Page 38 of Colton
The man regards us with a cold, calculating gaze, his eyes flickering between Colton and me with a hunger that makes my stomach churn.
“Well, well,” the man drawls, his voice a low, gravelly rasp. “If it isn’t the Blackwood heir himself. We’ve been looking for you.”
Colton doesn’t respond; his jaw clenches tight as he stares down the intruder. The man’s gaze settles on me, and a slow, predatory smile spreads across his face. He steps closer. “Hello, pretty.”
Colton’s body goes rigid, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “She’s not your concern,” he growls.
The man chuckles. “Oh, but I think she is,” he counters, stepping closer. “Your daddy wants her, and it’s my job to...” his gaze rakes over me, “deliver her.”
Before I can react, Colton launches himself at the man in a fit of rage. They collide with a sickening crunch, their bodies tangled.
I stumble back, my heart pounding as I watch the two men fight. Colton is a force of nature, his movements driven by a primal instinct to protect what he sees as his.
Me.
The man, however, is no pushover. He matches Colton blow for blow, his years of experience giving him an edge that even Colton’s raw power can’t overcome.
Suddenly, the man gains the upper hand, his fist connecting with Colton’s jaw in a sickening crack. Colton staggers back, his eyes glazed with pain and fury. The man seizes the opportunity, lunging forward and grabbing me by the hair.
I scream, my scalp burning as he yanks me against his chest, his arm snaking around my throat in a vice grip.
Colton freezes, his eyes wide with a mixture of rage and fear.
“One move, and I snap her pretty little neck,” the man snarls, tightening his grip on me until I can barely breathe.
I need to let Colton save me, even though I could kill this prick myself.
Innocent little lady. Play the part.
When Colton’s gaze meets mine, I see something shift within him. The darkness that has always lurked beneath the surface comes roaring to life, a primal force that consumes him entirely.
With a feral roar, he launches himself at the man, his movements a snap of savage violence. The man tries to fight back, but Colton is relentless, his fists raining down blow after blow until the man’s grip on me loosens.
I crawl away as Colton delivers the final, crushing blow. The man crumples to the ground, his body broken and lifeless.
Colton stands over him, his chest heaving, his eyes wild and unfocused. He turns to me, and for a moment, I’m terrified. This is a side of him I’ve never seen before, a darkness so profound that it threatens to swallow me whole.
But then, something shifts in his gaze, and the storm clouds seem to part. He reaches out to me, his bloody fingers trembling, and I find myself moving toward him, drawn in by the intensity of his need.
“Mary,” he rasps, his voice thick with emotion. “Are you alright?”
I nod. He pulls me against him, his arms wrapping around me in a fierce embrace that speaks of possession and protection in equal measure.
“You’re okay,” he whispers, his lips brushing against my ear. “I’ve got you.”
And in that moment, as I cling to him amidst the carnage he’s wrought, I know that I’m in too deep. Colton Blackwood has claimed me, body and soul, and there’s no turning back.
Chapter 18
Luella
The crackling fire paints the cabin with a warm, inviting glow. But the atmosphere is anything but welcoming.
Colton sits across from me, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that borders on obsession. He hasn’t taken his gaze off me since we returned from the woods; his focus unwavering, his expression unreadable.
I can feel the heat of his stare. It’s as if he’s trying to peel back the layers of my fake exterior, to expose the truth that lies beneath.
And the truth is, I’m terrified of the depths of his obsession, of the twisted desire that burns within him. The way his touch ignites something primal within me, something that threatens to consume me from the inside out. But beneath the fear, there’s something else. A dark, twisted flame of desire that I can’t seem to put out, no matter how hard I try.
