Page 17 of Guarded Rebellion

If looks could kill… I would’ve been six feet under.

At lunch, Kelly made it clear that she wasn’t fond of the bad mood clouding over Eva. I had yet to speak much with the blonde, but she didn’t annoy me. Not like Eva did. Kelly could be sweet and soft spoken. Shy, even, and lacking the defiance Eva wanted to funnel my way.

“Are you going to order anything?” Kelly asked before she tapped the screen for the café’s order.

Eva sat upright. “Don’t ask him that.”

Kelly sighed, letting her shoulders slump. “Why not? He’s sitting here. We’ll be eating. It’d be rude?—”

“Ignore him.”

Kelly scoffed. “Easier said than done.”

“Ignore him,” Eva instructed, looking at me with disdain. “He’s just there. Not as a friend. Not a guest. Just athing. A hulky asshole of a thing.”

“Look, I don’t even want to know why he’s gotta be here or why you need protection you clearly don’t want, but can’t you two pretend to get along?” She raised her brows at me. “Or can’t you sit at another table like you usually do?”

No.I could, but I wanted to make a stand with Eva. She was getting too damn headstrong, trying to talk to any and every man she could—and I knew she was doing it just to piss me off.

“Yeah. Go away, Lev.” Eva flicked her hands at me. “Shoo.”

I responded by grabbing the arm of her chair beneath the table and dragging her closer. “No.”

Eva pressed her lips together, almost trembling with rage. She barely ate, pushing her food around even after Rurik came to join us. Kelly checked out, scrolling on her phone, and I couldn’t blame her.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Eva announced as she shoved her chair back. When I moved to follow her, Kelly mumbled, “Oh, boy.”

“Andyouare not following me.” Eva stood and scowled at me.

“You don’t tell me what I can and cannot do,” I replied.

“Hey.” Rurik stood, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I’ll see her there.”

Once they left, I met Kelly’s gaze. She shook her head. “I’m not saying anything.”

“I didn’t ask you to speak.”

“Doallwomen need permission in your world? To breathe? To do anything?” She sneered as she glanced aside.

“Your comments are not welcome. Nor are they necessary.”

She shrugged and gathered her wrappers to throw away. “I guess it’s a damn good thing I’m not a woman in your world, or hers.”

I didn’t stop her from leaving the table and heading off to her next class. Instead of sitting at a table where I wasn’t eating by myself, I got up to join Rurik in the hallway.

I found him further down toward the end of the corridor, his phone to his ear and his face lined with worry. He held up a finger at me in the universal sign for me to wait, but then he pointed at where my charge was.

Eva had exited the restroom already. She stood with her back against the wall while Bryce stood in front of her. He was smiling, rubbing his hand on her elbow. Her fingers were clutching the lapels of his leather jacket as she grinned slyly at him.

I didn’t need to be any closer to know what she was doing. A woman only gazed at a man like that when she wanted to be kissed. Or fucked. Eva was vying for his complete attention, and it was more than enough to make me snap.

Without hesitation, I stalked over and tugged him back from her.

It was the second time today that I’d physically hauled him away from Eva, and if I had to do it ten times more, I would.

“What the fuck, man?” Bryce straightened his jacket, frowning at me.

I gave him one look, stepping into Eva’s place, and that was all it took for him to shake his head and walk away, muttering something.

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