Page 15 of Beg Me Angel

His jaw rocked back and forth, head shaking side to side. “No, nothing, but don't worry about that right now, right now you just need to worry about eating and resting.”

Scooping up the broth, I let it roll off the spoon and back into the bowl. I didn't like his answer, I didn't like the fact that he claimed he found nothing but me. Was that even possible?

What if he's lying?

Furrowing my eyebrows, a tight crease formed across my forehead. “I don't believe you.”

Leaning forward, he reached out and pushed the bowl closer. “Eat.”

Dropping the spoon into the bowl, I let my arms fall into my lap. “Maybe I'm not hungry anymore.” I lied, I was starving.

Every bite, every spoonful of broth and noodles smothered that pain, filling the empty hole in my gut. I could feel my body springing back to life, growing stronger and more stable.

The weird shakes and shivers that I had felt in my fingers and legs were disappearing, my head was clearing up as the fog began to lift and fade away.

But I wanted more, I needed to know more. He had to know something, he just had to. I wasn't giving up on the idea that he knew more than he was willing to share. He called these woods his, if that was the case—shouldn't he know what went on in his home?

“I think you know something.” Veering my stare, I laid my palms flat on the table. “We need to go find my friend, I have to find Sara.”

Slicing the air with his hand, Pax leaned back in the chair. “No.”

“No—No!What the hell do you mean no!?” Slamming my hands down, I slapped the top of the coffee table. “I can't just sit here like this!” Throwing an arm towards the window, I yelled. “She's out there somewhere! She might need help too, I have to go—”

“No.” Snapping himself straight, Pax curled his hands into his lap and clamped his teeth. “You're not going anywhere right now, not tonight.”

“I'll do whatever the hell I want to. If you're not willing to help me, I'll go by myself.” Drawing in a thick breath through my nose, my nostrils flared. “You can't tell me what to do, I don't even know you.”

Who the fuck does he think he is?

He wasn't my father, he didn't own the right to bark orders at me or refuse to let me do what I wanted to, what Ineededto do.

We both sat in silence, letting the air around us soil in an angry stench. His eyes flicked between mine, his lids heavy and half open. If he wanted to try and intimidate me, he could, but I wasn't going to give up.

The last memory I had, I wasn't alone. Sara was with me and I wasn't going to just forget that. It was all I had to go on, the only thing I could actually recall.

I was determined to find her.

A heavy sigh escaped his mouth as one of his massive hands cupped his chin and rubbed the thick scruff. “Vera, I'm willing to help you get the answers you're looking for, I'm willing to help you find your friend, but we can't do anything right now.” His eyes rolled to the window, staring off into the vast, black depth of night. “And I'mnotdoing anything until you're stronger.” Nudging the food closer, he sternly said, “Eat.”

He's right, you know he is.

I knew I couldn't run off into the darkness and search for Sara right then, it would've been stupid for me to even try. I just wasn't ready to accept that fact.

Acknowledging he was right made me feel like I wasn't doing everything in my power, as if I was giving up.

But that wasn't true.

It didn't mean I was giving up.

If what Pax had said was the truth, that I had been out cold for four days, and who knows how long I had actually been lost in the woods for, I had to eat, I had to rest.

“Fine.” Slurping a noodle off the tip of the spoon, the end came up and whipped me on the chin.

Pax let out a deep chuckle as he leaned in over the coffee table and ran his finger down my chin, wiping away the broth. “Good girl.” His tongue rolled over his bottom lip as he dipped his finger into his mouth and sucked it clean.

Inhaling a ragged breath, I jerked my eyes down away from his face. I knew I was blushing, I could feel the blood in my cheeks and a subtle throb where his finger had just grazed my skin. The ache in my belly disappeared, replacing with a stirring need for more.

Shit. . .

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