I thrash, the muscles in my arms transforming to jelly as my lungs catch fire.
He snarls, “After you’re dead, I’m gonna—”
The door convexes, crashing over the man’s back. Still, a furious possession won’t bring him to let me go. Large fingers twine into the tuft of hair at my assailant’s skull. Kieran grabs the man’s neck, pulling it at an impossible angle. I scramble back, captivated by my dark, avenging angel. Kieran fists the back of my new captor’s head and pounds his face. Stunned, I skitter onto my ass while Kieran fractures the man’s spinal cord and transitions into overkill. Retrieving a gun from the back of his leather jacket, Kieran continues to clutch the hair at the crown of his enemy’s head. He lets off the entire clip against the Irishman’s temple.
A warm spray of blood and brain coats my cheeks, sending me struggling to my feet. In an otherworldly moment, silence descends as the Glock clicks.
“Feck!” A dissatisfied Kieran roars, pulling out another clip to reload his gun. “You’re in bloody trouble,” Kieran snaps, teeth gritted. He jerks me up, and I stumble over my weak, noodle legs. With the gun still fisted in the other hand, he walks us straight out of the room.
“Help me. Help me!” I scream at a menagerie of faces. All they do is look straight through us.
* * *
Ireturn to hell. My own personal warden and demon marches me up the stairs. At a few steps to the top, I fall forward. Pain slices through my fingers. Kieran’s hand leaves my arm only to target the back of my neck, and he hauls me into my room.
In the bathroom, Kieran turns on the shower. Fighting dirty, my fists torpedo against his back.
“I want to go home!” No matter how stark and fake the word sounds coming from my mouth, I croak. “Take me home.” As a dog crawls back to its own vomit, I prefer the hell I lived in to this unknown.
Kieran pivots around. His body crowds my back. “He was gonna kill you then rape you!”
“You-you, yesterday, you . . .”
“Aye, that’s right. I’d not kill you, though.” His furious cock grounds against me.
I match his vigor, except my excitement is contained between my thighs and executed via a psychotic chuckle. “Nah,Kieran,your death hasmyname on it.”
As I laugh, Kieran lets go. I manage to turn myself around to face him—to show him my penchant for insanity can match his own. We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity in an incensed battle.He knows. Kieran must know that looking into the utter darkness of his eyes unravels every nerve ending in my body.
Gesturing with his hands, he demands, “Have I raped you?”
“Almost,” I toss back.
He pants my token word, “Almost?BloodyFeck. Me taking you right now against your will—that’ll stop your daft decisions. I’ve no doubt that otherbawbagwould’ve had his way with you. Oh, he would’ve silenced you for good, first.”
Disgust claws up my throat, and I hurl it out in a shout. “Go to hell.”
The dark beast shoves his tangled hair away from his tantalizing eyes. “I pulled yououtof hell, Ava. Why would I wanna go back?”
Oye, Dios!His beauty is unparalleled. It’s almost a feat to fault the man. I tighten the walls of my sex, ceasing their unending quiver. Although, I can’t get these traitorous throbbing lips to stop leaking with desire. Enraged by my own body’s reaction, I snap, “You’re that out of touch with reality. This is heaven?”
Steely gray eyes flash over the enchanting claw-foot tub and around the marble-encased bathroom. “Aye, heaven. Every inch of these walls, the lining of those trees. I’m yourfeckingguardian angel, Ava. That was until you tried to escape. Look at your face, all bloody.” A growl escapes his lips.
I’m mesmerized by Kieran’s conviction. My lack of response causes his hand to grapple for my ponytail. He thrusts me toward the mirror. The edge of the marble counter digs into my stomach, and his hard body presses against mine. We’re cheek to cheek with his hand clamped onto my jaw.
“Look. At. Your.Fecking. Face!”
Upon seeing my reflection, I’m shocked at the blood smeared along my face. I lower my head, unable to bear the steely determination in his glance any longer. He’s not staring at me as if I’ve lost brownie points for being punched in the mouth. No, he’s enragedforme. Vehement emotion rolls off Kieran in waves. The bastard’s acting his ass off, pretending to care. He has to be. I’ve seen it before, and I won’t be tricked again.
"Screw you, Kieran!" I growl, though I’m infuriated by his manipulative display of sincerity.
Silently, the formidable force capsizes me while coming near. My heartbeat flutters in my chest as Kieran tips my chin up. He targets the wrath festering between us.
"Say that again." His dare tempts the sadist in me who once begged for Adnan’s wrath. Yeah. I begged for it, not because I craved it. No, my willingness to fight in the beginning was his invitation for more. My sharp tongue never amounted for anything, but I’d be damned if I allowed my husband to hit me without a challenge.
UntilI learned the art of falling away to another place and time.
I remain silent now. My gander flickers over Kieran in defiance. The intensity of it reading,You heard me.