Page 54 of Cruel Dominion

“Fuck no. You’re not opening that door. I’m—I’m calling the cops.”

I tried to make for the door again as he reached for his phone, but he snatched my wrist, yanking me back.

“Ow,” I hissed, feeling something pull painfully in the joint.

The next bang on the door was so loud it sounded like a gunshot in the room as the hinges rattled. And the next one saw the whole thing busted from the frame as the warped metal caved in and hung uselessly from its hinges.

Carter shoved through, his eyes glimmering with a dangerous rage. He might have been dressed like a CEO, but he looked like an avenging god ready to destroy an entire city with sulfur and fire for its sins.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Carter didn’t even acknowledge him. His gaze zeroed in on Jaden’s hand still wrapped around my wrist and something in his expression darkened.

Jaden must’ve noticed too because he dropped my wrist as if burned by it, acting as if he’d never touched me.

“Look, man, I don’t know what you think?—”

“Shut your pathetic mouth.”

Jaden sealed his lips.

Carter’s eyes connected with mine, the dangerous glimmer in his exploding into hot flames at something he found in my stare.

Carter cleared the space between himself and Jaden in barely two strides, twisting his fist into the front of Jaden’s shirt, shoving him backward until his back connected with a photo on the wall, shattering the glass frame.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing!” Jaden said, pleading. “We were talking, that’s it. I offered her a job, man.”

“Then why the fuck is her whole body shaking? Hmm?”

“Carter, I?—”

“Did he touch you?”

When he turned the full force of his stare on me, I couldn’t speak. I felt my throat bob. I wanted to say no to stop him. To stop this. But I couldn’t.

Jaden had touched me. Then I noticed the silver nibs of his fly wide open. His top button undone. Carter followed my gaze and saw it, too.

He hadn’t just touched me. He’d intended to do far worse while I was still dazed from smashing my head on his stupid fucking table.

Carter turned back to stare at him, pressing him harder into the broken frame until I heard the glass creak and shatter some more.

Jaden’s mouth opened and closed. He looked like a big, stupid goldfish. Apparently he couldn’t come up with an explanation, so he looked at me. “Tell him!” Jaden pleaded. “Tell him nothing happened.”

My lips parted, but I couldn’t force any words out.

My silence was all Carter needed to assume the worst.

He pulled back his fist, ready to strike. I could see it happen, see Jaden’s nose shattering and his blood splashing all over Carter’s shirt. Jaden might be tall, but he didn’t stand a chance against Carter’s wrath.

I had to stop this.

“Carter, stop!”

My voice was small and throaty, but he heard it. His head swung my direction, his eyes wild and unseeing. A man possessed. I couldn’t move. I watched him, afraid but refusing to show it.

“My car is outside,” he said in a deadpan tone. “Get in and lock the doors. I’ll be down as soon as I’m finished teaching this asshole the consequences of touching what’s mine.”

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