Page 69 of They Break Beauty

Brianna: You were in my apartment last night. My bedroom.

Hell Spawn: The fact you know that means you got my gifts. You like?

Brianna: You crossed a line.

Hell Spawn: How? You’re mine. Last night cemented it.

Brianna: It didn’t.

Hell Spawn: This push and pull of yours is becoming grating. And it’s coming close to upsetting me.

Brianna: Upsetting you? You broke into my home!

Hell Spawn: For your own good.

Brianna: WHAT?

Hell Spawn: Wanted to make sure there wasn’t any fallout for you after what we did outside the bar. And I left you the note and flowers as a comfort in case there was.

That would’ve been almost sweet if he’d gone about it another way.

As it was, he hadn’t.

Brianna: You did it to mark your territory.

Hell Spawn: I already marked it. Don’t tell me you don’t still feel me deep inside? Delectably sore this morning, aren’t you?

Brianna: Go to hell.

Hell Spawn: Been there, clawed my way back.

I stilled as I read those words.

Hell Spawn: You’re mine. Stop this denial bull now. It’s settled. You gave yourself over to me last night. I felt it. I know you did too.

Brianna: It was a mistake. Don’t come near me again.

Hell Spawn: You do this and you won’t like how I respond.

Brianna: Like I said, go to hell, you fucking maniac.

Hell Spawn: Bad move, Wildflower.

I gritted my teeth, then blocked his number.

And then I forced myself out of bed and fired up my laptop to finalize what I’d set in motion last night with the program I’d written to access his phone via a backdoor method so I could track his movements from here on out.

No more surprises.

Once again, thanks to that asshole, I was going to be late to yet another class.

Well, more like miss it entirely.

For once, I was partially glad, though, considering it meant I wouldn’t have to see him there.

I’d finally made it to Stonewell U for my second class of the day, Algorithm Analysis.

I hadn’t had a chance to make my lunch like I usually did, so I’d picked up a Greek salad from the college cafeteria and brought it out to my usual spot on the bench at the far edge of the quad, out of the way of everyone and everything. I didn’t think I could eat a sandwich right now or anything heavy with the nausea that had been plaguing me ever since I’d woken up to discover Levi had broken into my apartment and been there while I’d been asleep. And since I’d actually registered the fallout of my bad decision to give into his seductions last night.

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