And if you’re too drunk to understand something that basic, then don’t fucking drink.
A small hand lands on my shoulder, stopping me before I can throw another punch.
Piper. She’s watching me with those hazel eyes.
Those beautiful eyes.
Her red hair is pulled high into a ponytail, exposing every inch of the face I’ve become way too obsessed with.
“You’re going to kill him. Stop,” she says.
Her voice finds its way through the noise in my head, but it doesn’t fully reach me yet.
I look at Piper, then at the bloodied mess beneath me, before looking back at her.
“He fucking touched you,” I grit out. “He deserves to die. No means bloody no.”
“Hunter, please,” she says again.
And that does it.
That single word.
Please.
Whatever remained of my anger evaporates.
I get to my feet, my hands bloodied and my chest rising hard, and pull her straight into my arms.
Her legs wrap around my waist, and she buries her face in my neck.
I know she does it to hide.
I turn and stride towards the exit.
Outside, I catch sight of a few of Isaak’s men waiting nearby.
One of them looks at me expectantly.
“Mr. Wardgrave.”
I don’t slow.
“Go get the fucker that’s currently bleeding on the floor. Teach him a lesson. And make sure the police aren’t involved. Deal with the witnesses.”
He disappears inside without another word.
I keep walking, still wound up, the aftermath of what just happened still coursing through my veins.
But the feel of her breath at my neck and the steady rise and fall of her chest against mine calms me in a way nothing else ever can.
With her in my arms, everything feels bloody right.
Chapter 29
Piper
The cold mountain air touches my skin, and I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with it.
