Page 67 of Switching Graves

“Sure. We’ll say that.” Standing, I shrug and turn toward the door. My head is pounding from the blood rushing through it as my cortisol levels skyrocket, but I’m so close to getting out of here without it being blatantly obvious that he’s affecting me.

“I’m late for my next class. Send me an email with the details of the TA position, and I’ll consider it.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “I’ve insulted you.”

“No, I’ve just realized that you’re not a person I enjoy being in the same room with for any extended period.”

Turning away again, I make it one step toward the door before he’s standing in front of me, blocking my way out. A large hand wraps around the side of my neck, pulling my back into his chest until his mouth lines up with my ear. I pull away, but he only strengthens his grip.

“I’m man enough to admit I was bothered watching you suffer through his blind assault on your body,” he whispers in a heady breath that sends shockwaves down my spine, and my grip against the doorframe goes slack. “Believe me, Little Nightmare, if it were my tongue buried inside of you, there wouldn’t be a single thing that could distract you. God himself could appear above your head, and you’d have no idea.”

His fingers release their grip on me, and I’m nearly catapulted down the stairs before I catch myself on the door jamb and stumble forward. When I turn back toward him, he’s already taken a few steps back, distancing himself.

“Have a nice evening, Miss Ellery,” he coos in an unctuous tone, as if nothing happened.

I don’t bother arguing. Every cell in my body is screaming for me to put as much distance between me and this man as possible, and I have no intention of ignoring them.

36

Raze

My father was a despicable man, capable of many atrocities that would have inevitably landed him in prison had he not found an early grave. But there was one place that even he drew the line, and that was disrespecting a woman.

If he detected so much as a sliver of attitude from me or Bane toward our mother, he was quick to correct it. Even when he was spat on and cursed by the women in town for the things he was forced to do for the Syndicate, he bit his tongue and took the lashing without argument.

I’d like to think I’m nothing like him—however delusional that may be—but that’s one mindset I can’t disagree with.

So, when I heard my useless, trust fund asshat assistant attempted to drug the Ellery girl, I couldn’t help but see red. Though she’s a being born from my worst nightmare, she still deserves the basic level of respect to decide what happens to her body. It’s bad enough the piece of shit disrespected her with thatsorry display—one that has already gotten him fired. But to think he attempted to do it without her consent?

That can’t go unpunished, regardless of his pedigree.

Luckily, I’m perfectly capable of ensuring it doesn’t.

I wait outside, utilizing the shadows cast by the setting sun from the tree line beside Devlin so no one notices me. I’ve got a black mask secured around my head, obscuring the bottom half of my face. Right on schedule, Hayes shoves open the heavy wooden door to head toward his evening lecture.

Without an ounce of hesitation, I rush toward him and wrap one gloved hand around the back of his neck and the other around his mouth, then drag him back to my hiding spot.

“What the fuck?” he grumbles, fighting to stand upright. With a hard shove, I release my grip and throw him to the ground, where he lands directly on his hip with a painful hiss.

“We’re going to get straight to the point,” I tell him, lowering my voice enough to make it unrecognizable to him. “You tried to rape a woman on campus. I’m here to ensure that this never happens again.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He shoves his heels into the dirt to scoot away from me.

I dig my boot into his shin in response, and he cries out in pain. I refuse to use anything other than my bare hands for this. I need to feel every ounce of agony he experiences. “Shut the fuck up, or I’ll break it.”

He obeys, clamping his mouth shut.

“I’d say that if you resort to using drugs just to get a woman to fuck you, you don’t deserve the use your dick.”

His eyes widen in recognition as he clenches his legs together.

“But since I don’t want to touch that thing with a ten-foot pole,” I continue, then lean forward to close the distancebetween us. “I’ll settle for breaking your arm, so evenyoucan’t get yourself off.”

With one swift move, I jerk my hands until I hear a loud, satisfying snap. Hayes cries out even louder this time, and I don’t bother shutting him up. There’s too much satisfaction in the sound of his torment.

He rolls on his back, his face contorted in pure agony as he cradles his arm.

“Stay the fuck away from Poppy Ellery, or next time you won’t be walking away at all,” I threaten, then turn my back and walk away.

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