Books about violence, it whispers, insidiously creeping into my mind.About women who kill for the ones they love, without regret. About strong, angry men, who don’t stop when they’re asked, who take what they want and?—
I slam a book against the table, chest rising and falling quickly. Then, for good measure, I lift it up and slam it back down again and again. I’m inexplicably angry, furious with myself, withthem…
It takes much more than counting to ten to calm me down this time. It takes almost twenty minutes of deep breathing and quiet, happy thoughts before I feel sane again.
I take all those dark, dirty thoughts. I take the memories of Sebastian, the memories of Ashton holding that riding crop, the memories of me—violent, hateful memories—and I put them aside. I’m not ready to confront allof that.
It takes most of the morning for me to sort through the new stock, taking frequent breaks to ball up those rising feelings and shove them down again. It’s not until almost eleven when my stomach starts to loudly protest how little I’ve eaten that I take a break.
It’s unnerving how hungry being angry can make you.
Time to grab something delicious from Jade’s pastry case to tide me over for the next few hours. I think I’ll treat myself to something especially decadent today. A little treat, maybe a croque monsieur. Yes, that would hit the spot.
Satisfied with my choice, I close the stock door behind me and stroll through literary fiction, heading toward the front and?—
I freeze, heart pounding in my chest when I see him.
Viper.
No. No, no, no.
He’s standing between me and the end of the bookshelf, blocking my way, an easy, terrifying smile on his face.
He’s even scarier than I remember. I’d been so surprised, so panicked in the alley, I’d never really given him my full attention.
Now, I can’t pull my eyes away from him.
He’s beautiful, Ashton’s deadlier counterpart. There’s no fooling myself that Viper’s muscles are for anything other than inflicting pain. His arms are covered in scars, some unfathomably deep, forming chasms in his flesh, and some that are shiny like burns. A huge scar mars his otherwise perfect face, slashing through his eyebrow and curving over his cheek.
He’s insane.
That’s the only thing I can think as I meet those dark, manic eyes. There’s no kindness there, no humanity. Viper’s eyes are a pit full of shadows.
And, as he stares at me, they’re also full of lust.
“Hello, little rabbit.” He grins, and there’s nothing kind about it. “I’ve been waiting for you to come out of your hole.”
I run.
It’s purely instinctual, and I take off without giving it a second’s thought. I turn and run as fast as my legs will carry me, away from him, my thoughts a blur. I need to hide. I need to get somewhere safe. The stockroom door has a lock, and even though it hadn’t been enough to keep Sebastian out, maybe it will work on him. Maybe I can get there, maybe I can?—
Viper crashes into me from behind, lifting me off the ground as he wraps his massive arms around my body. I try to scream, but his hand clamps over my mouth and nose, squeezing my face so hard it hurts.
He’s laughing.
His body shakes with the force of it, his chest shaking as he holds me. He crushes my body against him, my back flattened against his chest, and I can feel his body convulse with the force of his laughter.
“Oh, little rabbit, little rabbit,” he purrs into my ear. “You can’t run from me. Not ever.”
His breath is warm against my skin. With one last laugh, he closes his teeth around the shell of my ear, biting hard. I squeal in pain, the sound embarrassingly high-pitched and frightened.
I can’t breathe. His hand is too tight around my face, suffocating me. I panic, struggling against him, kicking my legs, but he’s too big, too strong. I could thrash with all my strength and still not move him an inch.
“If you scream, I’ll take your tongue,” Viper whispers in my ear. I whimper, my body going stiff. He means it. I know he does. “Do you understand?”
I try to calm myself, try to count to ten, try to think happy thoughts.
In the end, all I can do is nod against his hand, lungs burning for air and my heart pounding in my chest so hard it hurts.
