Page 94 of Second Shot

He turns, his hands shoved in his pockets, expression casual. But there’s something in his eyes that I can’t read. Something dark. And a small shiver of fear races down myspine.

“Here…” I swallow past the lump that’s formed in my throat and move towards the large canvas that I finished working on yesterday. “What do you think of this one? Maybe you could show itto-”

His arms wrap around me, and he pulls my back against hischest.

For a heartbeat, Ifreeze.

Shit.

I turn, trying to move away, but when I do he traps me. “Felix,don’t-”

His breath is heavy in my ear. “These pieces. They’re fluff. You’re better than this. Better thanhim.”

“Stop.” I get loose from his grip, but only for a moment, before he grabs my wrists, then tugs me back towardshim.

“You need me, Brynne.” He pushes me so that my back is against the wall, and causing the canvases that were stacked against it to toppleover.

“Let mego.”

Fear sucks my breath away, chokingme.

“This isn’t you. You told me that you wanted away from this life. These people. You were happy when it was just the two of us.” He has my hands pinned at my sides. He’s not as big as Kane, but he’s a hell of a lot stronger than Iam.

I twist my wrists, and I’m able to get one free. Raking my fingernails across his cheek, I scream, “Get off ofme!”

I see shock register in his eyes, but it’s quickly replaced byanger.

“Bitch.” He backhands me hard, and I taste blood on my lip as I crumple to theground.

“Hey, asshole.” A woman’s voice makes us both jerk our attention to thedoor.

Kiley stands there, and it takes me a moment to register what she has pointed athim.

Agun.

Shit.

“Jesus,” Felix breathes out, placing his hands up in the air, and taking a step backwards, putting a foot through one of my paintings. “What thehell?”

“What do you want me to do with him?” Kiley asks, her blue eyes cold and trained onFelix.

Felix looks at me, and the expression of terror on his face would almost be comical if I wasn’t worried that Kiley might actually put a bullet in hischest.

“Get out of here,” I say to him, using the wall to help mestand.

He takes a step towards me. “Brynne, I didn’tmean-”

The click of the hammer being pulled back has us both twisting our heads towards Kiley, and my mouth drops open inshock.

“Just go. Before this gets worse,” I say, flinching when he takes a step towardsme.

“You want me to call the cops?” Kiley asks, but I can hear the hesitation in her voice, and I doubt she has the proper papers to be using the weapon in herhands.

“No.” I stare at Felix. “He’ll leave. And he’ll never come back.Right?”

“Yeah. I’ll go,” he grits out. “But good luck ever finding anywhere to show this shit you call art. You’re nothing without me. You’ll always be nothing. Just a spoiled little rich girl living off other people’smoney.”

I shrug, trying to hide the way my fingers tremble. “Maybe. But if you’re not out of here in thirty seconds, you’ll be nothing, too. Just an obituary in the back of thenewspaper.”

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