Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 35974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Pain gave an exasperated grunt before picking up the ice pack I’d dropped and handing it to me again. “Put this back on your face, honey. You might be a badass, but you’re not indestructible.” He gave Knuckles a hard look. “Pull a stunt like that again, she won’t have to kill you.” He shut the door softly behind him as he left.
I thought Knuckles would put me down. Set me on the couch or something. Instead, very slowly, never taking his gaze from mine, he moved to a wide, overstuffed chair and sat with me now sitting on his lap. He maneuvered me so I was straddling his hips and rested his hands on my upper thighs as he gave me a level look that brooked no nonsense. “Now. Tell me what the fuck is goin’ on, Hannah.”
Chapter Five
Knuckles
When I saw that fucker hit Hannah at the club, leaving her on the floor barely conscious, all I could see was a tiny woman with a monster looming over her, trying to beat her into submission. Dead fucking wrong. Hannah was far from a helpless victim. No. So much fucking worse. I could have rescued a victim. I could wrap her up in Bubble Wrap and lock her away from the cruel world. I felt a migraine coming on, starting in my fuckin’ dick. She was the predator. I knew it in my fucking soul. And I’d be a son of a bitch if the thought of her exacting vengeance on a world of monsters didn’t make me hard as a motherfucker.
Hannah frowned at me, her eyes narrowing before going wide as realization hit her. She tried to get up, but I held her still. “Oh no, motherfucker! Put that thing away before you poke an eye out!”
I slid her a lascivious grin. “I mean, if you want to get close enough for me to poke your eye, I’ll happily accommodate you.”
“You’re a cad, Knuckles.” She still wiggled and squirmed, trying to get down, until my cock throbbed when she brushed over it with her pussy. She might have had on underwear and those stupid yoga pants all women seem so fond of now, but I was certain I could feel the heat coming off her. And, fuck, I desperately wanted to bury my cock so deep inside her she’d never be able to get me out.
I raised my eyebrows, a chuckle escaping my throat. “A cad, huh?”
“And a complete asshole. Bastard!”
“Admittedly, I’m probably a bastard.”
“You’re an asshole too.” I had to fight not to laugh at her stubborn mien. She reminded me of an angry toddler. With a definite bite.
“Probably. But you’re gonna tell me everything. Every. Fuckin’. Thing.”
She gave me a disgruntled sigh. “Can we not do this now, Knuckles? I’m fucking beat. Literally.”
I couldn’t help but wince. Even now, the bruise on her face was a darkening red. By tomorrow it’d be even darker. “Yeah, baby. You are.” I looked at her for a long time. She stared at me calmly, her gaze never wavering from mine. I could see the resolve in her face. I absolutely would not get anything of substance from her tonight. “Fine. Here’s the deal. You can put this off now. Get you a good night’s sleep. Take time to get straight whatever lie you’re going to tell me. If you do, I’m staying in your room with you. You are not leaving this place without me going with you.”
“You’re out of your mind!”
I shrugged. “You don’t like that option? Then you spill it all. Now.”
I let her look her fill, knowing she needed to push her boundaries. To know that I wasn’t going to give in on this. I saw the exact moment she decided she’d rather give me something now and run when my back was turned. It was hard to keep the smile off my face, because I knew the second she opened her mouth everything she was spilling was complete and utter bullshit.
“The reason I didn’t fight Dillon at the club was because I freeze up when I see him coming at me.” She shrugged. “I took a couple self-defense classes and I was pretty good.” She sounded reasonable. Even shivered as if remembering everything she’d gone through. “But when I see him, hear him, I can’t seem to make myself do much to defend myself. Certainly not attack him.”
“You did your research, I’ll give you that.”
Instantly, her expression changed from matter-of-factness to a deep scowl. Yeah, she didn’t expect me to buy it either. “You don’t know anything about what I do, Knuckles.”
“Which is the whole Goddamned point. Explain it to me.”
“It’s none of your fucking business.” Finally, she threw a serious elbow at me, catching me across the cheek hard enough to make my ears sing. I let her out of my grasp and she moved away from me a couple feet. Like that would save her if I decided to bring her back to sit on my lap. “Look, I didn’t ask for your help back there. I didn’t need it. Everything happened the way it was supposed to. Right up to the point where you stuck your big fat nose in where it didn’t belong.”