Page 59 of Roses and Skulls

“If…” she stops, taking a deep breath. “If I tell you, it doesn’t change anything. I’m not going to stop working at the bar.”

She crosses her arms across her chest when I don’t respond, the whoosh of blood pumps in my ears as my anger soars.

“Did that asshole, Draven, touch you?” I ask, deadly calm. I’m already picturing how I’m going to peel the skin away from his body.

“Elijah,” she reaches out and touches the side of my face. “It’s okay, he didn’t. I mean, it was nothing, really.” Again, her teeth pinch her bottom lip. “He just, well, he pressed his lips to mine. Just once, and I stopped him.” She pauses and drops her head. “It was no big deal,” she finishes quietly.

There are several ways I could handle this. A call to any member of the club would be the easiest, less messy way, for me that is. But I believe in handling my own business. Not that I’m above asking for help. Just like tonight, I needed to find her, and I wasn’t above asking Dirk for help to do that.

I place my hand on the back of her head and she releases a tiny sob. It sure doesn’t sound like no big deal. In fact, I think it was quite the opposite.

Her fingernails dig into the skin on her arms.

“Let me erase him from your memory,” I tell her.

She shakes her head back and forth, swiping angrily at her tears. “I don’t think you understand. My dad will literally kill you if he finds out about the other day at the bar. You’re crazy if you think we can do more,” she coughs.

But I saw the flash of electric blue that sparked in her eyes. She might be able to hide from everyone else, but I see her. Oh, do I see her. They have no idea just how powerful this woman is going to be. I knew it was going to take a strong man to walk beside her.

I should thank Dirk for doing such a good job of keeping her locked away for me and only me.

Draven is just a little annoyance. A blip on the radar. One I’m going to eliminate.

“Oh, we’re going to do more.” I grab her around the neck and hoist her up and out of her chair. “Much more,” I say as I drag her face towards mine.

Chapter Fourteen

Billie Rose

Elijah is backing me up the stairs with his hand around my throat.

“The next little game we will be playing is called truth or dare,” he says, content with the pace he’s set for us.

“Um, I think you’ve gotten the wrong impression of me,” I tell him, my mind skittering through the pros and cons of letting this continue. Because I know he’ll stop if I ask him to. Yeah, yeah, he’ll stop. Won’t he?

When we get to the top of the steps, he flips the light on and glances around the room.

“Elijah, I can’t do this,” I whisper quickly, my stomach doing a huge flip at the sight of the bed.

I’m out in the middle of nowhere with a man I’m not sure I know.

His warm brown eyes meet mine. The satisfied grin he gives me, makes me feel funny. “Good girl,” he says, walking me over to the bed and gently pushing me down on the mattress.

I’m so confused. Why is he praising me for telling him no?

He rolls me to my side and then curls up behind me. He reaches over and flicks the switch by the bed, shutting the light off.

I lie there, frozen, his body is pressing into mine with each breath he takes. I wait and wait and when several minutes pass, I break the silence.

“Is that it?” I ask, starring at the wall.

He raises his head off the pillow and lays his cheek against mine. “Billie Rose, I will never force you to do something you’re not ready for. I’m happy you told me. I was hoping you would stop me. It’s easier than me having to stop myself.”

“But you were so…”

“It was a test.” He kisses me on the temple. “I want to do bad things to you, Billie Rose, and I will… when you’re ready.”

A test? A fucking test?

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