Page 7 of Let Me
I slam the dude in front of me out of my way and get to my brother before either he or Riley can say anything else. My hand goes to Jack’s throat, and he lets go of Riley, more out of shock than fear. His hands go to mine, but I lift him off of his feet and slam him against the wall beside the tables.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I ask him, my voice low against his ear.
He realizes it’s me, and the fury in his eyes only deepens. “She took a ride home from some prick—”
I let him slide to the ground, my hand still on his throat. “Stop talking,” I command. “You don’t get to monitor her every movements, you understand that?”
Someone is pulling on my free arm, but not very hard. I glance over my shoulder and see Riley. She’s wearing a black t-shirt of some obscure band that probably only a dozen people in the world have ever heard of, and her usually olive complexion is pale, even in the dim lights of the club.
“It’s okay, Caden, he—”
“Stay out of this,” my brother growls at her.
I let him go. For a second, she keeps her arm on mine, and we stand like that, eyes locked on each other. Her long, wavy brown hair is in two braids, one over each shoulder. I like her hair like that.
But then my brother’s voice makes me snap out of whatever trance I’m in. “She’smygirl. I don’t need your help,” my brother says, throwing a possessive arm around her, pulling her close to his side.
She drops my arm, her green eyes going to the floor. It’s like the fight is gone out of her tonight.
“It sure looked like you did,” I say calmly, my gaze shifting back to Jack. “You’re going to get yourself arrested if you aren’t careful.”
Jack laughs. “Right,” he spits at me. “Fuck off and leave my girl alone.”
I arch a brow, glance at Riley. “I don’t want anything to do withyourgirl. Not if she lets herself get treated like an abused dog.”
Her eyes meet mine and narrow. I see her anger, wait for her to do something. Anything. But she doesn’t. She just stares at me.
I force myself to walk away. She’s not my problem. If she can’t stand up for herself, well, I’ll be damned if I’m going to keep doing it for her. My brother has always been an asshole, and Riley Larson makes him an overprotective, possessive asshole.
Maybe she likes it.
Maybe she needs it.
Whatever the reason, I don’t look back as I go to find my fuck for the night.
What was her name again?
SIX
Present
THE CONDO DOWNTOWN isn’t mine. It’s in Rolland’s name, because if he’s going to jerk me around like this, well, he’s got to give me a place to stay, too. I barely have enough money to cover rent back home. A hotel would be out of the fucking question. So would a flight. I work part-time at a gym back in Briar, as much as I can while I’m in school. But when I’m a professor and I can hire a lawyer and have him off of my back, I won’t ever come here again.
And yet…
Looking below, downtown, at the Toronto sign lit up in the night, I can’t help but think it’s nice. I can’t help but think that if Jack hadn’t—ifIhadn’t—fucked things up, where would I be?
I push that thought aside.
It’s no good. I used to think about it constantly. I used to not be able to get it out of my head, theshould-havesandcould-haves. And it’s sick and fucked up and twisted because there were other things I couldn’t get out of my head, either.
Like Caden.
Caden’s hands all over me after that party, the one night we had together. The one night that changed both of our lives, forever. Everything I’d felt for him over the year I’d spent with his brother, finally able to come out and play. Finally, after Jack’s oppressive control, feelingfree.Just for one night. Even with that other shitstorm hanging over me.
I press my head against the glass and breathe, my breath fogging up a small circle on the window.
My phone vibrates in my hand and I glance down at it. It’s a number I don’t recognize, and when I open it up, there’s a photo.
