Page 29 of Fiercely Protective

His expression clouded with anger. “What is your connection to this man and why are you afraid of him?”

I looked away from the furious expression on his face. “He isn’t anyone to me. We went out on a few dates, but he became really creepy and quite insistent on having sex right away. I told him I didn’t want to see him again after date three when he got aggressively handsy in the movie theater. He slapped me around a little but one of my neighbors stopped him. I thought that was the end of it, but he started stalking me.”

“Is there more? From the way you are trembling, I am assuming it gets worse.”

I closed my eyes, not wanting to relive the nightmare again. “I can handle it. It doesn’t concern you.”

He pulled me roughly, almost violently to him. “Anything involving you concerns me!”

“Why?” His eyes narrowed even further, and I knew he was waiting for me to continue. “One night I went out with Allison. When I came home, he was waiting for me and after beating the shit out of me, he tried to rape me. If Allison had not left her purse in my car, he would have succeeded. When she came back after it, she heard my screams and interrupted himbefore he could follow through with what he intended. I was in the hospital for a few days and when the doctor released me, I moved to Chicago, hoping that he would forget about me, and I could start a new life here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that will happen.”

He reached up and gently tucked a stray curl behind my ear, causing a shudder to pass through me.

“Give me his name.” The command was given in a low but serious voice.

I shook my head resolutely. “Why? I told you that this is none of your business. Allison said he has connections to some very nasty men and there is no need for you to get involved. I am not sure what I will do. She suggested I go stay with her brother in California. He is ex-military, special forces, and would be able to protect me. But I prefer to handle this myself.”

I watched as his face grew angrier. “Do you think I would allow you to go to another man for protection? I meant what I said earlier. You belong to me now, Bri. You can keep denying it and fighting it, but it will not change things. I will be the one to keep you safe, to protect you, and I will be the one to kill the bastard that hurt you.”

“Threatening to kill people is not the normal way to solve problems. And I don’t belong to you. You keep saying that, but it isn’t true. Once you’ve tired of whatever little game you are playing with me, I will be on my own again.”

His eyes hardened. “Is that what you think?”

“You can’t make me believe that this is anything more. I am just a plaything. Someone that caught your attention, ananomaly in the circles in which you move. But it won’t last. Men like you…don’t fall for girls like me.”

He grinned and my stomach flipped upside down. He was possibly the sexiest man I had ever seen.

“Hmm, you will soon learn, sweet Bri, that I am not like most men. Don’t underestimate me. Now, there is much to do today and our activities this morning, while pleasurable, have already made us late.”

He grasped my hand as we walked to the elevator, but I had a feeling he was still very angry. There was a tension in his body that wasn’t there before and the arrogant sneer on his face was even more intimidating than usual, causing a cold shiver to creep over my skin. Hopefully, today will bring me the answers I was seeking. Could it be safer to stay with Rogue Delaney, a man who had proved to be dangerous and unpredictable, than it was to run the risk of bumping into Tony and whatever bad people he was mixed up with? The elevator door opened, and I made my decision, no matter what kind of man he was or what kind of criminal shit he was mixed up in, Rogue had never hurt me. He pissed me off and made me feel things I had not felt before. He had touched me and made my skin burn with need. One look from him made my knees weak and my panties wet, but he had never caused me physical pain. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. While one man had the power to destroy me physically, the other could very easily destroy my soul, either way, I was in trouble.

Chapter Seven

Rogue

Seeing the way her face paled as well as the stark fear and anxiety in her eyes after her conversation with her friend confirmed my suspicions that she was running from someone. But now that I knew that it was a man, a man that had beaten and nearly raped her, I was filled with a murderous rage so intense that my knuckles were white from clenching my fists at my side. It angered me that I didn’t find her sooner, that I wasn’t there to protect her. To know that she went through something so traumatic made me feel an even stronger need to shield her from all things that could cause her pain or hurt her. I never wanted her to feel that powerless or afraid again. The fact that she refused to give me a name did not help assuage my fury. I would find the man responsible for making my angel tremble in fear if I had to scour every part of this earth, every hole in which he would try to hide, every back alley in every filthy city. And when I found him, he would then know true terror, true fear, and I would take delight in seeing him suffer.

Bri sat next to me in the back seat as my driver took us to the club. Thoughts of her, the sweet smell of the perfume she was wearing, and the reminder of the softness of her skin were the only things breaking through my anger. The woman was going to drive me mad with lust. I wanted to touch her, pull her onto my lap, and lift her skirt so I could drive into her. I wanted to ease her fears and those worry lines between her eyes. I wanted to assure her that I would never let her be hurt again, that she was safe with me and would never have to handle things alone.She had me now. I would protect her. She would never want for anything. Every wish, every desire, I would grant, if it were in my power to do so.

My fingers itched to touch her, but with the fury I was feeling now, I was afraid that I would hurt her. Although, a part of me wanted to bring her a small measure of pain just so that I could take it away again, ease the sting so that she would finally understand that she was mine, that no other man would have her in their bed. My rage was so intense that I barely heard the notification on my phone. I looked down to see a text from Blaze telling me that Nik wanted to meet at his favorite restaurant as soon as possible. I responded then tossed my phone on the seat beside me.

“Why are you so angry?”

I couldn’t look at her. The wrath I was feeling toward a man I didn’t know and the desire to fuck her until she could think of nothing or no one but me was almost overpowering.

“What tipped you off, Angel? Tell me, why do you think I am angry?”

I heard her sigh loudly and could almost feel the roll of her eyes.

“Well, the frown on your face is typical but today it is more severe than usual. You haven’t tried to touch me since I told you about …about him…about what he did. I suppose I should be grateful for that, but I know it’s because you are upset about something. As to why, I don’t know. I told you the truth, I didn’t say anything to Allison that would cause you problems, and I haven’t tried to run again since last night.”

I clenched my jaw. “Are you certain you want to have this conversation with me right now?”

“I don’t want to have this conversation at all, but since you seem to be brooding over it, I thought I would ask. It’s not as if you were the one beaten and almost sexually assaulted by a crazed stalker.”

Once again, my anger threatened to singe the corners of my self-control. “He hurt you, Bri, and he will pay for that with his life. I promise you that.”

Her luminous eyes widened in astonishment. “You can’t just appoint yourself as my guardian or my personal avenger for anyone that dares to wrong me.” Her brows rose slightly. “And why would you?”

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