Blood.I needed it. I needed to hear the cries of those spineless men.
She kept her eyes on the Boston skyline.
“Later that night, I finally convinced Gwen we needed to go home. We called Jer and left. It didn’t happen until a week later. They had been following me. They knew where I lived, and when I came back from work one night, they were waiting for me.”
“Stop,” I begged, my stomach souring as images of her flashed in my mind.
She turned to me, tears falling down her face, she didn’t bother to hide her pain from me, she was letting me see it, and I was grateful—honored. My chest ached again, but my body was shaking in anger, my jaw jumping as I tried to keep my fucking shit together.
“I moved apartments after that, started picking up bar, shifts at my uncle’s bar. I moved into a nice neighborhood that was way too expensive for me, because the building had security,” she explained, looking at her feet.
She was trying to shake this off, as if it wasn’t important.
I stepped towards her then, not stopping until her back was against the window. My hand slid to her chin, taking it between my fingers. Those eyes were avoiding mine, looking everywhere but me.
“Look at me,” I ordered. My voice wasn’t soft or quiet. The anger inside me was dangerously close to boiling over, and I didn’t have the strength to conceal it from her.
She had seen me at my worst, bathed in blood.
“Col…”
“Now!” I barked. She flinched but complied.
“Give me the names.”
“I can’t—
“You will, or I will burn that entire city to the ground.” It would be up in flames by the time the sun rose, Arch and all.
Her eyes widened as her mouth opened and closed.
“That day in the lobby. That was one of them?” I pressed, hating myself for not chasing after her, grabbing her, seeking out revenge in her name.
“I was there for an interview,” she explained. “I didn’t know that he worked there, I was there for an internship. He works for his father—who the internship was under.”
I remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
A sigh escaped her. “I had only applied for two internships, and I didn’t think my applications would get anywhere. When I got the call for the interview, I was so excited. Sullie and Jer were thrilled. Then, I showed up and saw him. He cornered me in an elevator, panicking because he thought I was there to go afterhim. Then, he hit me. People don’t want to believe good boys rape poor girls. But—"
“Enough,” I hissed, leaning in closer. “I want names. Nothing else that comes out of your mouth matters until you give me the list.”
“Kiss me.”
Fuck.That mattered.
“Karina.”
“Kiss me, and I’ll tell you,” she begged, panic present in those sky-blue eyes. She would never have to beg me for long. I would give anything, do anything, for her. It scared the shit out of me, and nothing about this made sense, but right now, it didn’t have to.
She was the only thing I needed.More than air.
My lips collided with hers, delivering a harsh, painfully quick kiss.
As I began to pull away, her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me back. A groan escaped me as I gave her what she wanted. Consuming, possessing, demanding, claiming.Mine. Mine. Mine.She kissed back with desperation and when her whimper filled my ears, I pulled away, resting my forehead against hers.
“I'm going to kill them all,” I growled, my hands squeezing her waist.
“I know,” she breathed. “I know you will.”
