Page 33 of Savage Revenge

“Can I have some more coffee?” I ask, looking down into my already empty cup with regret. I downed that one fast.

Right then, Cash walks into the kitchen and raises his eyebrows. “Like my coffee, kitten?”

Birdie makes herself busy, and somehow both she and Caleb disappear from the room without me noticing, leaving the two of us alone.

“It’s fine,” I say dryly.

“That why you had three cups yesterday and are already on your second today?” he asks with a smug smile.

I shrug. “Coffee is coffee, Cash. Stalking much lately? You seem to know everything I do.”

The thought sends a shiver down my spine. Thank God he doesn’t; I don’t even want to imagine what he’d say if he knew I’d masturbated while fantasizing about him.

“Might be good to remember that,” he quips with a raised brow and a smug smile.

He goes to the shiny silver machine, which looks like it belongs in a fancy café instead of a kitchen, and starts pushing buttons. “And no, it’s not. This coffee is imported and is made from the best beans in the world.”

“Are you some sort of coffee snob or something?” I ask as he expertly uses the machine.

Surprisingly, Cash laughs. “Here.”

He holds out a fresh cup for me, and I hesitate for a second, not wanting to accept anything from Cash. His expression turns stern as he stares at me. “Take it, kitten. It’s just a cup of coffee.”

I finally reach out to take it, our fingers brushing as I do. Sparks ignite through me, and I pull away as quickly possible without spilling the hot liquid.

When I take a drink, I nearly moan. Birdie makes a good cup, but this is even better. I stay silent, though, not wanting to givehim any idea of how much I like it. The arrogant look on his face is enough to tell me he already knows.

“I’m going out to the pool,” I announce as I slowly back away from him.

Cash stops what he’s doing at the espresso machine and stalks toward me, his eyes assessing. “Enjoy your time out there, kitten. But keep talking with Caleb to a fucking minimum. I don’t need you flirting with my staff. Understand?”

I pause, my gaze darting up his tattooed neck to meet his steel eyes. Is he serious right now? I barely talk to Caleb other than a few words here and there, mostly just telling him to fuck off. The memory of last night comes flooding back. Okay, I might have chatted with him a bit more after I’d had a few drinks… But… wait. Why does he care if I talk to Caleb?

“Are you jealous?”

His dark eyebrows turn down as his expression turns so deadly that I take a step back, swallowing heavily.

“Let’s just say, I don’t think you want to be responsible for me killing my own employee, kitten. So I suggest you treat him like any other staff member and not your personal boy toy.”

My mouth falls open as I gape at him. He is being serious. He thinks I was flirting with Caleb. And he’s… jealous. Over me?

Before I can argue or defend myself, he moves over to me and wraps his large palm around the front of my neck, only putting pressure on the sides. He bares his teeth like a wolf as he leans in, his eyes never leaving mine. “I don’t share what’s mine, Jordyn. Notever. I’m a selfish, possessive, fucked-up asshole, and I won’t hesitate to punish you if you’re naughty. So be a good girl and don’t force my hand, because you won’t like the consequences.”

Then he releases me and disappears from the kitchen while I’m left standing in complete shock, unable to move.

Did he just claim me as his?

And threaten to punish me again?

Then tell me to be a good girl?

It takes a moment for me to come back to reality and pick my jaw up off the floor, but when I do, white-hot anger races through my veins, burning me from the inside out.

That motherfucker. He thinks he can tell me what to do? Treat me like I’m his property? He obviously has no idea who he’s dealing with. But he’s going to find out.

I’ve been stewingfor hours. Here I am by this beautifully designed pool, sculpted fountain, and palm trees, and all I can think about is wanting to piss off Cash as much as he did me.

First, he breaks into my apartment, then he drugs me, kidnaps me, and holds me hostage inhishouse while asking me about things I know nothing about. And now he thinks he can just make some sort of jealous claim on me, even though we hate each other? I didn’t think it was possible to be that self-centered, but apparently, I was wrong.

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