Page 30 of Pray for the Damned

But this isn’t a fight I’m willing to lose.

Waverly is worth everything, and I refuse to allow Kade to steal her out from under me.

As if thinking her name could conjure her, she steps out of the bathroom, and her eyes flit around the almost empty club before landing on me.

She holds my eyes for a few beats before crossing to where I’m sitting and some of the tension bleeds from my shoulders. Iwas worried she was going to try to walk home again, but it looks like she’s going to allow me to drive her.

Thank God.

I was about to start mentally preparing myself to stalk her all the way home.

“Hey,” she says softly.

“You okay?”

She nods. “Yeah. Just tired. Would it be okay if we head out?”

“Of course.” I fish my wallet from my pocket and throw enough on the table to cover both our drinks and a generous tip for Abigail.

“You don’t have to pay for my drinks.” Waverly frowns.

“Already done.” I shrug and drop my hand to her lower back to steer her toward the side door to the parking lot. “Let’s get you home.”

I lead her out into the cool night, and a shiver brushes over her skin, making me curse the fact I didn’t bring a coat tonight. It was warm earlier, and I didn’t think I would need one, but I should have accounted for Waverly.

I open the passenger side door for her, and she slips inside, but before she can reach for the seat belt, I carefully wrap it around her and secure it just so I can touch her a little more.

Fuck.

I spent years in the shadows, keeping my distance, never allowing myself a single touch. But now I know what her soft skin feels like, I’m hooked, and I don’t think I can go back.

Dragging myself away from her softness, I stand and shut the door, forcing myself to breathe as I round the car to the driver’s side. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this out of control, and it’s taking everything I have in me not to fall into old habits and just take what I want.

I could have her moved into my apartment tonight. The place is set up for her already, and she doesn’t have that much in theway of belongings, so it wouldn’t take more than an hour to pack up her apartment.

She might fight it to begin with, but eventually she would see it my way. She’d see that we belong together, that there’s no sense in fighting this.

I shake off the thought.

No.

I won’t take away her choice. Even if every single fiber of my being is begging me to do what comes naturally to me. To do what I was trained to do all my life.

By the time I slip into the driver’s seat, I’ve managed to wrangle the part of me that wants to kidnap Waverly and lock her away from anything that can hurt her, my brother included.

I flick my eyes across the car and find her staring down at her hands in her lap, her fingers interlaced as struggles not to fidget. The nervous energy rolls off her in waves, and I long to soothe it for her, but instead I start the car and peel out of the parking lot, heading toward her apartment.

“Do you need the address again?” she asks.

I shake my head. “No, I remember the way.”

She drags her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbles at the soft pillow. The memory of tasting her crashes into me, but instead of reaching for her like I’m desperate to, I tighten my grip on the steering wheel in a bid to keep my hands to myself.

I pride myself on control in all areas of my life, but it seems there’s one area that I lack any at all.

“About what we spoke about in the bathroom,” she says so quietly I barely hear her over the soft hum of the engine. “I really think it would be best if we didn’t pursue this…whatever it is.”

I hum in acknowledgment but wait for her to continue whatever thought she’s having. I have no way of knowing what she and Kade spoke about, and I can’t demand to knowwithout also telling her that I have an evil twin running around pretending to be me.

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