Page 45 of Wanted

I’d noticed Braden and the guy who was sitting next to Sara werestill at their table. Thankfully, they didn’t stay too much longer, payingtheir bill and disappearing twenty minutes later. I knew Alexa had been the oneto take Sara home because she was missing, plus those two were like sisters. Alexawould never let her leave alone.

An hour before closing, an unwelcome sight walked through thedoor, throwing me into an instant fit of rage.

Cameron.

I’d been planning on paying him a visit but I never found thetime, what with me being mostly drunk over the past few months.

He never saw me approach, too busy chatting up the unsuspectingfemale bartender. I quickly snatched him by the neck and dragged him outside intothe alleyway next to the building before he even knew what was happening. Hisreaction was slow, and once I turned him to face me, I realized it was becausehe was on something. He wasn’t drunk, and he was lucid, but there was ablankness to his stare which told me he’d taken some kind of drug earlier.

“Well, well. If it isn’t my favorite cousin,” he sneered, pushingme back as his false sense of strength took hold. Cameron was no match for mewhen we were kids, and he still wasn’t as grown men. Because I wasn’t in thebest of moods, I decided to toy with him a little, taking out any and all of myfrustrations on him. He deserved every bit of what I was going to give him. He’dfucked with me, and with Sara, for the last time. Even if Sara hadn’t walkedinto my restaurant that evening, contemplating giving me another chance, Istill would have delivered his punishment for his past behavior.

I’d always brushed off my cousin’s antics in the past because I’dlearned to tolerate him, thinking because he was family I had to. But the olderwe got, the more I realized I truly despised him. He didn’t possess one goodquality—none I knew of, at least. Then again, I chose not to interact with himunless I absolutely had to.

The only thing I knew about my dear cousin was that essentiallyhe was alone, never having found anyone to connect with and share his shittylife with. He had money and the Devera looks, but he was an asshole.

Selfish. It was one of the best words to describe him.

I rolled up the cuffs of my sleeves, never saying a word as Itackled him to the ground. Surprise lit up his face as we rolled aroundtogether, my fists landing everywhere on his unsuspecting body.

His grunts only fueled me more. “Don’t you ever go near Saraagain,” I bellowed, my fist splitting the side of his lip. “Or I’ll kill you. Doyou understand me?” I gripped him by the shirt, raised him up and landedanother hit to his jaw, throwing his head to the side with the force of myblow.

Something inside me snapped and I took it out on Cameron. Most ofit he deserved, but some of it he took because I couldn’t control myself.

My fist was pulled back, ready to unleash another wave of angerwhen all of a sudden, a quick surge of energy pulsed through him and he managedto throw me off him.

Then he attacked.

While his moves were all over the place, effectively fromwhatever he was on, he managed to catch me in the face. In the eye, to beexact. It hurt like a bitch, and I knew I was going to have one hell of ashiner for sure.

But for every one of the hits he’d been able to land, I returnedten. He was going to look pretty battered and bruised when I was done with him.

We went at it for what felt like forever, but only five minuteshad passed since I’d dragged him outside. Thankfully, no patrons were millingaround outside the restaurant, so our scuffle was done in private. Or asprivate as a dark alleyway would allow.

Cameron never said a word while we went at each other. I think hewas still in shock I’d actually attacked him. Whatever the reason, his silencewas the smartest decision he ever made, because his voice alone would only fuelhis beating.

Finally, after I’d expended all the energy I had in me, Istaggered to my feet and stepped back. Glaring down at his battered body, Idragged him out of the alleyway and propped him against the far end of thebuilding. It was late, but someone would surely find him. While he was outcold, he was nowhere near death’s door. Just a good ol’-fashioned beating waswhat he’d endured.

Entering the restaurant through the back entrance was a smartdecision. I didn’t want to listen to Kael lecture me. Plus, we still hadcustomers, and how would it look if one of the owners appeared back insidelooking the way I did?

My hair was mussed.

My shirt was splattered with blood.

My knuckles were raw, and my eye was swelling.

Disappearing into my office, I cleaned myself up quickly andchanged my clothes. The only evidence I’d been in a fight was from my eye, butit wasn’t too bad yet.

How it would look in twenty-four hours would be a differentstory.

~~~~

I couldn’t wait any longer. After giving her the night to thinkthings through, I walked toward her apartment. Waiting longer than I normallywould have, I knocked on her door. Pacing back and forth, I prayed she didn’tsend Alexa out to tell me she didn’t want to see me.

We had an unbreakable connection, and I only hoped Sara realizedwhat a rare thing it was. I knew I messed up. Big-time. But I vowed to make itup to her for the rest of my life, if she only gave me the chance to do so.

I wasn’t sure what more I could say to convince her how sorry Iwas for everything I’d put her through.AllI knew was I couldn’t wait one more second to see her, to breathe her in andhold her in my arms.

I knocked on the door one more time, waiting for my future togreet me on the other side.

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