Page 51 of I Was Born Ruined (Death by Daybreak MC 1)
The air no longer tastes like crisp fall and apples. Instead, it reeks of violence.
“I've got it under control,” Crown says, voice smooth and cool but threaded through with just a dollop of violence. He runs his right hand down his arm, over the tattooed badge that graces his bicep. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out the meaning behind that one: ex-cop, current criminal.
“I said I'll take her home,” Grainger repeats, and the two men stare each other down with wicked intent. I can hardly even believe what I'm seeing.
Are they … fighting over me?
“I'm not looking to be anybody's old lady,” I choke out. Remember what I said? A fate worse than death. Being strapped to the club for the rest of my life is an unimaginable horror. A sickness crashes over me when I realize that, no matter what these idiots are thinking, I’m already trapped.
Forever caged.
A bird with broken wings.
I clamp a hand over my mouth.
“Old lady?” Grainger scoffs, choking on his own, bitter laugh. He rakes tattooed fingers through his dark hair. “Are you kidding me? You're seventeen fucking years old. Who the hell said they wanted you as their old lady?”
“If my age is such an issue, why'd you fuck me the other night?” I ask, and I feel Crown stiffen beside me. The look he throws Grainger is too nuanced for me to pick apart. I'm tired, and I just want to go to sleep for the next ten years. But that violence in the air … it begins to boil.
“If Cat finds out,” Crown begins, but Cade Grainger is already stalking off into the darkness, throwing me an awful, awful look over his shoulder, one that's half-poison and half-lust. Our eyes meet, and it’s like the slash of a knife. I wonder if I’m bleeding from that glance?
“Cat isn't going to find out unless you tell him,” Grainger adds, pausing, and prowling back a few feet to get in Crown's face. “And if you do, I've got other stories I could tell.”
“Are you threatening me?” Crown whispers, but I step between them before they can start fighting. There's a tightness in their shoulders, the taste of pain in the air. Inside that cabin, there’s a kid who’s about to be tortured. Even if he talks, they won’t let him off easy. I’m going to fucking puke.
“You're not sinless, Crown,” Grainger snaps, getting out another cigarette and lighting up. He looks at me like this is all my fault. “And neither are you.”
“Go to hell and eat a dick,” I tell him, just before he turns and storms off into the darkness.
I fucking hate that man.
“That'll never work, you know,” Crown says, drawing my attention back to him. His green eyes are soft, but patronizing. Makes me want to punch him. When he smiles, it isn’t nice. No, it’s the sort of condescending smile you gift a helpless person while you watch them flounder. “You and Grainger. He's just not that sort of man.”
My turn to snort a laugh.
“Are you kidding me?” I ask, looking him over in his tight white t-shirt, brown hair catching the light from Grainger's bike as he turns his headlights on. “You think I'm interested in that asshole?” I shake my head and turn away, looking up toward the distant sky, bathed in orange and red. It's still only early afternoon, and I have a few classes left I could attend.
Only … I don't feel like going back.
No, if Dad has decided to take things this far, I need to get out. And quick. I need to run.
But if I'm going to run, I'm taking that kid with me.
“It was just a fuck, Crown, get over yourself.” I start off toward the row of bikes, but he reaches out and grabs my arm. I can't figure out for the life of me what he's doing, but he pulls me back and turns me around to face him. Leaning over, Crown overwhelms me with his scent, like violets and suede, and I find it suddenly hard to swallow past a tight throat.
“Maybe it was just a fuck, but he's still no good,” Crown continues, sliding his fingers down my upper arms. It feels so good that I get chills, especially when his mouth gets up close and personal with my own.
There's a split-second there where I feel like he might kiss me.
He doesn't.
No, even when Crown is bad he's good. He's a rule follower if I've ever seen one. I scowl as I turn away from him. Why am I even thinking about kissing this asshole anyway? Why did I ever think to kiss this asshole in the first place? That was what started it all, that night I'll never be able to forget, no matter how far I run, no matter how fast I go …
