“How long since when?”
“Since I saw Erin?”
“All day…I think you’re getting separation sickness.”
“Figures,” he complained.
“What are you going to do?”
“I can either go to her and beg, or I can get wasted.”
Melina crossed her arms. “What’s option three?”
“There is no option three.” He closed his eyes.
“I bet we can get her to come to you.”
“How?”
His eyes shot open as Melina straddled him. He grabbed her hips. “No.”
She raised her eyebrows. “I bet it would work.”
“I want her to stop hating me.” He gave her a little shove, and she moved off him with a shrug. “If you keep doing this kind of thing, it’s going to get weird between us.”
She laughed. “Relax. I’m not into you. I love you to death, just not like that. I’m just trying to help. You should trust me.”
“I do, but you’re kinda crazy.”
“Don’t forget it either. And crazy isn’t all bad. Okay, I am not going to let you crawl to her. So, wasted it is.”
“Really? You don’t object?”
“Oh, I object big time, but I’m not going to let you fly alone. I’ll make sure you’re safe when you can’t see clearly or form full sentences. And this might work well on Erin, too.”
“How?”
“No idea. We’ll just have to see.”
“Why are you doing this? I haven’t been that great of a friend to you, especially in the last year and a half.”
She shrugged. “I’m loyal. This whole saga is entertaining as hell, and I don’t have anything better to do.”
He lifted his watch up.
“You’re not messaging that slime ball, Kendrick, are you?”
“I was going to. What? He always has the best shit.”
“I will not tolerate his society. It’s him or me. You choose. He won’t look out for you the way I will. We can go out. Hit the clubs if you want, but just not with him.”
He sighed. There was no way he was going to throw Melina over for Kendrick after everything she had done for him in the last two days.
“All right. You and me.”
“Good choice, boy-o. I’m going to get changed into something killer. I suggest you do the same. This is a date. We need to be seen holding hands and looking cozy for the cameras.”
“You’re evil, Mel.” He said it with deep affection, and she took it as the compliment it was meant to be. “I don’t want to stay out too long. Erin said she’d come back tonight.”
The skin was already growing cold as the blade sliced through the girl’s arm. Trina, or Tracy, he didn’t remember or care much. The only thing that mattered was she’d been with Maddox in the last month. Kendrick meticulously carved Maddox’s name on her the same way he had on Selena.
He laid her out and surveyed the scene. Nothing about it was near as good as Selena because she’d still had physical evidence on her, but Maddox had stopped whoreing for the last few days. He figured he’d snap out of it soon, but Kendrick couldn’t be idle until that happened.
He looked up at the darkening sky. All traces of the girl’s overdose would be gone in two hours. That’s when he could play anonymous tipper and call it in. His watch pinged. Kendrick’s eyes widened with rage as he saw new pictures of Maddox, out and about without him, and Melina cozy on his arm, to boot. What the hell was going on? His insides writhed. Maddox never went out without him, and Melina was supposed to be his, and for once, he wouldn’t accept a hand-me-down. She was perfect because Maddox didn’t touch her. What had changed?
He enlarged the pictures, looking beyond them to figure out where they were…central Paradigm. Why would they be there? Maddox hated the regular night scene there. He narrowed his eyes. The only reason to go there was to be seen. What was he up to? Kendrick needed to finish up with the body and get over there. This was going to mess up his timeline and the false account of Maddox’s actions and whereabouts he was going to feed the media.
At least Maddox was partying again, and that still made him look like a prick so soon after Selena’s death.
Kendrick pulled the corked bottle from his pocket and opened it slowly. His mother had given him this bottle of illegal off-world stuff and instructed him how to use it. Holding his breath, he poured the dust on the body. The dust lit up, sliding over her skin and around her. A flash lit the space and died out. He walked away, confident the dust had erased any evidence he left behind.
Erin made dinner. Her dad was up in his chair, looking pale, but in better spirits than she’d seen him in very long time. Her hands shook as she set the table. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let it out slowly. It doesn’t hurt that bad. She told herself for the hundredth time.
What was it going to feel like when she rejected Maddox?
One hundred percent worth it, no matter how it hurt. Anything was better than being tied to him for the rest of her life.
The glass in her hand slipped. The shattering made her jump. A tremble quaked around her heart. Stress. Like any muscle overtired and overworked, her heart was warning her it had reached a danger point. She only had two choices. She could find Maddox now, or…
Erin ran to her room and grabbed the rock off her dresser and held it against her chest.
“You okay, honey?” her dad called.
