Page 67 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

‘Nope.’ Justin shook his head, still smiling. ‘I want to talk to you first.’

‘Yeah, well, I don’t want to talk to you. Get the fuck out of my apartment.’

He raised his hands in a calming gesture. ‘Five minutes, Cat. Give me five minutes.’

I didn’t want to, but short of shoving him out through the door—and I didn’t want to get that close to him—it didn’t look like I was going to get much choice.

Folding my arms, I lifted my chin. ‘Five. Then you’re gone.’

He let out a breath, as if relieved, and ran a hand through his hair, that smarmy grin he thought was so charming curving his mouth.

‘Okay, look... I’ve been thinking about Annie, and custody, and all that stuff. And how you’re kind of trapped here in this...’ He looked around, his lip curling. ‘Well, it’s not exactly the best place for a kid, huh? Anyway, I wondered if you’d consider maybe getting back together again.’

All the air in my lungs abruptly vanished, making it difficult to breathe.

‘You’re joking,’ I managed. ‘Please tell me you’re joking.’

Justin’s grin faded, a glint of heat entering his blue eyes. ‘No. The truth is I miss you, Cat. And I want you back.’

He could not be serious. He couldn’t.

‘Are you insane?’ I didn’t bother to hide my shock. ‘Why the hell would you think I’d ever want to come back to you? After what you did to me?’

His gaze flickered. ‘I’m different now. I promise. And anyway it’s better for Annie that we’re a family. She needs a father.’

‘She already has a father.’

The words came out before I could stop them. Because, of course, she did. She had Smoke. And he was a better father to her than Justin had ever been.

A mistake to say it out loud, though.

All the charm slid right off Justin’s face like a switch had been thrown. The heat faded from his eyes, to be replaced by a hard, cold glitter. ‘That biker asshole is not her father. I am. And if you care anything for her you’ll know that her place and yours is with me.’

‘Sure—with a man who can’t control his own anger.’ I didn’t hold back the sarcasm. ‘Who’d rather hit me than talk to me. Yeah, she’ll be safer with you, all right.’

Justin’s features rearranged themselves, the charm oozing back again. ‘Oh, come on. You’re really going to keep holding that against me? I loved you, Cat. I still do. Doesn’t that count for anything?’

I stared at him—at Justin with his smarmy smile and his handsome face. Who’d told me he loved me countless times. And it hit me hard—like a brick to the side of the head—that, yes, he’d given me those words and I’d lapped them up, desperate for love and acceptance from someone.

But although the words had been what I wanted to hear, his actions had told a different story. When we were together he’d criticise me constantly, undermining me, making me feel that I wasn’t good enough for him, that I had to work to be worthy of him.

He hit me.

He hurt me.

He made me feel small and weak.

But Smoke didn’t do any of those things. No, he hadn’t given me the words I’d been wanting to hear, but everything he did was for me. He built me up...made me feel beautiful. Made me feel strong. He was constantly pushing me, challenging me, making me step up because he knew I could take it. And he wanted the best for me. He wanted more for me.

Because he cared.

I could feel the truth of it sliding down inside me, imprinting itself into my blood, my bones. Into my soul.

He loved me. He might not have said it, but every day he showed me in the way he touched me, looked at me. In the way he cared for Annie. In every way there was.

And just like that my fear vanished.

I dropped my arms to my sides and took a few steps forward, getting right up in Justin’s handsome, smarmy-ass face.

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