Page 41 of Bleed for Me

“That was a pretty lame way to show me your appreciation, don’t you think?” he drawled. “I did save your life, after all.”

And there it is. He does want something from me.

Swallowing thickly, I diverted my gaze to the wall behind him, refusing to get lost in his eyes. That was a mistake I’d made with Archer a couple of times now, and each time, he took advantage.

“I didn’t ask you to save me,” I snapped.

He reached out, gripping my jaw between his fingers before jerking my face to his, forcing me to look him in the eye. “Is that the game you want to play?” he demanded, a clear warning in his tone. “Because I know this won’t be the last time you end up at someone’s mercy here. Your decision right now, predicts whether I help you again.”

My breath hitched at his words. Protection. He was offering me protection. But at what cost?

Taking him up on his offer meant that I wouldn’t have to live in continuous fear. He would act as my own personal bodyguard of sorts. Archer’s warning from the day I officially met him rang in my ears:This place is filled with horrible people. Of people who want to take what isn’t there’s.I sucked in a sharp breath. I didn’t even know what it was that Jordan wanted from me, yet. How could I even consider this?

Did I even deserve protection at all? I didn’t protect Daisy when she needed it. My chest tightened with that painful reminder.

Schooling my features the best I could, my eyes darted up to meet his. “What is it you want exactly?”

His face was unreadable as he assessed me quietly. The tension in the room thickened with each silent moment that passed between us. The only indication that he’d even heard me was the slight tick in his jaw. Finally, he exhaled slowly, his eyes darting to my lips before they met mine again. Suddenly, I had a feeling that what he wanted wasn’t something I was willing to give him.

“Let’s just say you’ll owe me one,” he decided.

I reeled back, confusion settling deep within my core as it spread to the rest of my body. “You can’t be serious,” I snapped, infuriated that he would even suggest keeping me in the dark until it was time for him to collect. “So, what? You just expect me to agree to this and allow you to request whatever you want of me when you finally decide?”

His jaw tightened and he stepped into me, pressing me into the counter. My pulse thrummed wildly, his eyes trailing the steady flutter of where it sat beneath the skin of my neck. The warmth of his body enveloped me, sending electricity spiraling through me, and that pissed me off even more.

What was it with these assholes that managed to bring my body to life with a single touch, with a single look. And what was it about them that didn’t get the concept of personal space? Mind made up, I shoved against his rock-hard chest, but he didn’t so much as stumble.

“Let me go,” I demanded, pushing against him again. “You can talk to me without touching me.”

“Watch your tone with me,” he growled. “I’m not your little boyfriend. Iwillfuck you to get my point across. Willingly, or not.”

My head jerked back as if he’d slapped me. With what he just said, he might as well have. I stilled, horror and defeat spreading through my limbs. “I have some conditions then,” I relented.

He snorted in response, like that amused him. “This isn’t a negotiation. I help you; you help me. Nothing else.”

My teeth scraped together with the clench of my jaw, my eyes narrowing as frustration pulsed through me violently. How could he expect me to agree to that? He could takeanythinghe wanted from me at any time, and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. A deal with the devil.

“My body is off the table.”

He glanced down at me with a dry expression. “I’ll take it if I want it, with or without the deal.”

“You’re infuriating,” I snapped, losing my patience with him. I hated how blunt and honest he was. Why couldn’t he just lie to me?

He didn’t respond to that. Just kept staring down at me, his expression as unreadable as before. The heat he exuded was potent as ever, surrounding me in its embrace and I hated it. Hatedhimfor trying to strip me of the few choices I had left. One of his hands moved toward my face, shoving blonde strands behind my shoulder where it had previously been positioned over my breast. The act was too intimate for me, but all I could do was glare in protest. He made it clear that he would hurt me if I so much as snapped at him again, or said something he didn’t like.

I knew he was waiting for an answer, but this was a huge ask. This was something that required trust and trusting him was the last thing I’d ever do. His aunt and uncle trusted him and look where that got them.Dead.

“I like that fire in your eyes,” he whispered. “Keep it.”

I swallowed thickly, my nerves getting the better of me. “You’ll hurt me,” I accused, searching his features for any sign of protest to that statement. I found none.

“Probably. But so would anyone else if given the chance.”

Licking my lips, my heart thundered beneath my ribcage. “Will you kill me?” I tried again, valuing my life much more than anything else even if I didn’t understand why.

He didn’t even hesitate before responding. “The deal is your safety. I will not kill you, nor will I let anyone else under my watch. You have my word.”

“Your word doesn’t mean shit to me,” I retorted, glancing at the wall behind him again.

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