Page 37 of Indecent Villain

“Shut the fuck up. Of course he wants the girl. Everyone knows that.”

“Who wants me?”

“Edge,” the man identified as Murray says before lunging at me.

I throw my thermos at him, and he curses as it smacks him in the face. I turn tail and run toward the jetty.

As soon as I burst from the tree line, I scream, “Tiberius!” If anyone is up, they’ll be able to see or hear me now. “Tiberius, help me!” I scream again.

I make the mistake of looking over my shoulder. The asshole who did all the talking gains on me. He reaches out and grabs a fistful of my hair. I scream and scream as he whips me around and takes me down to the ground. I dig my nails into his side and receive a punch to my face, which silences me. I manage to get a knee between his legs and, using all my strength, drive it upward. He hisses in pain, but my response only makes him angrier.

I scream again, “Tiberius!”

No sooner does his name leave my lips than the asshole is hauled off me. Jock has the man in a strong grip. I roll over and push to my feet, wincing from the pain in my face and the tremors running through my body. Then I see him. Tiberius comes flying down the lawn in nothing but jeans. I don’t care. I stumble toward him and throw myself into his arms. He scoops me up into his embrace, and I wrap my arms around his neck, burying my face in his shoulder as I sob. My legs fasten around his hips, and I hold on tightly, with no desire to let him go anytime soon.

“I’ve got you,” he says roughly. “What the fuck, Jock?”

“Edge’s man.”

Tiberius curses. “Send him back to Edge with a fucking message.”

With that, Tiberius carries me up to the house. I cling to him, refusing to let him go.

As we enter the house, one of his hands slips up the back of my sweatshirt. I shudder in pleasure at his touch.

“Fuck, Kinsley,” he groans.

We head upstairs. It isn’t until he sits me on the vanity and untangles himself from me that I realize I’m in his bathroom. He gently brushes my hair away from my face. His eyes darken as his jaw tightens.

“Let me clean you up.”

Tiberius turns on the hot water tap and soaks a face cloth in the sink. He wrings it out and gently cleans my face. He rests the warm cloth against both cheeks, and I sigh, feeling a deep sense of comfort as he takes care of me.

“You’re trembling.”

“Shock, I think.”

“You need a bath to warm you up.” With those words, he steps away and turns on the taps in his large bath. He frowns. “Do not move. I will be right back.”

He leaves the bathroom, and I hear him exchange a few words with someone in the hallway. Soon after, he returns with a bottle of bubble bath from my bathroom. He tosses some into the running water and smirks.

“Do not tell anyone this.”

15

TIBERIUS

I wantto rip the head off the asshole who attacked Kinsley. I want to shout at her too for going outside without Jock or me. I don’t do that, though. It’s my fault for not telling her the truth about her parentage or where the threat is coming from. She isn’t prepared. I need to prepare her, not only for that, but also for the party I have been given no choice but to throw for her. It isn’t how I want her to celebrate her coming of age. Rossi took that decision away from me. And her. I won’t forgive, and I won’t forget.

Now isn’t the time for all that shit as I notice she continues to shiver as I turn off the taps.

“I’m going to help you.”

I lift her to her feet and see how her hands are trembling uncontrollably. She won’t be able to undress herself.

I briefly close my eyes and pray for fucking strength.

I silently curse and step close. My hand moves to the fastening of her jeans. Her eyes shoot to mine.

---