Fucking Nessa.
I saw red.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I bit out with as much venom as I could muster.
“Oh, Cal, darling, don’t be like that,” she simpered, her voice high and sickly sweet. “I just wanted to talk to you. Let’s go somewhere quiet so we can chat.”
I looked around the room, spotting one of our guys, and turned to follow the she-devil. My spine was straight as I stalked toward her, my hands fisted at my sides as I tried to keep some sliver of self-control.
She paused in a doorway, looking back at me suggestively, and I pushed her further in, slamming the door behind me. I leaned against the door,crossing my feet casually as I pulled a single bullet from my pocket and began to play with it.
“Who is that little number for?” She asked, her voice suddenly wary as she eyed the bullet I was rolling in my palm.
“Oh, this is for someone special, Ness,” I said, inspecting the letters that had been carved into the side.
N E S S A.
All polished and ready to load.
One bullet.
One tiny trigger pull and I’d be rid of her.
“Oh? Do I know who?” she asked as she edged closer, touching me yet again. I could feel the darkness rolling out of me in droves. The fact that she could still walk up to me told me her arrogance outweighed her intelligence.
“What do you want, Nessa?” my tone devoid of any amusement.
“Why don’t we have a little fun? You know, like we should have been doing in the first place,” she ran her finger across my chest and began to trail downward. I snatched her hand away and spun us around, slamming her against the door. I took a step back, trying to regain control of my anger. The fucking audacity.
“Oh, I like it rough. Maeve is leaving anyway, so she won’t even know,” she said as she tilted her head up toward me, giving me what I assume she believed was a seductive look. A wave of calm rolledover me, knowing Maeve was leaving. Nessa had pushed the right button, though. Her eyes flashed raw fear as she watched my demon take over. I knew this reaction all too well. I took a step forward.
“Oh, Nessa, Nessa, Nessa. You don’t want me to be rough with you. You wouldn’t be able to walk the next day,” I purred, running the back of my finger along her face. Terror was still there, but a hint of lust filled her eyes.
Idiotic bitch. I fought the urge to roll my own.
“Try me,” she purred back. She melted before me, and I fought the nausea after touching her.
“If you say so,” my voice deeper, a rumbling malice coating every word. My hands cupped her face tightly, causing that flicker of fear to flash across her face. Good. My hands began trailing lower, and I wrapped them around her throat. Her eyes widened, and she clawed at my hands as I slowly tightened my grip.
“You see, Ness,” I growled, “I warned you many times about staying away from me.”
She was struggling, trying to pull my fingers away as they continued to tighten.
“I won’t kill you. Well, not today anyway. I’ll make something abundantly clear, though,” I whispered, getting close to her face, letting her see my eyes. “You will never touch me again. Never try to drug me again. Never speak to me again. And so help me, if I find out you’ve put Maeve in a compromising position again, I will all but kill you. You’ll beg for me to put you out of your fucking misery.”
Nessa’s hands were reaching for anything within arm's length. Barely audible gasps for air and choked cries for help were all I heard. She tried banging on the door to get someone’s attention, but the music in this godforsaken house party was too loud for anyone to think clearly, let alone hear a knock on the door.
“Do I make myself clear, Nessa?” I flexed my hands to grab her attention. I pulled her face closer to mine and repeated, “Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?” She nodded as best she could.
I loosened my grip just a little, then leaned in closer. “Oh, one more thing, Ness,” I whispered in her ear. “I know you played a part in Maeve's kidnapping, and I will find out the truth.”
I pulled back and saw the confirmation I was looking for. Panic. Pure, undiluted panic filled her eyes again.
I was so done. I spat in her face and cut off the blood flow, watching as she slipped into unconsciousness. I let her body fall to the floor and felt the thump as she made contact with the tile. Feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pulled it out to check the text.
It was Ronan letting me know that Maeve was safe at home.
I slid the phone into my pocket and stepped over Nessa’s limp form, closing the door behind me and heading out into the night.
