Page 71 of Wicked Duty
A migraine claws at the base of my skull. “Are you forgetting that you could’ve died today?”
Lucy pauses, then shrugs and keeps walking. “You’re all right, and I’m all right, and I could die any day.”
Is she serious? She’s just going to dismiss her reckless, suicidal behavior?
I snap. “Are you brain-dead?” The words roar out of me, louder than intended. Not that I give a shit.
She freezes. The muscles in her shoulders tighten.
“What the hell were you thinking?” My voice nearly cracks with fear and anger. “Did they literally remove your brain and replace it with lipstick when I wasn’t looking?How can you be so casual about endangering yourself like that?”
The image of Lucy dropping from the sky will haunt me for a long time, and she’s acting like none of it matters.
She rounds on me, her dark brown eyes molten with fire. “My bad. Wouldn’t want to land you in hot water with Darren by croaking on your watch.”
The vein in my neck just might burst. “Excuse me?”
“You and I both know you’re only here for the money. You’re just angry because I’m making you work for it.”
She’s damn right I’m angry. My blood boils through my veins. How does she always manage to crawl right under my skin? “Were you just trying to spite me?”
She tosses her head and barks out a sarcastic laugh. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Then what?” I growl, fingers aching to grab her by the arms. To shake her or pull her close or bite her neck. I’m unsure which option appeals to me more at the moment. “What possessed you to do something so dangerous? You have a death wish or something?”
“What does it matter to you?” She’s wild-eyed and flushed, chest and shoulders heaving. “I’m just a job!”
My heart fumbles in my chest. “Look, Marlow?—”
“Just stop already.” She scoffs. “I’m not interested in what you have to say.”
Guilt pancakes me flat. She’s still angry about that last kiss. The animalistic way I tossed her around. How can I blame her? I should’ve never let myself lose control. I know better.
But no matter how much I try to maintain a professional relationship, I’m fighting a losing battle. When she wasplunging through the air, my job didn’t matter. Not one ounce of my career crossed my mind.
I just wanted her to be safe.
But that intention isn’t coming across at all. I can’t even speak without pissing her off. How can I expect her to listen if I can’t fucking communicate?
Focus, Callum.Even though I’ve completely lost my footing with this woman, I still need to at least attempt to regain my control.
While I’m caught up in my internal turmoil, Lucy keeps going. “You want to know what I was thinking?” She thrusts her hands into the air. “I wasn’t. I wasfeeling. I was angry and hurt and mortified and just wanted to lash out at the world, and that fabric was the closest thing I could get my hands on.”
So she…what, threw a tantrum? All because I saw her dirty picture?
I shove a hand through my hair, taking a few seconds to get a handle on my voice. I don’t want to shout at her. If I do, I’ll never stop. “If you’re having emotional problems, see a therapist. Don’t destroy a rooftop.”
She balks. “I am seeing a therapist!”
A muscle near my eye twitches. I don’t get why the photo distresses her so much. I’m upset because the thought of Roguilin or his men anywhere near her when she’s like that has me reaching for the nearest weapon.
But she knew what she was getting into. If she can’t handle the fallout, she needs to seek help and not dump this problem into everyone else’s lap.
“This is all because of you and that…grotesque photo of me.” She shivers, averting her gaze.
“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you let someone snap pictures like that.” I hate the words as soon asthey leave my mouth. That hatred only multiplies when Lucy’s face becomes ashen.
I’m acting like an asshole.