“Fine. Just a minute. I need to change into something nicer.”
Her pulse eased and relaxed. Relieved, she put the rock back and changed into a somewhat dressy blouse. She would be okay enough to get through the evening, but she realized she would have to keep her appointment to see Maddox before the night was over.
She looked at herself in the mirror and wanted to cry. What was she doing? Her connection to Maddox was new. How long could she manage like this? How much humiliation for him would satisfy her?
Unbidden, a wave of desire moved through her. Her eyes rolled back, and her mouth grew hot. She licked her lips, remembering connecting to him. Her mind blurred with it, and her body jolted. The physical memory was suddenly overwhelming. And her body began to rage with desire for him. Her cheeks heated in embarrassment. Could he feel this from her?
Her watch pinged. Damn it. Guess the answer was yes. She grimaced as she opened the message from Maddox.
Are you thinking about me, darling?
She whimpered, feeling she would die of embarrassment. Pull it together! You can bluff your way through this.
Nope. She wrote. This heat is all Jaris.
Her watch refused to play along. The message wouldn’t send. Another message came through.
I feel you… and now I’m thinking of the rain.
She closed her eyes, shivers rising and falling through her body. Damn him.
A knock sounded on the front door. She took her watch off and put it in her sock drawer. There. Now he couldn’t bother her—for a while at least. She only wished she had the time to splash cold water on her face. Erin shook herself and went to open the door.
Dinner was everything she hoped and needed it to be. Jaris was so kind and polite to her dad, and he seemed more energetic than he had been in so long. When it was time for dessert, Jaris’ watch pinged. He looked at it for a moment, then he put his hand under the table in his lap. His watch pinged again and then again.
“I’m sorry,” he said getting up. “Excuse me…Erin, would you join me outside on the porch for a moment?”
“What is it?” she asked, going out and closing the door behind her.
“I’m sorry, I just…After you visited me earlier today, I set my notifications to track you and Maddox.”
“Oh. Okay. What’s going on?”
He showed her his watch. She blinked a few times as she looked at the pictures of Maddox and the blonde that had been at his house that morning. They looked together. It cut a wound in her soul, made her feel sick, and sent a wave of relief through her all at the same time.
“What does it mean?” Jaris asked.
“I told him I’m not giving you up.” She shrugged. “I guess he’s got someone else he doesn’t intend to give up either.”
Jaris frowned, looking back at the news. “I don’t know about this, Erin, it’s screwed up. I feel weird about it. Your dad is dying, and all he wants is for you to have a life mate. And you have one. But here I am, pretending to be more to you than I am.”
“It’s not going to last!” she insisted. “Please.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her tight against him and kissed her mouth. The pain was terrible, but she ignored it and tried to throw herself into the kiss. Would the pain ease the more she kissed Jaris? His hands moved over her back, lighting her up everywhere he touched like flash paper.
Someone cleared their throat. She jumped and looked around, her stomach swooping. Maddox was there, arms crossed, casually leaning against the porch newel post.
“Forgive my intrusion, but I’m going to have to object to this.”
“Why are you here?” she demanded.
Maddox glanced at her and then set his sights on Jaris. “She’s mine, in case you were unaware…and I’ve grown tired of being burned today. Perhaps you’d be willing to not touch my mate again until tomorrow. I’d appreciate it.”
Jaris straightened up and took a step toward Maddox. Maddox just quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Are you really that smug, or is it a cover?” Jaris demanded.
“Smug?” Fire lit Maddox’s eyes. “You’ve got your hands on my life mate. I ask you nicely to stop. That makes me smug?”
“She was mine first,” Jaris yelled.
“Yeah, cause that really matters,” he mocked. “My claim is still stronger than yours.”
“You don’t deserve her,” Jaris insisted harshly.
“I’m aware of that.”
“Let her go then!”
“Hmm…no.”
Jaris moved first.
“Don’t do this!” she pleaded, but they were already in a shoving match.
“Stop!” She pushed in between them. “Just stop.”
They both dropped their raised fists. She looked desperately at Maddox.
He frowned. “We have an appointment, Erin.”
“I’ll be there in one hour, okay?”
“Fine.” His voice was clipped. “If you don’t show, I’ll come back. Fair warning.”
“All right!” she yelled.
He walked down the stairs, and a portal opened and swallowed him. She turned to Jaris. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
“Do you want me to back off?”
“No. Please don’t.”
“He said appointment. What does that mean?”
