Page 43 of Tempted By Sin

He takes my silence as answer enough.

“I fucking knew it.” He runs his hand through his hair and shakes his head. “I can smell men’s cologne on you even from here.”

The mention of cologne kicks me back into reality, and I frown. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the women’s perfume clinging to the collar of your shirt for months, Liam.”

He stands and slams his hands down on the countertop, his eyes locked with mine. “Stop trying to change the subject. You’re cheating on me.”

“I’m changing the subject?” I ask, exasperated. “You’re one to talk. You’re accusing me of cheating on you because you can smell men’s cologne? I work with male clients every day, so it could be because of that. You, on the other hand, come home smelling of women’s perfume and often times have lipstick smudged on your collar. Don’t think for a second that I’m some sort of idiot because I’m not, Liam.”

His jaw ticks as he regards me, his gaze hard. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t try to tell me I’m wrong because I know what I’ve seen. So before you start accusing me of something, maybe you should check yourself first.”

He opens his mouth to say something, but instead, he grabs the glass beside him and launches it at the wall beside me. I gasp and cover my face. Tiny shards of glass nick at my arms, but not enough to seriously hurt me.

“I can’t even look at you right now.” He pushes away from the island. “I’m sleeping in the spare room tonight.”

And with that, he storms away, leaving me to clean up the mess he created and pick my heart up off the floor. I stare after him, at a loss for words as to what just happened. The look in his eyes is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and his anger was brutal. But what hurts the most is that he refuses to take accountability for his actions, claiming I’m the only one in the wrong.

I lower to my knees, scanning the pieces of glass surrounding me. I should take this as my sign to leave Liam because it’s clear neither of us are happy, but I have my mother and her health to think about. If I leave now, she won’t get the help she needs. But if I stay, I have to live with a man who doesn’t care about me like I thought he did.

With a sigh, I scoop the shards into a pile, ignoring the sharp pain shooting up my arms as the glass slices into my fingers.

What the hell am I doing?

CHAPTERTWENTY

Ace

It’s takingeverything in me not to snap the motherfucker’s neck. But I have to wait and be patient. Not only am I in public, watching as the rat lurks the street, his beady eyes following women as they pass by, but I can’t give myself away.

Not yet.

I lean against the streetlamp beside me, my eyes locked on the man I now know as Johnnie Abrams. After my encounter with him three nights ago when he attempted to mug my little bird, I did some digging into him and used my connections to learn everything I could about him.

Nothing of importance turned up. He is nothing but a common street thug who is well-known to the police for his petty crimes, and yet, he still has the ability to stalk the streets, searching for his next victim. But not for much longer once I get my hands on him.

Johnnie leans against the wall of a building beside a dark alleyway, much like the one Paetyn walks every night after work. A cigarette hangs from his lips as he lights the end of it. With it being almost midnight, there aren’t many people walking the streets, which is good for me.

From my spot in the shadows across the street, I watch as he exhales a puff of smoke and pulls out his phone. I’ve been watching him for hours since I followed Paetyn home after work, ensuring she got home safe. Although she knew I was there, she didn’t try to speak to me or even look in my direction. It annoyed me because, after the night we shared together, I had expected there to be a shift between us, but it seems she still wants to play hard to get.

Lucky for her, I’m not one to give up easily on something I want.

This is the first time tonight Johnnie is alone and away from watchful eyes. If he isn’t hanging around with his sleazy friends, laughing like hyenas, then he’s always on the move, walking the streets as if he has no destination in mind.

But now, he’s alone and distracted.

It’s the perfect time to strike.

I push off the streetlamp and shove my hands deep into the pockets of my leather jacket. Sticking to the shadows, I make my way across and approach Johnnie. He’s too distracted laughing at something on his phone and puffing on the cigarette between his teeth to see me coming–or the fist that collides with the side of his face.

A deep groan bubbles from within his throat as his hand flies up to cup his red cheek. His phone clatters to the ground, as does the cigarette. When his eyes meet mine, fear immediately consumes them, and his face falls.

“Y-you—”

“Yes, me. Your worst nightmare.” I grab the front of his stained white T-shirt and land another punch to his swollen cheekbone, smiling when I feel the bone crack under the force. “I believe you fucked with the wrong woman last night, and you’re going to learn what the consequences are for touching what’s mine.”

Blood drips from his face as his eyes widen. “No, no, no—”

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