Page 29 of Guarded Rebellion

“Regardless of your stubborn opinions about this fallacy of independence,” I told her as we got out of the car in the parking garage, “you can’t afford to be this stupid.”

She growled, turning on me as we walked to slap me. “Don’t call me stupid!”

I grabbed her, wrapping my arms around her as I carried her the rest of the way to the elevator. Roughly letting her down, I watched as she slammed her back to the wall. I pushed the button to go up. “Don’t act stupid, then.”

She lunged forward to slap me again, and I stopped her hand midair, using the opportunity to spin her in my arms and hold her tight. Her back to my chest, we both heaved for air and panted from the rush.

“Women have been drugged on campus lately,” I told her.

“Yeah, I know.” She wrestled to get away to no avail. “ButI’mnot. It was a fucking study group, Lev. Not a rave.”

“And there have been rapes,” I added.

“Again, yeah. I know! But that doesn’t impactme. Because I’m not on campus. And I’m always with one of the soldiers!”

I tightened my arms around her. “That doesn’t matter. You could do better than to act so careless and kiss some random fucking idiot. One who’s been seen with the ones raping those drugged women.” I let that nugget sink into her brain. Marcus was the one who’d found out that detail, and while it justified my not wanting her to be near Bryce, it didn’t excuse my jealousy of another man having dibs on her.

I released her when we reached the door to the apartment, but I didn’t let her go far. Taking her arm again, I dismissed the smoothness of her skin on her wrist. I ignored the charge of a shock that warmed me from making physical contact with her. Now wasn’t the time for it. It would never be.

“I hope you’ll learn your lesson and think twice about associating with a potential threat again,” I told her. “Consider this your first lesson of discipline from your ‘overlord asshole’.”

She didn’t flinch, keeping her neck craned so she could face me with fury written on her gorgeous face.

“You’re not going anywhere tomorrow. You’re staying in this apartment where you can use this time out to think about your mistake.”

12

EVA

Kelly:I can’t believe he’s not letting you come to class.

I narrowed my eyes at my phone, smirking at the screen.

I can.I had no problem stretching my imagination for this scenario to happen. Lev wasn’t a guy who just talked the talk. He walked the walk. Bluffs didn’t apply to a hardcore man who didn’t play around or say something he didn’t mean. He’d tortured enemies to the family. He’d killed for the Boss. Lev didn’t give empty promises—or threats.

True to his word, he “grounded” me. All last night, into today, I was kept inside the apartment as a lesson. As a disciplinary measure.

The fucker.

Eva:He was mad.

Kelly:I’ll say. He looked like he was capable of murder when he saw you kiss Bryce.

“Heiscapable of murder, Kel…” I whispered aloud.

The device buzzed with an incoming FaceTime call from her. I sighed and shifted higher on my bed before I answered. “Hey.”

She was walking outside, just leaving the lecture hall from the looks of the sky in the background. An umbrella covered her,but I saw the sky behind it. Wet snow fell, and I snuggled into the warmth of my bed. “Huh. I was thinking you’d look madder.”

“Oh, I’m mad,” I replied. I was livid with Lev. And I was frustrated with myself, too. After his distracted mood with all those calls, I worried that he’d be taken off my security. That was when I hatched the idea of pushing him, of being disobedient just to get his attention, but that wasn’t what happened at the library.

“Well, you got what you asked for.” She grinned, shifting her bag and making her end go skewed for a moment. I almost thought she’d drop her phone. “Don’t lie. You kissed him just to make Lev jealous.”

I pulled my lips in and bit down. “Maybe.”

“Ha! There’s nomaybeabout it.” She waggled her brows. “I’ll say you got the reaction you were hoping for, then.”

I rubbed my hand down my face. “Yes and no.”

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