Page 52 of Bound by Desire
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We enterSchade’s and see Breelyn right away. Her eyes grow wide at the sight of Deke as she looks him up from top to toe, taking in all that is him. And damn, there’s a lot totakein.
“And who is this?”sheasks.
“Deke.”
Her gaze cuts to me. “You beenhidinghim?”
Ismile. “Yep.”
“Girl, you do not hide a piecelikethis.”
Deke crosses his arms, no doubt not really caring for being called a pieceofmeat.
“We’re goin’ in.” I make a move to dojustthat.
“You’re talking later. Don’t give a shit if I have to load you on rum. Your ass is talking,” she calls out, and I give herawave.
“Friend ofyours?”
“Oh yeah. And she’ll be hounding me down after work or calling me at the ass crack of dawn in the morning. Got two more close ones here, so getready.”
He shakes his head as he takes in the space, saying nothing. I wish I could get inside his head and figure out what he’sthinking.
“You do whatever. I gotta gettowork.”
He lifts his chin as Imoveoff.
After checking in with Schade, the team, and scoping the area, people begin to pile in. I clock Deke in the back of the place, leaning against the wall. The entire air around him screams “don’t come near me and don’t touch me.” So far, he’s been given a wide berth, but the place isn’t packed yet, and it will be acrush.
The night goes smoothly, only Jackson getting kicked out so far for starting his usual shit. I haven’t lost sight of Deke all night. Not to mention the women he caught the eye of. They’ve been circling like vultures, and every time one goes up to him, I have the severe impulse to beat the living shit out of them. Luckily, he’s sent each ofthemaway.
I know I have zero claim to the man, but I still don’tlikeit.
Three fights down when the last one takes the cage up in the center. The room is electric, everyone pumped from watching the first three. It seems that the last one always has more of a pump than the first. Could be all the alcohol helping that out. Schade makes a killing on booze. No way he’d ever stopthatshit.
The roar of the crowd and the sounds from the fighters fill the room. Weeding through the people, my body is pushed and pulled. Some make a few grabs, but mostly, I ignore them. That’s what they want—attention. I don’t give it, they get thepoint.
A hand grabs my arm, turning me. Another grabs my pussy as lips come down on mine. I break away and kick the guy in the gut, pushing him into the crowd. Good-looking man with dark jeans, a T-shirt, and dark hair, but asshole for thinking he can grab, kiss, andtouchme.
Just as I make my way over to him, ready to show him exactly what pisses me off, out of the corner of my eye, I see Deke storming through, pushing people if needs be. When I say storm, I mean, literally everyone in his path moves feet away from him, noting the anger pulsing off him. He is ready toexplode.
The guy only has eyes for me as he comes back at me, but Deke catches him by the throat. His arm strains as he clenches the man, lifting him clean off thefloor.
Holyshit!
The guy who touched me kicks his legs and tugs at Deke’s hand, trying to free himself. But with the grip Deke has, it’ll take a hell of a lot more than that to get himloose.
The strength Deke has is something I’m in awe of. It’s as if he’s a mix of the Hulk and the Rock or something. It’s the clear, controlled rage, though, that’s really getting me. It’s there, but he has it in check. He has a pulse on exactly what he’s doing and each action. It makes me wonder what he’s like inthering.
I move up to his side so he can see me out of the corner ofhiseye.
“Deke, lethimgo.”
Deke stares down at the man who’s clearly about ready to piss his pants. The guy may be aggressive to women, but to men, he’s apussy.
Deke pulls the guy to within a foot of his face and growls, “Fuckin’ touch her again, I’ll end you.” With that warning, he throws the guy, knocking several people over in the process. Fuck, this isn’t going tobegood.
