“Please let me pass, Garrett.”
“You’re so pretty.” His words are almost slurring now. He lifts a finger from his bottle and runs it down my arm, causing me to flinch.
“Get out of my way,” I bark.
“What’s your hurry?”
I glance to my left and see a side exit to the kitchen. I step back and then rush toward the door. The night air barely hits me when I feel two large hands grab me from behind. Garrett whips me around and slams me up against the outside wall of the kitchen.
The breath rushes out of me in a choked gasp. Panic is crawling up my spine, my chest is heaving, and Garrett has me pinned against the cold wall.
“You think this is a game, don’t you?” he growls.
I shake my head. “Garrett, you’re drunk. Let me go and we can talk?—”
“Shut the fuck up!”
He slams a hand against the wall beside my head, caging me in. His eyes flick over me like he’s trying to decide whetherto kiss me or crush me. My heart rate spikes as I scan behind him to see where I can run.
He dips his head down on my neck and trails his mouth against my collarbone. “God, I wish you were mine. I’ve seen you walking around in your skimpy clothes. Faraday isn’t the only man on the ranch, you know.”
I punch him in the ribs, but it only hurts my hand. He glances up at me, smirking.
“Relax, baby. I just wanna talk to you.”
“Pinning me against a wall isn’t how you justtalkto someone.”
His expression shifts from raw emotion to something I can’t explain. “I saw my entire unit get wiped out, okay? You don’t fucking understand!”
“Garrett, I’m sorry for what you’ve been through, but you need help.” I can barely get the words out because my blood is pulsing in my ears. “They can help you here.”
“They don’t do shit for us! You think taking care of some dumb animals is supposed to fix me?”
“You have to want to get better.”
“I do,” he says and his eyes wrench, tears welling up in them. “I want to, but I can’t stop the nightmares.”
His voice breaks at the end, and for a flicker of a moment, my heart aches for him. He looks so lost, so shattered. “Please talk to Duke.”
Garrett takes a step forward, his eyes glassy with drink, jaw tight like he’s grinding through something unsaid.
“Garrett, don’t—” I try to wriggle out from under him, but he moves quicker, grabbing my upper arm.
“Why him?” he says between clenched teeth. “Why does he get everything?”
I try to yank my arm free. “Let go.”
His grip tightens.
“Garrett,” I snap, louder now. “Let go of me!”
He jerks me toward him so fast I slam into his solid chest.
“You don’t belong here,” he growls. “None of this is real for you. You haven’t seen the shit I’ve seen?—”
“Get off me!” I shout, my voice breaking, fury and fear colliding as I try to shove him back. “Stop!”
He clamps both hands around my arms and starts dragging me toward the woods.
