Page 81 of Storm Bound
“Don’t,” I said. “Stay. Don’t do anything rash.”
“I’ve already made up my mind. Are you going to pick me up or not?” he said, and I liked the command in his tone.
He had been completely different back when we first met. I was so proud of him.
“Fine, okay,” I said.
Luke took the phone off speaker and told Benji he’d pick him up and hung up, then jumped in the bed next to me and cuddled me like we used to do when we were younger. Like we used to after mom died.
“It’s all going to be okay, little bro,” he kept saying, stroking the back of my head, and he kept going until the tears stopped falling and I fell asleep.
Twenty-Two
Adam
Watching him leave was more painful than Justin holding me close to him.
What was he doing here? How had he found me?Whywas he here? And why had I let him open his mouth and spew his crap to Charlie?
“Cute, but you know I like them meatier, babe,” Justin said and jiggled my belly with his hand.
“Stop,” I told him.
He stopped jiggling, but he didn’t stop touching.Whywouldn’t he stop touching me?
“Is that a way to welcome back your man?” he asked.
“You’re not my man, Justin,” I said, the words dissipating when he raised his eyebrow.
His hand rose up to my chest, to my neck, until it curled up on the back of it and he pulled me closer, forehead to forehead.
“You know you’re mine, and I’m yours, no matter what,” he said.
I opened my mouth, and his hand around my nape tightened.
“I’m… yours and you’re… mine,” I mumbled.
“Hm. What did I say about muttering?” he asked.
His other hand came to rest on my cheek with his thumb hooked under my jaw.
“I’m yours and you’re mine,” I repeated so I could get him off me.
I didn’t mean it for one second.
He slapped my cheek and let me go, finally. I took several steps away from him.
Maybe if I ran into the house, I could lock the door behind him. But no, he’d outrun me.
Not if I kicked him in the nuts and sprung for it.
Or maybe I could jump back in the car and run away, maybe find Charlie. Tell him I didn’t mean any of what I’d said and that Justin was just a psychopath. But who would listen to me after what just happened? And where the fuck were my keys, anyway?
“Come on then. Aren’t you going to show me our new house?” he asked, bending down to pick something up.
My keys.
He looped his hand over my shoulder, and once I’d turned to face the house and started walking toward it, he slipped the hand down to slap my ass.
