Page 25 of Forgive You

I’d probably give it to him if it would guarantee he’d stay out of my fucking life.

“We are not done until I tell you we’re done.” His broad hand roughly pulls my elbow back as he manhandles me.

“Let go of me.” But this time, his grip stays firmly where it is.

“Are you fucking Jason again?”

I wince at the amount of pressure he’s digging his nails into my skin, putting in all my energy to make it seem less than painful, and keeping a straight back.

“Keep your voice down! This is a work event!”

“Answer the goddamn question!”

“No! And what do you mean again?!”

I know he’s not as smart as his little brothers are, but is he really that fucking dense? Isn’t it clear from all the death glares Jason is giving me? He should take fucking credit for it; he’s the one who ruined it.

Besides, Jason and I slept togetheronce.There’s no way he knows about it because we met up in a hotel in Charlotte weeks after Jacob and I broke up. There’s no way he knows and Jason sure as hell wouldn’t tell him.

Unless he used it as ammo to piss him off.

Fuck, did he?

“We had a deal.” Moving closer, he squashes my muscles like they are made out of spaghetti, and I jerk back.

“You’re hurting me.”

But he doesn’t care, and just inches farther into my face.

“We had a deal, and you better keep your end of it, or you’ll regret ever meeting me.” His blue eyes darken, his frowngrowing deeper and deeper as he bares his teeth like the animal that he is.

I noticed it too late, wasted way too many years on him, but now that I’m wide awake, I see it.

I see what a beast he can be, gaslighting everyone around him until you go up in fucking flames and he can take what he wants.

I snap my elbow back, but all it does is force a jolt of pain to shoot through my bones. “Let go! You’re hurting me!”

I’m seconds away from saying the hell with this and kneeing him in the balls, but then movement catches my eye over his shoulder.

Jason appears right behind him, hands balled into fists, teeth showing in a snarl.

“I don’t care how many potential clients I’ll lose, but I will rip your head off if you don’t let her go, right fucking now.” His voice is collective, calm, and gravelly, but the lethal expression that’s fallen over his face widens my eyes.

He’s not the aggressive type, he doesn’t fight. He’s the peacemaker, the reasonable one. For Hunter, for Jensen, even for me and Charlotte back in the day. But right now, I believe every word of his threat.

Jacob rapidly twists his head over his shoulder, his eyes rolling to the sky when he registers both his brothers standing behind him. Mia and Ford trail right behind them, witnessing this embarrassing situation with uncertainty in their wide eyes.

“Stay out of it. This is between me and my fiancée.”

Oh, puh-lease.I’m not wearing his ring, nor have I ever worn his ring. No one will believe we’re engaged.

“Shut up, Jacob,” I hiss, trying to break free from his grasp once more.

Jason takes a step to charge, but Jordan holds him back and takes his place instead. His tousled blond hair falls in front of hisforehead, his blue eyes trained on his big brother as he squares his shoulders in his black tuxedo.

Man, has he grown up.

“Not if you’re hurting her, it's not.” Jordan shakes his head as he steps into our space, putting his nose right beside his brother's glaring expression. “Let her go, because I ain’t got nothing to lose, and I will fucking raise hell.”

---