Page 113 of All Your Hate

I know what Wynter’s financial situation was like before she had me to take care of her, so there’s no doubt she hasn’t been anywhere like this. “We can come back whenever you like. Anywhere you want to go or anything you want to do just say the word and I’ll make it happen.”

She eyes me curiously, but doesn’t say no. I like that she’s not afraid to spend my money.

Once we order drinks, we take them to a standing table away from the buzz of the crowd.

Wynter chews nervously on her lip as she fiddles with the cocktail stick in her drink. "Something wrong?" I ask her.

"I wish you didn't think you have to keep yourself private. You know all of me and I want to know every part of you as well." Her eyes meet mine and guilt stabs me in the heart. "Janine told me a bit about you."

How can Janine know anything?I keep my face an expressionless mask as I wait for her to spill whatever secret she seems to have found out.

When I don't say anything, she sighs. "You could have told me you have ADHD."

My entire body relaxes and I huff out a laugh. That's it. Fuck, I thought it was something else. Something much worse.

"Does that bother you?" I ask her.

"No, that's not what I meant."

Shrugging my shoulders, I tell her, "It's just another part of me. I didn't keep it from you, I just didn't think about sharing it. I was diagnosed as a kid. Most people say it's obvious once they know, but it's never bothered me enough to care. I forget shit all the time and can never find anything to hold my interest. Honestly the drugs and alcohol were the only things that helped."

"And you stopped all that for me?" She frowns.

"My love," I say reaching for her hand. "There are years worth of memories that are lost to me because of my habits. I'm not willing to lose anything I have with you. I want to remember every single second I can. That's why I stopped."

Wynter’s brow furrows as she looks behind me. “Bones?” I look around to see some guy I don’t recognize and turn back to face my girl.

“Bones it’s me, Jonah. We met here—”

“Fuck off,” I say, my tone and posture clearly uninterested as I don’t bother to give him another glance. I don’t remember the majority of the people I’ve slept with and the only one that I care to know about is opposite me. To my surprise, she’s glaring at him. Is that jealousy on my little viper’s face? I bite my cheek to stop myself from grinning too hard.

“But you said we—”

“My boyfriend told you to leave him alone,” Wynter says. Oh, that’s definitely jealousy on her and also possession. She’s staking her claim over me and I fucking love it. I sip at my drink as I watch her stare the man down. He doesn’t utter another word as he scurries off.

Tilting my head at her, I smile over my drink.

“What?” She frowns, shrugging her shoulders awkwardly and taking a drink.

“Thinking about it, I’d prefer it if you didn’t call me that.”

Wynter’s face pales. “Oh, I thought we were—”

Leaning my elbows on the table so my face is closer to hers I quietly say, “I’d much prefer love of my life, fiancé, future husband, husband-to-be, or even just husband.” I raise a finger for each one.

“You’re such a dick!” She laughs, swatting my hand down. “I’ll stick to boyfriend,ifI’m feeling generous, otherwise it’ll be asshole.” With a smug smile curving her pouty red lips she drinks her cocktail.

“You don’t want to know who that guy was?” I ask her.

“Why would I? Neither of us knows how many times I’ve been fucked and I’m not about to disclose the ones I do remember. I’m pretty sure you’d kill them if I told you,” she chuckles and she’s not wrong.

Changing the subject she asks, “Do you do this a lot? I know you still get rid of people that aren’t on my list.”

How does she know that? Reading my mind she says, “I can tell when you have. Sometimes I can smell the blood on you, other times you give it away with how hard you fuck me. After you’ve killed someone there’s this ferocity to you.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

She nods and smiles serenely at me. Fuck, my heart can’t take it when she looks at me like that. It makes me feel like even more of an asshole since all those kills she’s referring to have been for Dmitri. I’ve not taken on an actual job since killing Tommaso.

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