Page 83 of Hold Me Until Morning

Foulness spilled from his spirit and dripped from his mouth as he whispered his venom close to my ear. “Do you think to threaten me, Hailey? Do you think I’m afraid of you? Do you realize how easily you could cease to exist?”

“What do you want from me?” My eyes squeezed shut, and there was no stopping the trembles that rattled my voice.

Agony blazed a path through my insides and ripped at my spirit.

The only thing I wanted was to be free. To raise my daughter right. To turn my back on everything that he was. It was bad enough that I was allowing him to get away with what I knew.

But for my daughter…

“You know what I want.” The words dropped lower, gnarled and dark.

“I’m giving you two seconds to step away from her before you don’t have the ability to.”

We both froze at the low growl of words that curled through the air, coming from the direction of the steps. They were almost the exact same words as Cody had issued last night at the bar.

Though they were delivered even more menacing than last night.

Shards.

Broken glass.

A knife that was clearly ready to impale.

Only Cody didn’t know the type of man we were dealing with. Pruitt wasn’t some drunk guy who didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut or his hands to himself.

Pruitt was calculating.

Devious.

Precise.

I didn’t know why he hadn’t come for me sooner. I should have known that he would. Should have known he would never let me be.

Should have known I’d never truly be free.

Pruitt slowly shifted to look over his shoulder, though he didn’t move an inch from where he held me hostage against the wall.

“You’d do well to turn your back and walk away, hick,” Pruitt hissed, like Cody was trash.

Inconsequential.

A bluster of energy blew through the air, coming from every direction. Colliding in the middle.

An aggression so intense I gagged on it.

A clash of Pruitt and Cody.

Neither of them were going to back down.

“It’s fine, Cody. Go back to your house.” Each word croaked.

“You should know that’s not going to happen, darlin’.” He softened his tone for me.

His words from last night flooded my thoughts.

“I won’t regret standing up for you. It’s just the way I am, Hailey. I protect those I care about. Take care of them. Whatever the cost.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

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