Page 99 of Property of Chaos

“He scared you.” His mouth twitches like a child who doesn’t understand what they did wrong.

“Lots of things scare me.”

“And that gives him a right to add himself to that list, does it?” He hitches an eyebrow, sassing me.

“Fuck you.”

“Why?” Chaos tosses his arms. “Why are you angry with me and defendinghim?”

“Because you don’t understand,” I yell. “Fighting back makes things worse. Maybe you don’t care how people treat you, but I do. And you fucking with that doctor just now?” I thrust my arm toward the door. “Makes me even more of a target.”

“I can’t fucking win, can I?”

“Makes two of us.”

The breakroom door slams open. “What the fuck is going on out here?”

“Nothing,” Chaos and I say in unison.

“Sure doesn’t sound like nothing.” Theresa pushes through the half-door. “Are you the reason she’s like this?”

He holds my eye a beat before shifting his attention back to her. “It’s fine, Theresa.”

“No. It’s not.” She scowls at the Kings president. “Everywhere you go?—”

“Chaos follows,” he mocks with a roll of his eyes, talking over the top of her. “I fucking know.”

“Well, you must be sick in the head, then.” My wiry boss shoves a hand against his shoulder, shunting him back a half step. “To find the most vulnerable woman you can and decide she’d be a bit of fun. Figure you’d fuck with her, did you? What’s the matter?” she taunts. “Game getting too hard, so you thought you’d pick the low-hanging fruit for a change?”

“Watch what you’re saying.” He advances, yet Theresa holds her ground.

“I think you need to leave.” She glares at Chaos, unperturbed by the foot of height he has on her.

“Funny,” he sneers. “I was just thinkin’ the same thing.” He shifts his angry gaze my way. “Could even say I was about torun.”

The door rattles behind him, my heartbeat an angry whoosh in my ears.

“What the hell was that all about?” Theresa watches Chaos cross the street, scowl on her face and hands to her hips.

I collapse to the wooden chair, fisting the hem of his T-shirt tight across my thighs. “Nothing.”

THIRTY-FOUR

CHAOS

Andy hopsoff the hay bale as I tear into the yard, dropping his cigarette to the dirt and crushing it beneath his boot.

I jerk the helmet off my head so goddamn hard that I fucking near split an ear and hang it on the bars. “Sorry to keep you waiting, man.”

I had an emergency.

One that’s left me with a crushing sense of hopelessness.You’re not what she needs.Theresa’s right: my influence doesn’t help; it makes Vanessa worse.

She wasn’t this rattled before I fucking showed up.

“No bother.” Andy tosses his hands in his pockets and nods toward the rear of the yard. “I took a few measurements and looked at what we’ll need to do to prepare the site.”

“Yeah?” I scrub a hand over my face as he guides us toward where the barn will sit.Stop thinking about her. Focus.

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