Page 100 of Hate You Forever (Hate 1)

The second she saw that piece of shit, Tara’s body tensed. She was shifty and nervous, which was enough to put me on edge instantly.

My instincts went into overdrive. I just felt this uncontrollable need to protect her, to fight for her—but she’s someone who’s strong enough to handle herself. I stood back as long as I could, letting her take control, and only stepped in when I needed to.

She told me it was fine; it was like she’d been through this before, like it was a normal occurrence for her. But I could see the lie in her eyes. The deception and fear were strong enough for me to keep my guard up. Once he pushed her around and kissed her against her will, my restraint snapped. No one touches her like that when it’s clearly not wanted.

I lost my control, unable to stop slamming my fist into his slimy face. It was like an out-of-body experience, one I haven’t felt in a long time. The only thing that could bring me back was Tara. She calmed me down, bringing me back to reality with her relaxing touch.

I have to admit, it felt fucking amazing watching that asshole squirm on the ground and cup his nose like a little baby. I hope it’s broken, fuckface.

Tara seemed triggered by something this asshat said. She was in a daze, allowing his words to seep under her skin while I took my rage out on him. She might’ve been distracted but I didn’t miss the blood pouring from his nose, or the sick satisfaction I felt hearing his cartilage crunch under my knuckles.

The dark chuckle I hear has me wanting to do more than just punch him. “It’s never been boring with you, my little dahlia.”

“Fucking leave before I put you in the ground,” I growl.

Zayan smirks. “You got a little guard dog now, Tara?”

I answer for her. “Yeah, one that will tear your ass up if you don’t get out of my sight in two seconds.”

“You could fucking try, but you won’t succeed. This pretty little flower here is mine and will always be mine.”

Narcissistic asshole.

He sneers down at Tara. “Just know—this isn’t over. Tell that beloved husband of yours that he better lock you up tight and keep his eye on you, because you’re mine. You know I don’t share well with others. And I always get what I want.”

You won’t get near her if I have anything to say about it.

He moves to tuck a strand of Tara’s hair behind her ear, but she rears her fist back, knocking him in the jaw one last time before he can touch her. “Oh, baby, I love it when you fight back.”

What the fuck does that mean? All this shit he’s saying makes me suspect he’s hurt her before. And judging by her cagey behavior towards him, I’d put money on it. I intend to find out exactly what he did to her, and make him pay.

Zayan grins, shooting me a wink before he walks out the door. This guy has a fucking death wish if he’s finding anything about this situation funny. I beat his face like it was a piñata, and he’s fucking winking at me like we’re old pals? He’s a fucking psycho.

Tara visibly relaxes the moment he’s out of sight, letting out the breath she’s been holding, and running her hands over her face.

“Tara, are you okay?”

She shakes her head rapidly, meeting my gaze with glassy eyes. This is the first time I’ve seen her crack, the first time I’ve seen her show emotion instead of deflecting with sarcasm or sass. Something about that prick scares her—I can see the fear in her eyes. She’s at war with Nix on the daily without even batting an eyelash at his intimidating manner, but this guy? This guy has her so fucked up that she’s shattering right before my eyes after only a few minutes in his presence.

He did this to her. He hurt her. I can’t stand back; I have to go after him. I don’t even know the story, but I want to make him suffer for the misery he’s clearly caused her.

I squeeze her arm reassuringly, then start toward the front door to chase after that fucker before he can get too far away. She grabs my hand, pulling me back down the hall to the office. Once we’re inside, she closes the door behind us, leaning back against the wood as she closes her eyes and takes deep breaths. She’s damn near hyperventilating, her chest is heaving up and down that fast.

“Who was that, Tara?” I want to rip his fucking head off. I want to tear him apart piece by piece until he’s no longer breathing. There’s an instinctive desire in me to keep her away from harm, away from danger, or anything that can even come close to breaking her.

She answers me quietly, without opening her eyes. “My ex… He’s a piece of shit. Don’t worry about it.”

Don’t worry about it? “How can I not worry? I might barely have a high school education, but I’m not stupid. Something happened that scares you. You’re a mess right now because of him.”

Lifting her head, Tara finally meets my eyes. I get the feeling she’s deciding if she trusts me enough to spill whatever it is that has her like this. “You can’t tell Marnix about what happened.”

“Are you being serious? He fucking threatened you.” And I’m supposed to keep Nix updated on absolutely everything when it comes to you.

She shakes her head. “It’ll only make things worse. I can handle Zayan on my own—I don’t need Marnix’s moody self involved. He’d probably just turn this around on me or something. The only thing Marnix would do is make it worse. He’s already regretting his decision to marry me; I don’t need to give him any further reasons to threaten my worth.”

“He won’t do that if I just explain to him what happened. He might not be the most pleasant person to be around, but he’s not cruel. Are you in danger, Tara? Zayan seemed pretty intense when it comes to you. He didn’t look like the type of guy to give up easily.” I have to know. I have to keep her safe. It’s my job, but honestly, I still would even if I wasn’t being paid to.

“No...” She hesitates. “I’m not. I-I’m safe with you, right? You’re supposed to keep me safe. He won’t do anything crazy if I’m with you. I think you’ve made it clear you’re not afraid of him.”

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