Page 38 of The Pretty Psycho

"I'll help."

I started moving off of the bed at a snail's pace, when he barked, "No!" I looked up to see him now glaring at me. "You're barefoot and I don't want you cutting yourself."

"But—"

"No, Vega. Stay put. I got this." Oh, he got it all right.

He moved, giving me the side view of his body, and I suddenly realized why he jumped off the bed as if the hounds of hell were chasing him.

Adrian wanted me something fierce, and he respected me enough not to do anything about it. Not yet.

But I wasn't gonna wait too long. I wasn't gonna let Tyler steal this from me too.

So I pulled my feet up and wrapped my arms around my legs, placing my chin on top of my knees as I watched him work in the kitchen. "So," I started. "You play piano, you cook, you're able to fight," I sighed. "Is there anything you're not able to do?"

He looked at me over his shoulder, ignoring the broken shards of the plate he had in front of him. "I'm not your Prince Charming, Vega," he grumbled, as if he wasn't happy by that fact. "I'm not perfect."

"Oh, I know. Trust me. You punched me the first time you saw me."

"The second time," he said.

"What?"

"I punched you the second time I saw you. The first time I saw you I wanted to take you from that train and run far, far away."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because you looked like you would chop off my balls if I even tried." He smiled, making me laugh.

"I probably would've."

"But yeah, I'm not a good guy, babe. I'm more of a villain, but I'm fine with it. I'm fine being the villain as long as I have you." Something tightened around my heart because this man who'd tended to my wounds and held me as I cried truly thought he was the villain.

He had no idea that I would rather have him the way he was, even as angry as I was, than some Prince Charming, some so-called good guy, because those types would never lift me up over their shoulder and carry me to their cabin because I refused to go with them in the first place.

A prince would never destroy the world for me, and something told me Adrian had no problem destroying everything just to have me.

12

ADRIAN

My arms tightened around Vega,keeping my eyes closed for just a couple of more seconds, ignoring the vibrations coming from my phone charging on the nightstand. It hadn’t stopped ringing for a couple of hours now, but most of the numbers weren't familiar, and those that were could wait. Jax and Dante were handling the transportation of the rest of The Brotherhood into the Academy, but I knew they needed me.

The cabin was still in total darkness when I finally opened my eyes, seeing the back of her head and then trailing over her body. The fact that I almost lost her made it almost impossible to sleep, but my body knew she was here, recognized the peace that washed over me as she pressed against me last night after we ate while reruns ofSupernaturalplayed on the TV.

My phone started vibrating again and I detangled myself from her, reaching for the goddamn device when she started protesting, seeking me out even in her sleep. A smile broke on my face, seeing her like this. There was still too much distrust in her beautiful eyes, even after I told her what weighed on my chest. What lived in my mind.

I used to be afraid of opening myself to other people, terrified of them using it against me, but for whatever reason, I wasn'tafraid with her. I wanted her to see me, to know me, to know all those deepest, darkest parts of my soul and my heart. There was no going back now.

I was addicted to her. Her touch, her scent, her smiles, and even her anger.

I wasn't lying when I told her I needed her to be okay, because I wouldn't be okay until that old flame returned to her eyes. It was still there, just dimmed, simmering beneath the surface, but we would get it back.

That motherfucker, Tyler… I was going to find him and make him pay for what he did. For taking what wasn't his to take.

I unlocked my phone, blinking at the glaring white light, still shaking off the sleep from my eyes. Just as suspected, Jax was the last one to call and it surprised me to see that it was already eight in the morning, mostly because I halfway expected them to come knocking at six.

I don't want to bother you, man, but we need you at the main building, was the last message from Jax, sent just fifteen minutes ago.

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