Page 582 of Rage

I can see the torment in his fierce gray eyes—the pulse of guilt echoing in the space between us. My heart softens slightly, yet the anger remains, like embers refusing to extinguish.

"You’re the one who escalated things! I had it handled! You don't get to decide for me! And why the hell do you walk around with syringes filled with drugs?" I cry out, my mind racing with what this means for me. My father will come for me now; he’s probably already on his way to wherever the hell we are.

"You have no idea what you were dealing with, Raine. I can protect you," he assures with a firm voice that leaves no room for argument.

I cross my arms defiantly, raising my chin as I glare at him with challenge. "How can I trust you, Huxley? You’re basically a stranger, and you just drugged and kidnapped me. How do I know this isn't all part of your plan?"

His silence stretches, and for a moment, the air thickens between us. I can feel the pulse of tension as he searches for the right words, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

"I understand why you’d feel that way, I truly do. But you have to trust me when I say I would never hurt you… not intentionally. I care for you, Raine, more than I should."

"Trust? What does that even mean anymore?" I shoot back, recalling the shadows of betrayal that loom large from my past. My father’s unorthodox teachings have ingrained a profound sense of caution in me, an armor that is now hard to peel away.

"Look, Huxley, whatever Jason's done, it doesn’t mean you can just drug and kidnap me," I retort, my voice laced with an assertive annoyance that just poses against the uncertainty swirling within me.

He meets my gaze head-on, his jaw clenched tightly, a taut string ready to snap. "What Jason did? He threatened your life, and who knows what else, and you’re worried about what I did?" His incredulity is mirrored in my heart, pounding with a mixture of fear and something else—curiosity, perhaps?

"You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into. I may be a stranger to you, but think about it, Raine. I’m the only one whoseems to care enough to risk everything to protect you. I don’t want to see you hurt, and I won’t let that happen."

In that moment, the fire in his eyes softens, morphing into something vulnerable yet fierce. I feel it too, that tumultuous need to believe, the sheer desperation to latch onto whatever light he offers in the tempest of my confusion.

But trust is a hard currency, one I struggle to trade. "I don’t understand why you care so much," I whisper, my frail resolve cracking under the weight of vulnerability. "You’ve barely even spoken to me before last night."

Huxley shifts closer, the heat radiating off him drawing me in like a moth to a flame. His fingers brush along my jawline, his touch gentle yet electric, igniting a shiver that ricochets through my body.

"I'm not your enemy, Raine. I promise. Let me prove it to you."

The pleading in his voice almost breaks me, and the walls I’ve built around myself sway, threatening to crumble into the warmth of his sincerity. The realization of how touch starved I’ve been hits me like a freight train. It’s been so long since anyone has shown me genuine care, and the intensity of his gaze makes my heart ache with longing I didn’t know I had. But I can’t afford to let my guard down. Not now.Not ever.

"I can't trust you," I whisper, heart racing at the conflicting emotions raging within me.

"You don't have a choice, Raine," he replies, the firmness of his tone slicing through my confusion like a knife.

"Just let me go. Please." The desperation in my plea clashes violently with the undeniable chemistry crackling between us.

Huxley moves closer, his presence overwhelming. He leans in, ghosting his warm breath over my skin, making every nerve in my body tingle with anticipation.

"I can't. You'll have to trust me. I'll protect you, Raine." The way he says my name sends ripples of excitement coursing through me.

Closing my eyes, I take a shaky breath, the tension between us palpable.

Why does my heart scream that maybe he’s the most dangerous of all when my body aches for his touch?

I shake myself out of the haze, desperately trying to regain my composure. My heart pounds in my chest, the rhythm chaotic and wild, a frantic scream that warns me of the danger lurking so close.Is the danger Huxley or my father?

"I don't have a choice, do I?" I whisper, the ghost of defiance lingering in my tone. The air thrums with electricity as Huxley, the mystery that both entices and terrifies me, leans even closer.

"No," he confesses, his voice low and dangerous, laced with an undertone of authority that sends shivers down my spine. He cups my cheek, warmth radiating from his hands as they caress my skin, momentarily shielding me from the storm brewing inside me.

My heart dares to dream of safety, yet the part of me that screams caution knows better. His eyes hold secrets that could shatter my world.

“I need you to trust me,” he repeats as his lips tentatively press against mine.

Fear and desire wage a war within me, each battling for dominance. My mind screams to pull away, to protect myself from the unknown danger that Huxley represents. But my body betrays me, leaning into his touch, craving the warmth and safety he promises.

"You think you can just sweep in, mess with my life, and make everything alright? To protect me from what? Your demons?" I challenge, anger swirling with an undeniable allure that pulls me toward him.

"No, not my demons, dammit. Your demons—Jason, your father, the life you've been living. You may not see it, but you’re in deeper than you realize. I won’t stand by and watch you get hurt."

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