Page 10 of Above All Else

Just end her now.

“Just stand back. We’re going to end up killing each other.” A blight of laughter snapped my eyes open.

“What?” I cocked a brow.

June rolled to her knees, hissing as her abrasion connected with the cement, and then stood a fair distance from me. “I just mean we can’t seem to stop hurting one another.”

Understatement of the century.

Our eyes locked, and the air thickened and stilled.

I can end her now…

And risk prison…

Shetilted her head at me, her eyes slightly narrowing. “You kind of look familiar.”

“Really?”

She recognizes me?

“Yeah.” June nodded and chewed on her plush bottom lip. “You look like someone I used to know.” She brushed off dirt from her butt.

I shook my head. “Maybe in another life.”

June lifted her eyebrows. “Another life? That sounds like something he’d say.” She leaned in, her eyes widening with a slight smile. “What did you say your name was?”

Her perfume permeated around me, hardening my dick and clenching my fists.

Bbbbrriiiinnnggg.

She jerked as though she’d been struck and dug into her pocket—her phone falling to the ground. “Shoot.” June bent over and rubbed the screen against her black stockings. “I better get going. I’m really sorry for bumping into you.” With a twist, she put distance between us, her phone to her ear. “I can’t hear you. Say that again? Tomorrow? Are you sure—“

My stomach twisted and churned as she walked away from me.

She was in my grasp, her flesh in my hands, and I’d let her walk away.

Yes, tomorrow, June...

Chapter 4

June

“Ethan.”

My arm flopped to the right, landing in a warm, viscous fluid, the tendrils of my dreams fluttering on my lashes.

I pushed a heavy sigh through my dry lips and groaned, my eyes blurry as they opened in the dim room.

“Ethan, wake up. You’re snoring again.” I wiped the slobber from my arm onto his shoulder. “And drooling.” I groaned.

A sick, wet inhale had me turning toward him, the liquid popping and snapping in his throat.

I dropped my hand onto his shoulder andshook him. “Ethan.” Squinting, I blinked away the sleep in my eyes and gasped, my body propelled backward. Ethan’s big brown eyes stared at me, the whites prominent in the darkness. “Jesus, you scared me. What’s wrong with you?”

Turning back with a bounce, I pulled the lamp string on my nightstand and then turned back.

Deep crimson puddled beside his throat and dribbled from his gaping mouth, his hand covering part of the gaping wound.

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