Page 10 of Proof

“Finish it, Cass. Finish it or go and never come back,” JJ said quietly, his eyes holding mine with weary determination.

His words were like a slap in the face, another knife being plunged into my back.

“You’re not the only one who lost,” I responded before I could stop myself. I shook my head and glanced at the tiny pebbles that lined the road’s shoulder. I suddenly felt tired. Tired and unsatisfied.

“Go to hell, JJ,” I managed to say before I moved past him so I could get in my car and do what JJ had said.

Go.

Go and never come back.

CHAPTER 4

Jj

Ishould have been relieved as Cass brushed past me. Based on his demeanor, I knew he wasn’t going for any kind of weapon, so I should have been thanking the man upstairs for letting me off so easy. Cass hadn’t been a guy to fuck withbeforehe’d gone to prison.

Actually seeing the man in the flesh made me realize how stupid I’d been when I’d told Axel we had a tail and to get our charge to safety while I confronted whoever was following us. I’d already known who it was, of course, and I’d ignored every one of Axel’s orders to get back in the car. My frustrated colleague had finally followed protocol and done his job… get our charge to safety first.

I’d been so certain I was ready to confront Cass in person after seeing only images of him via the media. His hair had been much longer than I remembered. He’d always kept it short since that was what the military had required. It was still the deep shade of brown it had always been, but he was no longer clean shaven. His lips, those had been drawn tight with fury. I’d never been on the receiving end of that look. I’d only seen him smiling. Even with all the horrors he’d likely seen as he’d served hiscountry, he was always smiling whenever he’d been able to come home between deployments.

His striking blue eyes had sucked me in from the moment he’d pressed his chest against the barrel of my gun. His physical transformation had kept me so preoccupied that he’d managed to disarm me like I’d been nothing more than a child playing with a toy gun. Cass was heavier than he’d been, but it was all muscle. He’d still had tattoos running up the length of his right arm but the beautiful image of a flock of blackbirds flying away from something had been marred by a long, thin scar. He’d been wearing a gold watch on his wrist and a matching chain around his neck, both gifts from his grandmother that he’d received when he’d turned eighteen. The combination had made him look dangerous and distinguished at the same time.

Despite the circumstances, my dick had noticed and admired every part of the man from his snug black T-shirt to his tight, denim-covered ass.

My body hurt from when Cass had thrown me onto the car. I’d been certain that his powerful fist had been meant for me, but it had hit the trunk instead.

Taking his anger out on his precious Mustang Boss—his dream car. That had been unexpected.

In the few seconds between Cass releasing me and walking away, anger and confusion took over and I strode after him, grabbing his arm without thinking. The man immediately turned, knocked my hold loose and grabbed my wrist, painfully twisting it. His eyes were wild as he scanned our surroundings, seeming not to notice he was on the verge of snapping my wrist. Tears stung my eyes as I tried to wrestle free of his hold. I may as well have been trying to free my hand from a block of cement.

I didn’t recognizethisCass. Seconds ago, he’d acted like I was at fault for everything that had happened and now he was exactlylike he’d probably been on the night he’d killed three people before shooting me and leaving me for dead.

“Cass,” I said softly even as pain consumed my entire arm. I hadn’t wanted to say anything. I’d just wanted to fight my way free of his painful hold on me and walk in any direction that he wasn’t, his cryptic statement about losing something too be damned.

A split second after his name left my lips, he dropped my arm like it was burning him. I bit back the moan of pain that was trying to escape my throat as I cradled my injured hand. For the briefest of moments, he seemed confused, then distressed. Then, just like that, he was turning his back on me again.

Despite his harsh lesson, I couldn’t let his words go.

You’re not the only one who lost.

What the hell did that mean? Was the asshole trying to somehow justify what he’d done?

“What did you lose, huh? A couple years of your life? This stupid fucking car?” I snapped as I glanced at the Mustang. I still remembered when he’d had the heap of junk towed to our house. He’d been so excited to finally have something of his own.

Something his family couldn’t touch… something they couldn’t take from him.

Jesus, JJ, get a grip.

“Oh, I know,” I continued. “You lost access to all your daddy’s money. I guess he didn’t grease enough palms to get you out sooner. Or did whoever paid you to take out that witness?—”

That was all I got out before he turned, wrapped his fingers around the back of my neck, dragged me toward him and slammed his mouth down on mine. I opened mine to order him to release me, but no words came out and not just because his tongue dipped between my lips. I was too busy welcoming his intrusion.

If he’d intended the kiss to be some kind of harsh punishment then a few wires in his brain must have gotten crossed because the kiss, as hungry as it was, was also painfully gentle.

Seeking.

Cherishing.

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