Page 16 of Shattered

After watching my pussy pulse from the contractions, I let out a breathless sigh, a sheen of sweat gathering across my cheeks, growing more obvious as I pick up the phone, bringing the focus straight up to my face.

“I love you, baby. Have a good day at work; see you later at Koa,” I say before winking and turning off the video.

Once Juliet sees that ending, she’ll realize the video is old and not for her, if my hair doesn’t give it away early. Maybe this is harsh, but Asher set me the fuck off, and this is where I’m at.

After attaching and sending the video, I can now focus on Asher. He wants sunshine?I’ll give him fucking sunshine.But it wouldn’t hurt to get some help. I know Neela’s got to be asleep since it’s the middle of the night, but she’ll get my text in the morning.

Lila: Hey, wanna fuck with my asshat new neighbors? I’m decorating tomorrow to make it look like the sun threw up on my house.

Neela: Hell, yes. I have to head into Madison for some supplies anyway. Can we leave around 10?

Oh wow, she is awake. Marina, her daughter, must be up.

Lila: Done. We’ll take my SUV. I’ll pick you up at 10.

Just as I send the last text to Neela, another text comes in, and I open it to see a response to my video.

Thanks, Sunshine, what an unexpected surprise. Didn’t know you had it in ya.

It takes me a moment to register.

Oh no. No... There’s no fucking way...I practically hold my breath as my eyes drift up to the recipient of the thread, where Juliet’s name should be. But it’s not Juliet.

It’s Asher.

My vision blurs as I frantically click on the video to unsend it, and a notification pops up beside it.

He downloaded it.

My fingers pound the glass furiously as I type out my next message.

Lila: DELETE IT! NOW! IT WAS NOT FOR YOU!

Asher: Sure it wasn’t.

That motherfucker. There’s no way inhellI’m letting him keepthat video.

They’ve moved inside, and my lawn chairs are neatly folded and stacked beside their back door, a clear middle finger to me. I charge straight up the two steps onto the back deck and immediately grab for the handle, finding it unlocked. Not a rational thought goes through my head as I yank the door open and charge inside, slamming it behind me.

I find them in the den, sitting on opposite ends of a long sofa. Asher’s eyes flicker to me with amusement. He stands up as I stop in the doorway. He’s slow and calculated in the movement, and even in my rage, I notice how much effort he puts in to make that movement look effortless, favoring his right leg and hardly putting any weight on the left, his bad one.

“Oh, look, Bane, she’s here for a live show,” Asher says. Bane’s eyes don’t even peel from the TV. But I’m not paying attention to him.

“Fuck you!” I snap.

“I almost didn’t recognize you with your clothes on,” Asher says, a cocky smile pulling at his lips.

I charge straight at him, stopping and craning my neck up to burn his fucking face with my goddamn eyes. With only a foot of space between us, my pulse is racing with fury. Bane chuckles, and my eyes narrow at Asher’s.

“Did you fucking show him?”

It’s like a switch flips in Asher’s eyes. Suddenly, I’m being consumed by two black orbs of pure predator. “You’d like that if I had.”

“Show me what?” Bane asks, taunting me.

As Asher turns to Bane, a taunting smile pulling at his lips, my anger breaks loose. I pull my hand back, and it claps as my palm collideswith Asher’s cheek, forcing his head to the side. The room stills, and I swear no one breathes as a tense moment passes.

When Asher finally turns, he’s seething, his voice like molten lava.

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