Page 127 of Coerced

A knock sounded at the door and Rome reached out to open it.

“Everything okay in here?” Gigi looked at each of our faces.

“Oh, he threw her into the wall, that’s all.” Rome stood in the center of the room, wearing his mean face. “And now he says he wants to leave.”

The muscles in his arms jumped as he crossed them, and my eyes were drawn to his hard biceps, then down to his corded forearms. I had to force myself to look away as Gigi came over to me.

“You tried to touch him, didn’t you?” She gave me a sympathetic smile. “My boyfriend Jax is a toucher. I can’t tell you how many times Kerry has knocked him down or punched him. Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m good.”

“And areyouokay, Kerry?” She arched an eyebrow and looked him up and down. “Never mind. I can see you’re not. Do the breathing thing.”

Then I watched as she very deliberately turned her back on him. Frowning, I tried to figure out what message she was trying to send.

And is it to us - or to Kerry?

“Are you getting hungry?” she asked. “I want to call over to the diner with a lunch order.”

“Sure.” I liked the diner’s food. It was way better than what I was used to. “Chicken tenders with honey mustard for me, please.”

As Rome rattled off his order, I kept my eyes on Kerry. He’d settled down some, but Gigi was right. He was a double-barrel shotgun on a hair-trigger.

There’s a brutality in him that he never completely curbs. Ah!That’swhat he means when he says he can’t be civilized. No matter how much his friends may think they’ve tamed him, he’s a predatory beast first and foremost.

And a part of himlikesit that way.

Gigi gave Kerry the stink-eye before she left.

“All right, you two, back to armor. Off with your shirt, Kerry.”

I waved a hand, and the dull metal cuirass flew across the room to hover in front of me.

“Um.” He shifted his feet and crossed his arms.

“Armor is worn next to your skin, buddy.” Rome examined my work with an experienced eye.

“I know it looks like hard metal now, but it’ll flow like water once I fit it to you.” I made a hurry-up gesture.

“I don’t wanna take my shirt off.” Kerry cut his eyes away.

“I know not to touch you now. You have any other disclaimers?” He looked puzzled, so I clarified. “Why are you nervous? It won’t hurt.”

“Pain don’t bother me.”

“Then whatdoesbother you? Don’t tell me you’re so modest, it bothers you for a girl to see your chest. You’re rocking a great build. What’s to be embarrassed about?”

I wasn’t lying. He was lean with muscles carved out in all the right places. How many hours a day did this guy spend in the gym?

No wonder he’s hungry all the time!

“My skin’s messed up.” Red stole across his cheeks. “I have a lotta scars.”

“Oh. Well, I do, too.”

I pushed up one sleeve, then the other, just as I had for Rome, and showed him the deep marks left from the silver knife. He growled and grabbed one of my elbows, angling my arm toward the light and examining it closely.

I froze as I wondered if he was going to go all Hercules on me again. Then a hard chest brushed against my shoulder.

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