Page 154 of Pretty Little Lies

“Oh, you don’t?—”

“I fuck my girl,” he utters under his breath, those hazel cementing me to his gaze. “And I takecareof my girl, you hear me?”Fuck.Reeve’s stare grounds me into a submissive state and all I want to do is please this guy. “That’s my baby.” He gives me another small kiss, and I find myself chasing it when he pulls away.

“You’re a tease.”

“Says the tease.” He pecks my nose. “I’ll get the house in order, and I’ll finally get that bullet hole fixed up.”

My whole body locks up, because that bullet hole from the night those two dudes broke into my house is still hidden under aMy Little Ponyposter.

That’s when recognition suddenly dawns on his face that he said too much. That he’s been in my house before and knows about it.

Do you want more visits at night, Miss Astor, or was one enough?

My stomach suddenly knots in devastation that, all this time, I’ve been with the man who’s violated my space.

Who was there on one of the worst nights of my life.

“You were there, weren’t you?” Reeve opens his mouth, but I beat him to it. “You weretherewith that other guy. Youbrokeinto my house.”

“Bay—” I haul myself out of his grip, feeling the immediate loss of his comfort and every brick I’ve allowed to crumple just to let him in.

“Tellme that wasn’t you,” I order through my trembling jaw, fighting back the sob that wants to break free from my lips.

Deep in my gut, I know it was.

And I don’t want it to be.

He was there to hurt me and my family. And if it wasn’t for me breaking into their plan with my shotgun, who knows what would’ve happened.

“I want to hear you say it.”

Reeve averts his eyes, then releases a heavy and heartbreaking sigh. “Yeah, baby…it was me. I was there” I feel my heart crack inside my chest and loathe myself for getting too deep. I begin to step aside to get around his body, but Reeve’s hands seize my biceps, keeping me close and not allowing me the choice for space. “Don’tdo that.”

“You were there tokillmy dad. You were there on Emilio’s fucking orders tohurthim.”

Reeve’s nostrils flare, anger tinting his features, but he does what he always does. He tells me the truth. “But I didn’t.”

“Let me go, Reeve.”

“I didn’t know you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I carp out. “You would’ve killed him if it wasn’t formecoming out of my room.”

“I would have,” he admits, and it feels as though he slapped me across the face. That it would’ve been easy, quick, and nothing off his plate.

I jerk away from him, but Reeve only holds on tighter. His face hovers mine, and it takes everything in me not to smash my forehead into his. “Last warning…”

“C’mon, Bay. You know damn well I would never hurt you.”

“You almostdid.You would’ve caused devastation to my family.”

“Like I said, I didn’t know you. I didn’t know him. I was just on a quick job?—”

“I hate—” The cool and collected man in front of me heaves me to his chest, knocking some of the air out of me when he bares his teeth at me.

“Don’tsay that,” he leers through a growl. “If I had the opportunity, I would change it. If I would’ve known you, I wouldn’t have done it.”

“But now you do.”

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