Page 22 of Crossfire

Whether it was because he was an authority figure or someone who had gained psychological influence over her, I couldn’t be sure. Regardless, she, disappointingly, was not snapping his bones.

As I studied the frozen landscape of her face, a coil of something protective wound itself around my chest. It was an unfamiliar sensation, this urge to intervene, to shield her from the world’s ugliness, even though I knew she could handle her own battles.

I shook off the fleeting and absurd urge to shove this man down for having upset her. Any desire to shelter her from danger, physical or otherwise, had to be because I needed her intact if I was going to get answers from her.

Yet, as she tried to step past the asshole, I realized my role as a mere observer was about to end.

11

IVY

“How could you even think of meeting that guy?” Pete’s face twisted in anger, and as he stepped into my space, the stench of cigarettes on his breath made my stomach churn.

Looks like he started smoking again.

“You know why.”

“You let a goddamned stranger trick you into going to an abandoned building.”

My hands trembled in frustration and hurt, but I refused to show weakness in front of him.

“It was reckless of you, Ivy.” He pointed a finger in my face, the vein on his neck attempting to split his skin open. “You’re lucky you didn’t get killed!”

“If you’re so angry, why did you insist on seeing me right now?”

Maybe him taking another step into my space made him feel like a man, towering over me like this.

“Was it worth it, Ivy? Did you get what you wanted out of it?”

My eyes betrayed me with tears. I knew he was expressing concern. That part was understandable. But the way he was going about it, aggressive in his tone and speaking down to me, cut deep. As weak as it might sound, after nearly losing my life,what I really needed was a hug—a soft place to land rather than being chastised.

Like the people I witnessed in the emergency room who’d been in a car accident. The second their loved ones arrived, they’d rush forward and hug them, saying things like,Thank goodness you’re okay. I was so worried.Then, and only then, they might start asking questions like,Why were you driving so fast?or,Why weren’t you wearing your seat belt?

Pete skipped the wholeI’m glad you’re okaypart. I hated how much that hurt.

“You need to accept what happened and move on,” he said, like it was as simple as accepting a weather forecast. “Or it will cost you everything.”

He wasn’t wrong, but…

“You’re not here out of concern.” My voice cracked with emotion. “You just want to lecture me.”

I wanted him to deny it, but he didn’t.

To think he’d been acting like a friend lately.

I brushed past him, but his balls grew tenfold, evidently, because he was stupid enough to grab my elbow.

Clenching my jaw, I studied his fingers digging into my hoodie, imagining all the ways I could snap them. Or maybe I would start by kneeing him in the balls first.

I had never received or dished out violence in any relationship, but there was a first for everything, and Pete either forgot what I was capable of or was arrogant enough to think he could take me on despite it.

I yanked my arm, but the imbecile gripped my elbow harder, glaring down at me like I deserved to be punished for my choices today.

In his dark brown eyes, I saw a glimpse of something I hadn’t seen before—control.

Looking back on it now, Pete liked to be the one in charge, and my actions today must have been the most extreme form of going against his wishes that he had ever experienced. After all, after I’d told him, he’d tried calling and sent me two dozen texts, demanding I didn’t go.

But Pete needed to learn three very important lessons:

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