Page 42 of Shock

They all go quiet and stare at me.

“Kooper, you fucking asshole.” I throw a stapler at his head, which he dodges.

“Hannah loves who?” Spark asks, but no one answers as they try to stop me from strangling their VP.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

DIEGO

“Wake up!”Something cold and wet hits me in the face, and for a moment, I think I’m at the gym.

Did some lucky bastard knock me out?

“What the fuck Diego.” Ah, yes.

I remember now.

“Easy Shock, I need to set his nose.” The deep male voice has me cracking my eyelids and trying to sit up.

“Why can’t I move?” I panic and pull on my limbs, but my wrist seems to be attached to my ankles, so all I manage to do is roll right into the man who was checking out my face.

“I can’t work like this, Cowboy.” That baritone of his grows lower in agitation.

“Scull, he’s like that per the Little Lady’s request. If she wants him set free, she can cut him loose.” I’m rolled to my side so I can look at the man properly.

Long gray dreads are tied back from his dark face. He has a serious look about him, like he never smiles. His eyes say differently, with laugh lines surrounding them. Guess he just doesn’t like me or this situation.

We look about the same age, but something tells me he’s got twenty or so years on me.

“Gotta a problem with my skin color?” He growls out at me.

I look at my own dark skin and chuckle.

“That be hypercritical. I’m sizing you up.” He nods his approval and hums deeply, making his chest rumble.

“You’d be stupid not to. Now, hold still. This is gonna hurt like a son-a-bitch.” He ran the last few words together, and it made me grin right until he adjusted my nose, and my vision filled with tears.

“FUCK!” I yell cause GOD, that hurts.

“You’ll live.” The man named Scull pats my shoulder and stands.

“Out, leave the knife.” I see Hannah pushing the men out the door and slamming it closed before turning to glare at me.

“You gonna kill me or cut me loose?” I’m almost afraid of her answer.

“Not sure yet.” She flips the knife in her hand and catches it, sending my heart racing.

“ I can explain.” I try to keep my voice even, but when the deadly-looking blade rises in the air again, my throat closes up until it’s safely back in her uninjured hand.

“You fucking better start.” I clear my throat, as she set the weapon down on a dresser and crossed her arms.

“You don’t date.” She frowns and opens her mouth to argue but I talk over her.

“Shut the fuck up and listen for once.” She picks that knife back up and steps towards me, so I rush on.

“How is a man supposed to get close to you if you don’t date? While we worked together, I didn’t feel the need to rush it. I knew one day the truth would come out about your Prom night, and that scared the living shit out of me because I don’t fear anything but losing you. Not even death.” I cringe as she getscloser, and the blade is so close to my throat that I can feel the coldness caress my skin.

She twists suddenly, and my over-extended limbs snap free.

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