Page 47 of Pitiful Lies

I’m so mad. I thought I was through with this man and his manipulations. I cross my arms, shaking my head when he moves to touch me.

“I don’t know why you’re doing this. Surely, you can get other women in your bed, Angel. You don’t need to try to trap me here?—”

“Hey,” he says, and my gaze flicks to his as I huff out a breath.

“First, I don’t want anyone else in my bed. Second, I ain’t trapping you, but the fact is, it’s too dangerous for you to be anywhere else.”

“What are you talking about?”

I exhale a deep breath and look at the ground. His pale blue eyes are so damn enticing, I know if I look at him, I’ll melt.

Angel is the hottest man I know, and I have very little backbone when it comes to him.

Hence the reason I’m in this predicament.

Yeah, I wish things were different. I wish he was capable of having a real relationship with me.

But he’s not.

I saw him with that skinny blonde. He has eclectic tastes in women, I guess. Or he just likes them all. Fuck, if I know. But I can’t change what or who I am. And I shouldn’t have to.

Simply put, I am through wanting things I can’t have.

“Giselle, just wait a second. I didn’t want to worry you before,” he says.

“Whatever. It doesn’t explain why Anna or Maria didn’t tell me!”

Betrayal snakes up my spine, and I am about two seconds from letting angry tears wash down my face. I don’t typically cry when I’m sad. It’s usually a reaction to frustration or if I am seriously pissed.

Like I am now.

I try walking past him, but he takes me by my upper arms and slows my progress.

“Koukla, hold up. Anna and Maria didn’t tell you because they knew how you’d react,” he says.

He still uses that nickname he gave me the first time he saw me. It’s Greek for something, but I haven’t figured it out. Still, it does something to me whenever he says it.

It makes me wish I was his one and only. The only woman he uses nicknames for.

Stupid, Sisi. So stupid.

“To what? Being tricked into moving in with you because someone tried to blow up my apartment? No shit, I am mad. I mean, what the hell, Angel?”

“Goddamn it, woman, I’m not tricking you. And I’m telling you now,” he growls.

“Better late than never, is that it?” I snap and I feel his anger grow.

It really is something to behold. Angel in a temper, I mean. His eyes are glowing, and his chest is heaving as he tries to rein it in.

I’m not scared of him like this. I probably should be. I mean chubby or not, the man could snap me in two if he chose to.

But he won’t. I trust him that much to know he would never hurt me physically. Emotionally is another story.

“And just to set the record straight, someone didn’t try anything, Giselle, they fucking succeeded. Now look, you’re associated with the Vipers through Anna. Through me.”

He sounds so fucking angry when he says that, and I don’t know if it is at me or himself.

“Then can’t you just assign me a bodyguard or something? I already told you I won’t be your fuck buddy. I can’t stay here,” I say, shaking my head.

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