“The connection is making both of us sick, physically. Being near one another lessens the pain. We agreed to meet so it wouldn’t be so severe that neither one of us would lose sleep. That’s all.”
“What are you going to do with him?”
“Nothing,” she insisted. “We might hold hands for a few minutes, that’s all. Trust me, that’s all I can stand.”
“Okay. I’ll go back in and say goodnight to your dad, and then I’ll be on my way.”
“Thank you so much for this. It’s all kinds of wrong. I’m sorry Maddox showed up here. All this just really sucks.”
“Yeah…It’s okay, Erin. You’re worth fighting for.”
They went back in. He said good night to her dad and left. She cleaned up the table and helped her dad back into bed.
“So, what did you think?” she asked as she covered him up.
“What was going on when you were outside? I looked out the window. Looks like you’ve got another young man vying for your affection. I thought that was going to get serious there for a second, until you broke it up. I was a little disappointed. I haven’t seen a good fight in a while.”
“Dad!”
He laughed weakly. “What? If it had come to it, my money would have been on the rangy one. He’s been trained in the Kata—you can see it in the way he moves. What’s his name?”
She shrugged. “Can’t remember.”
“Ha! You’re a bad liar, girl. I don’t pay attention to current events, but he looks like someone I’ve seen. Someone famous, I think. I’ll make you another deal. You bring that other guy around to meet me, and I’ll decide to get a bit better.”
“Really not fair, Dad.”
“Eh. Fair or not, what do say?”
“I’ll think about it. Now you rest. I have somewhere I have to be.”
He barked out a laugh louder than she would have thought possible for him. “You’re juggling them, aren’t you?”
“Ugh. Just rest.”
“Okay. I won’t wait up for you.”
She scowled, turned off his bedside lamp, and left the room. She took stock of her appearance in the mirror for a second. I don’t care what he thinks of the way I look. But she still found herself freshening up and slicking her lips with gloss before heading out into the night. She didn’t want to be seen by anyone, so she pulled from her elf blood and went invisible before using her vampire ability to run really fast.
She got there in a few minutes and dropped the invisibility just outside the protective dome. It shimmered and let her through again. She crossed into the dark garden, it was lit only by the lights in the windows of the house. She stopped and stared at the house. She hadn’t actually looked at it before. Erin blinked, an unconscious smile lifting her lips. The family was super rich, everyone knew that. But this was awesome in a real life way. Cozy and charming. This was where Maddox had grown up?
She didn’t go to the door. Instead, she sat down on a bench next to a fountain. She hadn’t looked at the garden before either, even though the location was forever burned into her psyche. The desire came back with the memory. She breathed deep and leaned back on the bench. She didn’t fight against remembering. She just relaxed as Maddox took her again, right there in the rain, in her mind. There was no rain now. She looked up into the clear night sky as the dreamlike memory shifted through her. Her body remembered as clearly as her mind.
It’s my memory. Nothing can change that.
Tears threatened again as she thought of Selena. It wasn’t fair. If Maddox was to be hers, why did she have to share him with Selena or anyone else?
Erin shook herself, furious at her errant train of thought. The pain must be twisting her mind. Pain. She focused on the pain in her body. That’s why she was here. Just get your medicine and leave. The connection was trying to manipulate her. She wouldn’t let it.
The front door opened, throwing a band of light across her. Maddox walked out slowly.
“Are you coming in, or would you prefer to do this outside?”
“Is she here?” Erin demanded.
“Who?”
“The blonde.”
“No. And her name’s Melina.”
“I don’t care what her name is!” Erin snapped.
He held his hands up. “It sounds like you care.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’m ready for that. Seems you are, too. All that heat you’ve been sending me just now and earlier… Inside or out?”
She didn’t budge and seriously considered bolting. This was a bad idea.
“I want to talk to you.” His voice changed, no longer combative. “I’ll make you something to drink.”
She stood then and sighed. She wasn’t afraid of him, and she needed to take control. She marched up to the front of the house and pushed past him. He closed the door. She instantly felt trapped. The connection reared up and was already trying to bring them together. She sat on the couch and looked down.
“I don’t want anything to drink. Thanks anyway.”
“Are you going to run away if I sit next to you?”
“No,” she grumbled. “You wanted to talk to me? Talk.”
He sat down close, but he didn’t touch her. The proximity made her skin hum. Everywhere Jaris had touched her hurt again, only worse than before. She whimpered and leaned forward.
“Will you touch my back? It hurts so much.”
His hand pressed flat against her shoulder blade. She cried out and then bit down on her lip. “Lower.” She breathed.
