Page 50 of Blue

The guy spit another glob of blood onto the ground. “She ain’t just your girl. Sam will be looking for her.”

I squatted in front of him and lowered my voice. “Sam already found her.”

His gaze shifted from me to Kiss.

“Look at her again, and she’ll be the last thing you ever see. Forget you know her. She’s mine now.”

Kiss moved in close behind me. I grasped her hand and walked away. Muscles burned. The surge of energy hadn’t abated. I was fucking pissed, and so fucking proud of Kiss.

We got to the bike. I touched her face. “I should fucking kill him for hurting you.”

She dabbed the blood under her nose. “This is kind of my fault. I was so scared when he forced me into the bathroom, I didn’t fight. But then something just snapped inside me. I think I was fighting him as much as I was fighting myself.”

When she dipped her head and lowered her gaze, I pinched her chin and lifted her face. We were alone in the darkened parking lot, but her eyes still shined withunshed tears. I traced the darkening finger marks on her face from where he’d clamped his hand over her mouth.

“I still have cravings,” she confessed, and those tears spilled onto her cheeks. “I wanted the heroin. But I’m not going to use.”

I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tight to my chest.

“I saw it in your eyes. You thought I wanted those drugs.”

I pressed my lips to her forehead. “I’m sorry.”

She held me tighter. “But I did. I wanted those drugs. Sometimes, getting high seems so much easier than fighting this.” She tilted her head back. “But then I’d be in that bathroom, shooting up, and worried about the next fix.” Another wash of tears slipped from her eyes. “And I wouldn’t have us. I’m scared I need you more than I ever needed black.”

Kiss should’ve been able to trust that I had her back. She’d promised, and I hadn’t really believed her. I believed Bullet, Romeo, Rogue…everyone but Kiss. Because they all said she’d go back to black.

And I never thought she’d choose me.

Chapter Eight

Blue

No lights were on in the house when we rode into the driveway. I pulled my bike along the side of the garage. My heart thundered as Kiss slipped the key into the lock and opened the side door. With just the light from the streetlamps, I followed her down the hall and into her room.

As soon as the door closed, I backed her against it and slid my mouth over hers. She kept her hands at her side, one holding her helmet, and the other curled into a fist. Without me having to explain, she understood what I needed from her. Yet, I’d fucked up. I’d left her alone and vulnerable. I rested my forehead against hers. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want this to be awkward between us. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

I took her helmet from her fingers and set both mine and hers on the dresser along with the gun we’d taken off the loser in the bathroom. Tomorrow, I’d give it to Rogue. And I’d tell him about the trouble I still seemed to find.

But tonight, I just needed this girl. I took her hand and led her to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet while I turned on the water to warm.

“What happened?” I dampened a washcloth and carefully wiped the blood from her face.

“Jonesy and Hunter are former Crawlers.” She stared into my eyes as I gently washed her cheek. “I used to get high with them. Jonesy is Sam’s source for black. He said since he couldn’t find Sam to pay his debt, he’d take payment from me.”

She rubbed her hands on her thighs, but I could still see the trembling in her fingers.

“You gotta let me protect you.”

“You did.” She took the moist cloth from my hands and started wiping the blood from my knuckles. “When they approached me, I froze. I didn’t know how they’d react to me being with a Heller. They’d have the advantage.”

“Advantage is in here.” I tapped my temple.

“Not if they have guns. Jonesy is always carrying. And I knew how you’d react. You’re a fucking Heller, and Hellers like to fight.”

“This Heller doesn’t like to fight, but I’m going to protect you. Don’t tell me he didn’t hurt you when I can see the blood and bruises.”

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