Page 158 of Steel

As soon as Iopen the chapel door, dread shoots down my spine.

Rachel steps up in front of Bailee and her posture is combative.

I hurry over, the chain of my wallet smacking against my thigh.

“He was fucking two of us the night you called, you know,” Rachel says smugly, crossing her arms over her chest in delight.

Bailee lifts a brow, her fingers wrapped around the neck of a beer bottle. “I mean, are you wanting congratulations? A pat on the back? A damn cookie or something? I’m sure there’s very few here he hasn’t fucked.”

“That’s enough,” I bark, stepping up beside Bailee and grabbing the bottle from her before chugging half of it down.

Bailee turns her back on Rachel and smiles at me. “Don’t worry about it, bossman. I didn’t have any claim on you then.”

Rachel doesn’t take Bailee turning her back on her well, and before I can step in front of her, she shoves Bailee hard enough that her stomach rams into a table.

If I hadn’t been paying so close attention to my woman, I’d have missed the way the darkness flows over her face. My sweet girl disappears, and a new savage side of her makes an appearance.

As I’m processing, Bailee twirls around and yanks the bottle from my hand, smashing it against the edge of the table until sharp, jagged edges remain.

She grabs Rachel’s hair at the same time and slams her face into the table.

Blood pours down Rachel’s face and drips to the wood when Bailee lifts her head back up. She holds the sharp edge of the bottle to Rachel’s neck, right at her jugular.

Rachel whimpers when she pushes in enough that a trickle of blood slides out from under the glass. One wrong move and Rachel will be choking on her life force.

“Bailee,” I caution, holding my hands out to the side.

“You just had to go and touch me, didn’t you?” Bailee growls, her voice drenched in darkness. “Why? Over a man neither of us have claim to? Just because I’m friendly and sweet and I don’t like to cause violence doesn’t mean I didn’t grow up around it. I grew up suffering at the hands of a man who used it on me more than just occasionally.” She leans close to Rachel’s face. “I grew up with a monster bigger than you.”

Bailee tosses Rachel to the floor and calmly sets the broken bottle on the table.

I reach for Bailee, but she steps out of my way.

“You need to leave me alone right now,” she snaps. “I need to fucking breath.”

Bailee notices the small crowd that’s gathered around us. Discomfort flits along her face, but she straightens her clothes and wipes her hands on a napkin from the table. Then she smiles at the group of stunned people.

Her eyes search through them, touching on each of the club whores before resting on Rachel. “Do better, ladies. Be better. You can do what you’re doing and be who you are while still having morals and respect for yourselves and others.” She turns to me, her eyes carefully blank. “I’m stepping outside. Give me a few.”

She turns from the room and walks calmly out the door.

I keep my eyes on her until the door shuts behind her, cutting off my view.

My fists clench at my sides as the one person who was holding my anger at bay is no longer around.

Slowly, I twist around, the madness already creeping under my skin as I stare at Rachel’s whimpering form.

“Steel,” Wraith warns warily, but I ignore him.

“You,” I growl, stepping toward her. “You are on thin fuckin’ ice after this stunt. If it was up to me, you’d already be gone.” I squat down, relishing in the fear that sparks in her eyes. “Get it through your fuckin’ head.I am not yours.”

Need pounds through my veins, urging me to go check on my woman.

I stand up and turn away, dismissing Rachel. “Keep her the fuck away from me.”

Wraith nods, stepping to the side so I can get by him.

Bailee is sitting on one of the picnic tables, the sun highlighting her beautiful delicate features in a beam of light.

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