Page 130 of Jump on Three

“No,” I whispered. “I didn’t speak to her about this. I wanted this to be my decision without any outside influence.”

“Oh.” His shoulders rolled forward. “There is nothing I can say?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think there is.”

He heaved a great, raspy exhale as he stood, his fingers locked behind his head. “All right. That…okay. I’m going to go now.”

I sprung to my feet, panic clawing at my chest. “You’re leaving? Now?”

“Yeah.” His eyes swung my way but didn’t linger. “The car’s going to be here soon. I gotta get to the club, have to work. Shit doesn’t stop because…because—”

“I can come too.”

“No.” He swiped his hand down his face. “I need to throw myself into it tonight. Give me some space, angel.”

“Are you breaking up with me?”

He still hadn’t touched me or looked at me. This felt like the end. My stomach was hollow, and my chest was entirely too full.

“No. I need to wrap my head around this, though. Need some time,” he intoned.

I pressed my hand to my sternum, wondering how it was possible for it to be whole when it felt like it had cracked into pieces.

“Well, have a good night, Ivan.”

He dipped his head, already turning toward the door. “You too, Evelyn.”

Then he was gone, without a hug, a kiss, not even an “I love you.” I didn’t like this. Couldn’t stand it. How could I bear my heart breaking over and over for the next month? I didn’t think I would make it.

Chapter Forty-four

Ivan

Cheek on Marco’s desk, his hand around the back of my neck, I bucked and swung my arms.

“Fuck you, asshole. Get your fucking hands off me,” I growled.

“Nah, kid. Not gonna happen ’til you calm down.”

Marco’s relaxed cadence utterly incensed me, and I’d already been boiling with rage. He’d taken my outlet, slammed me down on his desk, and now he wanted me to be calm?

Oh, fuck that.

I struck out with my elbow, hitting nothing but air.

“Let me go, Marco. Let me go.”

“I will, as soon as you chill the hell out. If you’re going to go right back to trying to murder my employees or get at me, I can stay here all night. I have nowhere better to be.”

Getting free from him was more important than getting a hit in, so I let my arms fall loose at my sides.

“I’m good.”

He pushed down a little harder. “You sure?”

“Yeah, man. I’m not fighting you anymore.”

He eased up on me, little by little until he let go. I pushed myself up from the desk, rubbing my cheek. I would be lucky if I didn’t have a bruise tomorrow, and I hadn’t been feeling very lucky lately.

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