Page 109 of Protecting Christina

“Good. Because I want you to tell me the truth, not something you think will please me, but the truth.”

His hands were handcuffed in front of him, but I pulled the key out of my pocket. This cost me more than three hundred dollars, but I knew I would need an incentive.

“If you answer my question truthfully, I will remove your cuffs and you can stretch out your arms. Deal?”

Simon rolled his shoulders as he eyed the key in my hand. “What do you want to know?”

“What’s your history with Christina?”

His lips spread into a cocky grin. “Why? You fucking her?”

My fist curled at my side, but I fought my desire to hit him. If I broke his jaw now, he couldn’t tell me what I wanted to know.

“Did you two date?” I asked instead.

“Nah, man. That girl wouldn’t spread her legs for nobody.”

I exhaled and closed my eyes. Except Simon wasn’t finished.

“I just took what I wanted and moved on to the next one.”

My hand gripped the key so tightly, I nearly pushed it through my palm. I swallowed back the bile that had risen in my throat. When I opened my eyes, his cocky grin faltered. He must have read something deadly in them because I’d never wanted to kill a man as much as I wanted to kill Simon Graff.

He had hurt her. Violated her. And while the law had done nothing about it, I knew with every fiber in my body that I would not let it go.

Slowly, I walked up to Simon, and he took a step back. He watched me warily, raising his hands to cover his face. His mouth dropped when I raised the key and brought it to his hands. His eyes never left mine as I unlocked his cuffs.

He massaged his wrists and smiled. “Man, you had this look on your face, like, I don’t know, like you were going to kill me or something.”

“I wouldn’t kill you, Simon. You’re not worth the jail time.”

He stretched out his arms and swung them back and forth. “Thanks, man.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t thank me yet.”

He stopped swinging his arms, and his brow furrowed. “What’s going on?”

“Did she say, ‘no’?”

“Who?”

I kept my voice steady. “Christina. Did she tell you no?”

He shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

I nodded. He remembered; he just knew better. “What happened afterward?”

“I don’t know, man. It was a long time ago. I don’t want that chick, anyway. She’s got a fucking temper on her.”

I shoved the key into my pocket and faced Simon. “Hit me.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Fucking hit me!”

“Why would I—”

I pulled back my fist and let it fly onto Simon’s cheek.

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