Page 45 of Prey for You

My guts twisted tighter. “Bridge, babe. What’s wrong?”

She grimaced and swallowed. “Gerald was being pushy again this afternoon, and I can’t shake it.”

I frowned. “Pushy how?”

“Wants me to talk to my dad. He won’t fucking let it go.”

“Talk to him about what?”

“Just talk to him. He says I’ve built my father into this… this entity. He thinks I need to see that he’s human.”

I blew out a breath. “Do you think it’s possible—”

“Sam, if you say one more word I’m hanging up.” I’d never seen her eyes go cold like that before. Shuttered as surely as if she’d swung a door closed on me. Even though she stared right at me, she’d never felt further away.

I lifted my hands so she’d see I was backing off. “Babe, it’s okay. I’m not going to push. I’m just worried about you. I hate this—hate not being there. And… you’re scaring me a little.”

“Scaring you how, exactly?” she snapped. “By going to bed at ten thirty like a child? Or is it the wearing of yoga pants that has you worried for my eternal soul?”

I didn’t react, just held her gaze so she’d see me loving her. When she dropped her chin and looked away, her shoulders slumping, I knew she knew I wasn’t going to fight.

“Bridge, I’m scared of what you might do without me there. I’mhatingbeing apart from you while you’re feeling this way.”

“I hate that too,” she mumbled, but still didn’t look up at the phone. And she didn’t say anything else.

Fear curled in my veins like my blood turned to ice. “Bridge—”

“I’m tired, Sam. I’m just so fucking tired.”

“I know. Me too.”

“I need you,” she whispered, and finally lifted her eyes. “I need to see you and remember you’re real. It doesn’t feel real anymore, Sam.”

“Babe,” I got firm with her because I knew she wouldn’t listen to anything else. “Don’t do anything stupid. It’s not worth it.”

She huffed and turned away, her jaw flexing.

It was instinct. Pure instinct. I didn’t even think.

“Don’t fucking look away from me,” I growled.

Her head jerked as she snapped back to me on the screen.

I leaned over my phone and spoke through my teeth. “This is real. I love you. And we’re going to get through this—but you donotfucking defy me, Bridget. You do not get reckless now. You keep your ass in that house, and you think of me when you touch yourself—you call me whenever you need to, even if it’s in the middle of the night. But you donotget stupid.”

Her eyes flashed. Shelovedit when I got pushy.

But then she tipped her head and her lips pressed tight. “What are you going to do about it if I do?”

I had a choice to make.

Was this a moment to force her to see reality and remind her of the price we were already paying for her recklessness? Or…

“You want to know what I’ll do to you, Bridget?” I purred.

Her lips twitched toward a smile. “I don’t know… do I?”

I let a growl rumble in my chest and her lower jaw went slack.

---