I was a man.
A fucking big man at that, and I had a fucking obsession I couldn’t let go.
“She’s mine,” I said, and it was as simple as it sounded. “This revenge is mine. I decide what happens to her.”
“She’ll ruin you.”
“What a way to go,” I said, only half joking.
He turned to me, his pale silver eyes flashing in the afternoon sun. I resisted the urge to move away.
I was probably the safest person on the planet from Micah. I knew that, and he knew that, too.
Didn’t mean I didn’t find him to be scary as hell.
I kept my gaze on him, and he let out a tired sigh and looked back into the sea of blue and black.
“Fine, keep your little toy. That just means I will have to keep a closer watch on you. Lucky for you, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
It was my turn to sigh. “You don’t need to keep an eye on me. I know how to take care of myself.”
He shook his head and stood up, probably walking back to where Dominic was. I didn’t watch him.
I kept my eyes on the girl not too far away from him.
She had her head down, her eyes on her lap.
I wondered what she was thinking.
It looked like she was barely listening to the speeches.
I didn’t blame her.
Everything about the ceremony was fucking boring, but I really hated the dejected look on her face right now. I was hit with the sudden urge to find out why she looked like that and how to eliminate the problem to wipe that look away.
I wanted to pick her up and take her away, somewhere far from here.
Probably to my cabin, where the only thing she needed to focus on was me, and ignore everything else that was going on.
Where her only problem was to ensure she pleased me.
And with the way I was feeling, I didn’t doubt it would be oh so fucking easy for her to do.
9
RYLEIGH
I exhaled slowlyas I took in the empty apartment.
Going furniture shopping was just another thing on my long list of to-dos, and I realized I should probably move it up, considering how strange I felt standing here.
I needed to make it a home.
I needed to prove to myself that I could do all of this without my parents’ help.
I closed my eyes as a small sting started around my heart.
They didn’t even go to my graduation.