Page 191 of Ride With Me

“What happened?”

His expression turned hard, those dark eyes colder than I’d ever seen them. “I walked into a house, found a man there, and beat him to a pulp, which I only stopped in because my mother came in after me. I’d have killed him if given the chance. And I would do it again.”

The way he said it had me swallowing because… Yes, it was calculated, but it also was anything but cold.

In fact, there was so much heat in his voice, lethal heat, I had to believe him.

“You wanted to kill a man.”

His shoulders dropped, and he looked defeated. “I still want to.”

I turned away from him, walking in circles for a few minutes.

“I’d never hurt you, Rhodes. Never. But I would kill people if they hurt you,” he said, unprompted.

His voice begged me to believe him, and so did my body.

I turned back to him, holding his gaze, trying to figure out what I was thinking except for “he didn’t kill you yet, but he can sure as hell give you pleasure, and you wanted that” and “you’d know if he was a bad guy”.

During my studies I’d prided myself in being able to read people better than most, and it had made me one of the best in my class.

My gut told me there was a vital piece of information I was missing.

“I would have let you tie me up,” I said, betrayal dropping from each word.

“And I would have worshipped your body, licked and sucked on every part before making you come before untying you and…”

My heart stumbled to a stop. “And?” I asked, terrified and horrified because my dick wanted to raise at that statement.

He swallowed. “And I might have even held you afterward, cuddled you if you’d have allowed it. Spent the night in your bed.”

The images slayed me worse than he could with any knife.

“Unlock your phone and give it to me,” I demanded.

Kaden hesitated merely a second, resignation crossing his features. I redialed the last number that had called him, then waited.

“Kaden?”

“Who are you?” I asked instead of answering.

“Gabriella Azriel, and you? What are you doing with my son’s phone?”

“Mrs. Azriel, this is Rhodes, the guy your son has been road-tripping with. In how much danger am I?” I asked as I held his eyes.

She coughed. “Excuse the fuck out of me? He’s a good guy and if you imply anything else?—”

“You said he’s wanted for assault and battery.” I left out the last part because I couldn’t say it again.

She snorted. “It’s none of your business.”

“I guess my next call is to the police then.”

I wasn’t that guy, and I hated making the threats. “Asking about the scars on his back. Ask him about the ones on the insides of his thighs, Rhodes. Or better yet, don’t pick up strangers if you fear they’ll all want to kill you. Tell my son that I love him, and I’ll never stop doing so. Goodbye.”

She hung up, and I lowered the phone. Out here he probably hadn’t been able to hear what she’d said, but I also didn’t need him to.

We’d never gotten naked together. I’d only ever taken out his dick, not lowered his pants, but I realized now it had been intentional on Kaden’s part.

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