Page 126 of Safe and Sound

“Since you came on to me, I imagined you felt the same.”

Rubbing the forehead from my growing headache, I replied, “I was confused.”

“You were confused, so you ripped the buttons of my shirt and then let me fuck you three times?”

I groaned as his words sent a reel of last night’s events playing in my mind. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Can you honestly say you don’t have feelings for me?” Dare asked.

“No. I don’t.”

“Liar,” he growled.

Regardless of the ache in my chest, I wouldn’t let Dare know the truth. “Fine. I do feel for you because you’re the father of my child.”

“Bullshit, Ava. You cared for me before Piper was conceived.”

“While that might be true, time has altered those feelings.”

Dare’s jaw clenched. “You’re still hung up about what you saw four years ago.”

“How can I not be?”

“Because that’s not who I truly am!” he shouted.

Motioning my hand, I replied, “Would you please keep it down? You’re going to wake up Piper.”

Ignoring me, Dare swept out of the bed. “Where are you going?”

“Away from your hypocritical bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

As he stood before me in all his naked glory, I tried ignoring the shudder of desire that ran through my body. I don’t know what it was about being near Dare that was my kryptonite.

“Deep down, we both know you’re a hypocrite. You use me when it serves your purpose to kill your ex. As you exploit that side of me, you refuse to acknowledge my other sides.”

“Do you want to know what a truly evil clan member does?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, you’re going to listen. I want you to understand what I’ve been through.” Dare jerked a hand through his hair. “One of the earliest memories of my life was my father backhanding me so hard that I fell down a flight of stairs.”

At my gasp of horror, he continued on. “It was nothing personal. He beat my mother and brothers as well. He delighted in pain and torture. After a while, I became conditioned to him hurting me.”

“Oh Dare,” I murmured.

He didn’t acknowledge my words. He was so lost in the pain of the past that he might not have even heard me.

At the haunted look that came over Dare’s face, I desperately wanted to wrap my arms around him. To somehow ease the overwhelming pain inside of him. But I remained rooted to my spot.

“But then he wounded me emotionally far greater than he ever could have physically.” His gaze locked with mine. “He took the only girl I’d ever loved away from me.”

“How?” I whispered.

“He shot her in the head as I held her in my arms.”

A horrified gasp escaped my lips. “Why?”

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