He ran his hand up and down all over her back repeatedly. The pain turned to a dull ache, then faded and was replaced by warmth and light under the surface. It felt so good, she lost herself in it.
“I’m sorry,” she said before she could think what in the hell she was saying.
“What?”
“Um…for burning you. I hurt both of us.”
He took his hand off her and stood up. She looked at him, confused as he moved to a chair and sat across from her.
“I tried to burn you, too. Didn’t you feel it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Earlier in the day. I assume you were with Jaris. He touched you? He kissed you?”
She nodded.
“I felt it all. I knew what was happening.”
Erin put her hand to her lips. “Yes. I had a moment where it hurt worse, burned hotter on my mouth…So, I let Jaris touch me, and it hurts but it hurts you worse…You kissed someone else, it hurt you, but it burned my mouth worse.”
“I was trying to test it. Sorry.”
She shook her head. “No. That’s okay. So, you and Melina are together?”
He sighed and looked away.
“It’s okay. I saw the pictures from tonight, or were those fake like the headlines this morning?”
“Melina’s trying to help me. She thought if we were seen by lots of people, then whoever has targeted me will have a harder time of it because I had my own witnesses of where I was…but that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, or sort of. It’s connected.”
He wrung his hands together and grimaced.
“You okay?” she asked.
He dropped his hands. “Yeah. I just want to touch you again.” He shook his head. “Anyway. I wanted to talk to you about Selena.”
Her mouth pressed into a thin line, and her eyes burned. “Tread. Very. Lightly.”
He stood and began to pace. “Okay, maybe a different angle…I don’t fully understand why you hate me. Is it just what happened with Selena?”
“No. That’s not all, but it would be more than enough.”
He stopped pacing and sat back down, gazing at her intently. “Tell me. I’ll listen. You are judge, jury, and executioner, Erin. Why do you hate me? Tell me all of it.”
Her heart sped at the thought of laying into him without restraint, but she took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts. Cold, she schooled herself. Be cold as ice. “Why should I tell you anything?”
She gasped as a pang of heartbreak smarted in her chest. It wasn’t hers. It was his. She gaped at him, recognizing for the first time she felt his emotions. Her lungs contracted around the feeling and arrested her breathing. She looked into his eyes. They were filling with tears. He turned his face away from her. She shouldn’t do this.
“Okay, Maddox. You asked for it…Look at me.”
He did, and the world seemed to live between his eyes and hers.
“I have always admired your family, as most Regian’s do. All of them seem to… bless everything they touch, and as loved and revered as they are, all of them are humble, except you. You’re nothing but a pretty face with an amazing heritage. That wouldn’t be so bad on its own, but you are hurtful. You hurt the people around you for the hell of it, or perhaps it’s more than that and you get off on hurting others. I don’t know…It’s like this fury behind your eyes. You’re angry or something, and you have no right to be angry.” She paused.
He frowned at her but didn’t speak.
She continued. “I hate the way you treat women. The way you use and then throw them away like trash, with no respect at all. And then my dear friend has the misfortune to catch your eye. I warned her to stay away from you. I knew you’d hurt her. You did, and now she’s dead. I know you didn’t kill her, but it’s your fault. That’s why I hate you.”
He leaned back, his expression turning contemplative. “Is there more?”
“Are you a masochist as well as a sadist? Isn’t that enough?”
“It’s enough, I just want it all.”
She threw her hands up. Then she chuckled, the tension breaking inside her. “I hate your face. And your hands. And your body. I hate that you make me want you. I hate the way my body sang with you. I hate that I can’t deny the appeal you have, just the way you look. And I hate that so many women have been with you. It makes me feel tainted.” All the color drained from her face, and she put her hands on her mouth. “I can’t believe I just said all that. Forget it please.”
“I don’t think I could if I tried.”
She sat back down on the couch and stared at him.
“You want to hurt me, don’t you? You want revenge?”
“Yes.” She breathed.
“I see.”
“I’m going to reject you, Maddox. I can’t see any other way.”
“My gosh…” He put his head in his hands. “You’re serious.”
“Completely.”
He opened his mouth, closed it, and shook his head. “Why haven’t you done it then?” His tone turned harder.
“I’m not finished hurting you. I haven’t even started.”
“So we’re enemies then?”
“Unequivocally.”
He smiled, catching her off guard, and causing her disquiet.
“Why are you smiling?”
His smile grew. “Was I?”
She got her feet. “See? This is why I hate you. You’re terrible.”
