Page 177 of Sin With Me

My Goldie lies on the cold floor, her body curled in on itself, silent tears streaming down her perfect face. A man stands over her, his mouth running with words that make her shake and have me momentarily frozen. But then, his hand wraps around her hair, tilting her face toward me.

Multiple things click in my hazy mind at once.

He’s touching her.

She’s bleeding.

He’s hurting her.

She’s bleeding.

He’s scaring her.

She’s bleeding.

Rage surges through me, a wildfire of protective instincts. My fist clenches around my lighter, knuckles white, as I charge towards him, the wrath of the very devil my father once swore I embodied, pulsing through my every vein.

“Get the fuck away from her!” The words explode from me, a primal roar of warning.

The man turns, his face a mask of surprise and disgust. His eyes meet mine, a chilling recognition passing between us. His lip curls and he has the audacity, the fucking nerve, to turn back to Eve as though I don’t exist.

Marcus.

Marcus is going to die.

Eve looks up, her tear-streaked face a portrait of relief and fear. She reaches out a trembling hand, a silent plea for salvation. My steps falter for a moment, the sight of her vulnerability a dagger to my blackened heart.

She’s bleeding.

Fury blazes once more, propelling me forward.

With a surge of strength born from desperation, I launch myself at the fucker who dared to walk in these doors and touch what doesn’t belong to him. My hand wraps around Marcus’ shirt and I tear his body from hers, throwing him into a pew and watching as he crumbles to the ground.

I want to look at her, to go to her, but I can’t.

Not yet.

I follow him down, needing him to stay that way so I can take care of Eve. No words are spoken as I put my fist through his stupid fucking grinning face. Each blow is a testament to the depths of my rage. The impact reverberates through my bones, but I press on, unyielding in my determination to protect the woman I love.

The woman I’ve always loved.

Will always love.

It only takes one hit for his smile to drop, two to make him bleed the way she is and three to see his eyes roll to the back of his head.

It’s not enough, but it has to be for now.

Soon. Soon I’ll make him regret every decision he’s ever made that led him here.

My own eyes flutter closed for a brief second while I take a moment to just fucking breathe. I need to get my shit in control, need to get my head straight before I check on her. I don’t know what he did or why, don’t know his intentions or if he did…if he did more than just make her bleed.

If he—

If he—

“Ro,” Eve chokes out, her voice thick with tears and terror. The sound does something to me, snapping me from my spiral. With another hit for good measure, I shove my body from his and turn to her, my beautiful, broken girl.

“Goldie–” I swallow, my voice cracking. Her nickname is still so fucking unfamiliar on my tongue despite how many times a day it’s rolled through my mind in the last four years.

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