Page 95 of Choices

CHAPTER 28

DADDY BEAR

KITTY

Sitting at the kitchen counter, I push my food around the plate, battling Diamond’s insistent reminders to eat it. “I have cream for you,” she announces into the silence then rushes out of the room. I love her, but I can’t force another morsel of the tasteless egg into my body.

Without warning, Monster appears next to me, bringing his face dangerously close to mine. His breath hot on my cheek, he muses, “Bruises are like blood tears spilling out of broken veins hidden beneath our skin.” His touch sends shivers down my spine as he brushes his finger along my jawbone.

“What the hell, dude?” I groan, dropping my fork with a clank.

“I’ll make every part of him bleed. You just say the word, and he’ll become a kaleidoscope of color on a cold corpse,” he declares, his stare cold, his words dripping with promise, his conviction unmistakable. Intensity radiates from him like a fire in the night sky. Knowing he’s willing to kill for me creates a perturbed satisfaction in my belly.

His eyes are an abyss of darkness. “I’m okay,” I say, a sense of ease coming over me. I nod to reassure him.

“A man shouldn’t put his hands on an innocent woman unless it’s to pleasure or comfort her.” He lazily drags his gaze over my body.

Smiling, I nudge his shoulder. “I like your way of thinking.”

Grinning wolfishly, he steals a piece of bacon off the plate and bites into it. “You know where to find me if you require any of those things.”

“I’m good. But thanks.”

He grunts in response and sidesteps Diamond as she saunters back into the kitchen holding a tube of cream. “Here, put this on your bruising. It’s like magic.” She beams, rubbing my arm. “I had to order more, and it just came in.” She busies herself getting ingredients from the pantry.

“Thanks. I’ll do it when I get back.”

“Where are you going?” She halts her movements and stares over at me, her eyes wide, mouth open.

“Out with Rogue.” Rogue got a location to meet Bear and asked me to go with her.

I pick up the glass of green smoothy shit Diamond spent half an hour concocting and knock it back, trying not to gag.

“Is that wise? After everything that happened last night?” She places a bag of flour down and brushes her hands over her apron. She’s been mumbling under her breath about how many cupcakes she needs to make for the kids coming to tomorrow’s cookout. I don’t know why she doesn’t just get them from the grocery store like everyone else and save herself the headache.

“I won’t be a prisoner or scared victim, Di.” Pushing away from the counter, I slide off my stool and dump the glass by the sink. “You should know me better than that. I’m a Cox.”

“Is Tim going with you?” she asks, ignoring everything I just said.

“Probably,” I lie, swiping my arm across my lips. No one is going but Rogue and me. Bear doesn’t trust the Kings not to kill him even with the pardon from Callan.

“Please be cautious,” she pleads.

I wave a hand over my shoulder and make it two steps into the hall when she calls, “You didn’t eat enough.”

Yeah, yeah.

I pull out my phone to text Rogue and almost drop it when I see the text waiting for me, my shoulders tensing.

Michael: I’m sorry I lost control. He was my little brother. My only brother. Surely you can understand that. Imagine losing Callan. Forgive me?

My heart stampedes in my chest. A trickle of fear races up my spine. Is this a threat or a sincere apology? He wouldn’t dare try to hurt Callan.Would he?

Me: Lose this number.

Michael: Tit for tat. I hurt you. You hurt me.

A picture message of his upper torso follows, the stitches in his shoulder red and angry.Good. Asshole.The marks he left on me will heal. The wound I inflicted on him will scar as a constant reminder he fucked with the wrong girl.

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