“Are you leaving then? Is your pain manageable?”
She hesitated. He stood and reached for her before she could think, taking her forearms in his hands. The pain was shoved back. She caught her lip between her teeth and fought to not moan. The only defense she had was to close her eyes and not look at him.
“You can hurt me, but I won’t hurt you. I’ve done enough of that already. I’m sorry about Selena. I did treat her badly. I wish I could take it back… But you don’t know me. You don’t know my family…I believe in us, Erin. I have hope.”
Her eyes snapped open. “I didn’t think you a fool, but you are. Why would you say that?”
“I trust destiny doesn’t make mistakes. So you go ahead and strike at me. I deserve it. I won’t dodge my guilt, and I won’t retaliate.”
“What about Melina?”
“It’s not quite as it appears…like a few other things you’re so sure of. There.” He released her and stepped back. “Same time tomorrow?”
“Fine.” She glared.
“I have something for you.”
“I’m not interested in gifts from the likes of you.”
“Sure. You’ve made yourself clear how you feel. And it’s not so much a gift as…a necessity I think. Hold on.”
She sighed and held still as he walked into the other room. He was back in a second, holding a small box and a watch.
“This is for you,” he wrapped the watch around her wrist. She was so taken with it she didn’t even think to object. The band felt like a second skin and snaked around her wrist like a flowering vine. The surface of the face trembled and the words Hello, Erin swirled in the middle. She touched it, scrolled through it.
“I’ve never seen tech like this.”
“It hasn’t hit the market yet. I had Tesla make it for you today. It’s connected to mine, in case you actually need me some time. And you can’t delete or block me, so forget those thoughts. I can see you were already plotting.”
“Okay. I’ll keep it. Now I can at least respond with venom when you drunk dial me, like earlier.”
“I wasn’t drunk. Not from lack of trying. Getting burned repeatedly has a sobering effect.”
He handed her the box. “Don’t open it until you’re home. It’s a portal. It will connect your room to mine. Wait!” he grabbed her hand as she was about to throw the box. “You can close it on your end. I won’t be able to come through it unless you open it on your side. Even then, I won’t unless you ask me. My side will always be open to you.”
“This is pointless.”
“Oh? I thought it would make things more convenient for you. I can go where I want when I want. This way you don’t have to come on foot for our next appointment, since you’ve made it clear you don’t want me at your house…Just take it with you. You can think about it.”
“I’ll take it, but it will be a cold day in hell when I open it.”
He shrugged. “It’s yours. You decide what to do with it.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I meant everything I said. I’m going to hurt you. It’s not a game.”
“Oh no? Sounds like a game. And just because I said I won’t hurt you, doesn’t mean I won’t be making moves to achieve what I want. And here’s my first move.”
“What, the watch?”
“No,” he wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her closer. “If I was the person you’ve accused me of being, I would take you right now.”
Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t…I’d fight.”
“You think so?” He moved in, his voice dropping. “I have the connection on my side. You’re already lit up for me. You can’t hide it, Erin. I feel it. Your body will tell me the truth, even when your mouth lies. If I was that person, I’d kiss you. I’d put my hands on you. You might fight, but I’d take you under in seconds, and you’d surrender. You’d fight me to give you more, like you did the first time.”
She trembled, trying to hold herself strong. He was right. “You’ve made it all about you. Your choice. Your power. You can’t ever have me like that.”
“No. I won’t ever have you like that. It’s not that I can’t.” He let go and stepped back from her.
She headed to the door and stopped. “Bad move, Maddox.”
“Go home.” His voice was cold and he turned his back on her.
She closed the door behind her, but she didn’t leave immediately. Fury slid molten under her skin. Was she in over her head with him? She faced the house again.
“I hate you!” she shouted at the door.
“Yeah, yeah,” he called back from the other side. “You’re mine.”
Oh! She wanted to kick things. She marched home, burning in more than one way. She would make him pay for that tomorrow.
Maddox tried to analyze his time with Erin. As much as she’d driven spikes into his soul, she had let him know the truth. He had her reasons for hating him. That gave him a direction. But he didn’t have much time. She was going to end it after she’d abused him. Panic licked around his heart at the thought of her rejecting him. He couldn’t stop her, but he wasn’t going to lay down and play dead. Maybe he’d done the wrong thing just then, but it was too late to take back.
He sighed and flopped onto his bed. If she was as good as her word, he was in for a few rough days.
His watch buzzed. Kendrick was calling. Not messaging but actually calling. He never did that. Maddox answered.
