Page 70 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

‘No.’

She said it like the word was all she needed to make it true and her hand was there again, settling between my shoulder blades, warm as the sun on a summer’s day ride.

‘We have the club. That’s why I became your old lady to start with, right? They’ll help us.’

‘Yeah, I’ve fucked it up with the club, too.’

I could feel blood on my knuckles, could feel it drip down over my skin. A reminder of my past...of who I was. The ache in my chest deepened.

‘Keep was real clear that I couldn’t touch Justin because we had to stay sweet with the police. He won’t be happy if that asshole presses charges and it makes it difficult for him.’

‘But once you explain—’

‘Explanations won’t matter. All I can do is take responsibility for it and accept the consequences.’

Cat’s hand was gone from my back and suddenly she was standing in front of me, her dark brows drawn down, her eyes full of worry. Then I noticed the tears in her blouse and the red marks on her skin from where that bastard had touched her. All the rage came flooding back.

‘He hurt you.’ My voice was guttural, making me sound like the fucking rabid animal I was.

‘No, he didn’t. I hurt him, in actual fact.’

‘Your shirt...’

I reached out to touch the delicate material, fighting to keep myself together with the pressure of my fury crushing all the sense out of me. I wanted to put my hands on her, cover the marks Justin had left on her with my own. Reclaim her as mine as thoroughly and completely as possible.

Cat’s attention dipped to my hand and she let out a soft breath. ‘Oh. You’re bleeding.’ She reached for me.

No.Jesus. I couldn’t have her touching me. Not now.

I lowered my hand and stepped back.

Her eyes widened. ‘Smoke?’

It felt like that rusty knife was cutting a hole in my chest, peeling back my skin, pulling my ribs apart. I had to do this and do it fast.

‘I can’t stay.’ Pain bled into my voice, no matter how hard I tried to stop it. ‘I can’t be with you any more. Not if you want to keep Annie.’

She blinked. ‘What do you mean, you can’t be with me any more?’

‘I mean if the courts see you with me you’re screwed. You’re going to lose Annie. And the club won’t save you—not now I’ve fucked with Justin. Keep needs his relationship with the cops and he won’t want to put that at risk if Justin has me up on assault charges. I’ll have to take the rap for it. I’ll have to go down.’

‘You mean jail? No, don’t be stupid. You’re not going anywhere—let alone to prison. There are plenty of other ways we can—’

‘There are no other ways.’ I cut her off harshly. ‘You’ll never get to keep Annie if I don’t go.’

‘But when you say you’ll go, how long are you talking about? Just until this is over, right?’

That knife in my chest had turned into an animal, clawing at my guts, tearing me to shreds inside. I’d nearly killed a man in her hallway—would have killed him if she hadn’t been there to stop me—and I was dripping blood all over her carpet.

Now she might lose her daughter because of me.

Now she might lose everything because of me.

She’d been right not to wear my ring. Right to take it off and put it back in that box. Right not to give me what I wanted. Right to be afraid.

I was dangerous. I hurt people. I killed people. And one of these days, no matter how hard I’d try not to, I’d hurt her. Shit, I already had. I changed our friendship, forced her to be my old lady. She hadn’t wanted any of that and yet I’d insisted.

What kind of man did that to a friend?

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