“Yeah?”
“The hell, man? You go out without me, and I have to see it in the media?”
“Sorry. Melina wouldn’t let me contact you. I told you she hates you.”
“I need to use that hate to tap into other things. But it looks like you lied about you and her.”
He shook his head. Kendrick was pissed at him. He didn’t know how much more negativity he could take tonight. “I didn’t lie. It was just about optics. I’m trying to give myself alibies…Anyway, the only thing you’re going to get if you pursue Mel is broken bones.”
“Maybe you’re full of shit and want her as your fall back.”
“Mel would never be anyone’s fall back. Anyway, I’ve got someone.”
Kendrick was quiet for a second. “Someone new?”
Maddox hesitated. He wasn’t going to tell Kendrick Erin was his mate, but maybe he should give him the heads up on her, that she might be around and was off limits.
“Yeah. Mystery Girl.”
“You’re lying!” Kendrick laughed.
“Okay. Believe what you want.”
“You said you didn’t want her.”
“Are you nuts? You’ve seen her.”
“Yeah. That’s why I was confused when you said you were passing.”
“I was just in a bad mood.”
Kendrick laughed again. “You are my king. How in the hell did you swing that? She has a totally not happening vibe about her.”
“Yeah, she does.” Maddox smiled. “She’s a bit of work, I can tell you. The challenge is a nice change. We’re exclusive though. Keep your distance.”
“Sure. Until you’re done.”
“I’m not going to be done with her anytime soon.” Or ever.
“Sounds serious.”
“Um hm.”
“Have you hit that yet? You have to tell me.”
Maddox frowned, suddenly disgusted by his friend, and he realized this was exactly the way they always talked.
“She’s a game changer, Kendrick.”
He groaned. “Oh, man. Don’t do this to me. You can’t mellow out. Your reputation has reached epic levels.”
“Maybe it’s time for you to step out of my shadow. I’ll pass the mantle to you…Look, I’m going to go.”
“Is she there now?”
“Goodnight.” Maddox hung up.
He closed his eyes, but he was restless as hell. Sleep was going to evade him tonight. He let everything go and tried to just focus on Erin and what she was feeling. He sighed. She was still pissed. Their conversation replayed in his mind, and he found himself smiling unintentionally, particularly when he thought about her saying she hated that he made her want him. She’d admitted she was attracted to him. He hadn’t expected that. He thought maybe she didn’t like the way he looked and that was part of her initial violent reaction to their connection.
He realized he hadn’t really told her anything like that yet. How gorgeous she was to him. That would change the next time she let him talk. He’d tell her everything he thought about her beauty. She would probably accuse him of using his charm on her to get his way. He’d have to think his way around that. What could he say to convince her how he really felt?
It couldn’t wait. He would start now. She would fuss; that was fine. He’d wait till he had her alone to really tell her, but he could message her with small things now.
Just one thing, he decided, and he wouldn’t respond to any caustic replies.
He thought about the usual things guys say. Things he’d said countless times to warm a girl up. None of that was going to be a part of this.
The rain… and your perfect skin… under my hands.
That was all. He sent it.
Erin sat on the floor in her room, trying to distract herself from her time with Maddox by looking over the overdue household bills. He unsettled her. She didn’t have a handle on him at all. The way he acted, the things he said, it surprised her. She would never have thought he’d ask for her to tell him off, and then if there was more. It didn’t matter, she reminded herself. She would be ending it soon. She shouldn’t try to think her way clear. She would get her revenge for Selena and move on with her life.
Her new watch pinged. She read his message her eyebrows pulling down. What? She read it again. Nine words. A fragment of a sentence and he had her right back there in the rain. She considered what type of nasty reply she should send and found she didn’t have the heart at that moment. She could think of nothing to say. Yet she had to say something. He was going to use that memory on her over and over because it was his ace….
Inspiration struck. Torture could take different forms. Oh, yeah. Two could play that game. Careful, Erin, this game is dangerous.
A storm…and your hunter’s eyes…all over me.
She sent it, a dark smile on her lips. Take that, player. I can take you back there, too. To something you will never have again.
Her watch pinged.
Touché…Goodnight, Erin.
Running scared? She messaged back.
Hell, yes. Enjoying it though.
She hesitated then typed. Goodnight, Maddox.
A second after she sent it, she wished she hadn’t. What the hell was that? Looked like flirting. Ugh. Her watch pinged again.
I was being sincere.
She pursed her lips and decided to leave it. No more contact tonight.