“Sit on the couch,” Damon told Raina.

  She spared a glance at the agent, who still stood in his place with his bags in his hands. The longer he held them, the more strain on his muscles. And the more strain on his muscles, the harder it would be for him to fight back.

  Damon wasn’t an idiot.

  Once Raina was seated, her hands folded in her lap and her gaze bouncing between Damon and the agent, Damon lowered the gun.

  As expected, the agent dropped his bags and reached for his gun at the same time. But Damon was ready for him.

  The agent didn’t know Damon had a knife in his other hand. When he reached for his gun, Damon took advantage of the move and jabbed his knife into the agent’s stomach.

  “Adam!” Raina screamed.

  Damon twisted the knife, then pulled it out, smiling when the agent sank to the floor.

  Damon pointed the knife at Raina when she moved. “Don’t you fucking touch him.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. She stared at the agent, but she lowered herself to the couch again.

  Damon crouched in front of the agent, scanning the man. Blood oozed from the wound in his side. Eventually, he’d bleed out, but it would take a while. All Damon wanted was to make sure the man couldn’t fight back. Mission accomplished.

  “You touched her,” Damon growled. “You put your hands on my woman. You fucked her!”

  The agent fucking smiled. He fucking smiled. “And I’m gonna do it all again as soon as I kill you.”

  Damon reached back and swung, his knuckles landing with a solid blow and satisfying crack on the man’s nose.

  The agent grunted and fell back, rolling from his side to his back. Blood poured over his face, choking him in his position. He rolled again, spitting blood out onto the carpet and coughing.

  “She’s mine. You’re never going to touch her again. No one is. She’s going to learn right now that she belongs to me.”

  Raina whimpered, but Damon ignored her and kept his focus on the agent. His face, despite being covered in blood, showed his anger. He made a move to get up, telling Damon he still had a little fight left in him.

  Time to erase that.

  Damon stomped on the agent’s hand, bones crunching beneath his boot. Then he kicked the man’s knee, another crunch. The agent howled and rolled in pain, his face twisting in agony.

  Damon crouched in front of him again. “Nothing else to say?”

  He grunted in pain, bracing his shattered hand against his body. His leg didn’t move.

  “Good. Every word out of your mouth will get another broken bone.”

  The agent glared at Damon, but he didn’t speak. He was learning.

  Just like Raina had to.

  Raina’s breath stopped. Her heart dropped. Everything inside her screamed to run.

  But that option was gone. She chose to stay. She chose to lot leave Adam to die.

  Instead, she was going to have to watch him die.

  The only sound from Adam was a groan. One that said he was barely hanging on to consciousness. Raina wanted to help him, to stop the bleeding or something. But if she moved, Damon would kill her.

  Fuck. He was going to kill her, anyway. Did it matter? Sitting on that couch and waiting for death didn’t feel like a better option. She spent too many months doing exactly what Damon told her to do. When she left, she promised herself she’d never get involved with another man like that. Another man who wanted to control her and force her to do things.

  And here she was, right back where she started. Listening to the man who broke her spirit and almost killed her. The man who was going to kill her. Today. Right now. In this room.

  Unless she stopped him.

  Raina stood, drawing Damon’s attention.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? I told you to sit on the couch.”

  “Fuck you,” Raina growled. She shook as she forced the words out. She’d only once talked back to him when they were together. When they started dating, she would joke around with him and sass him, but it wasn’t long before he would withhold attention when she did. He told her he didn’t find it funny and would ignore her if she spoke out against him.

  Now, she didn’t care what he thought or did. If the end result wasn’t going to change, Raina was not going to go to her grave ashamed of her behavior and trying to appease the man who intended to kill her.

  “What did you say to me?” His voice was menacing, dangerous. Just her words were enough to anger him.

  Good.

  Raina took a step in his direction. She stayed out of his reach and repeated what she said. “Fuck. You.”

  Damon moved fast, catching her off-guard. He slapped her hard enough to send her back onto the couch.

  She bounced on the cushion and nearly fell off the couch to the floor.

  Damon towered over her, his face inches from hers. “Do you think you’re big and bad now, Raina? That fucking this piece of shit made you stronger? A year ago, you were begging for me to fuck you. You did anything I asked. I touched you how I wanted, fucked you how I wanted, and you whimpered for it.”

  Raina swallowed her shame. He was right. He had her so convinced he was the best she’d ever do that she let him do whatever he wanted. And she told herself she liked it.

  But Adam did make her stronger. Adam showed her what love meant, what love could be. He helped her believe in herself.

  “Yes, fucking him made me stronger,” Raina whispered.

  Damon grabbed her arm and yanked her upright, then kept pulling until she was on her feet. He dragged her to where Adam laid on the floor, puddles of his blood soaking into the carpet.

  “This is what you want? This bloody fucking mess? You think he’s good enough for you? That he can give you what you want?”

  “I know he can. He’s a good man.”

  Damon laughed, the sound loud and grating. It bounced around the room and echoed inside Raina’s body. It wasn’t a laugh of humor. It was a laugh that was evil, cruel, dangerous.

  “He’s a fucking pussy, Raina! I can’t even imagine how he satisfied you. Good.” Damon scoffed. “Good means nothing. It means weak. Look at him. Look at him!”

  Raina flinched at Damon’s shout. She squeezed her eyes shut. But that left her vulnerable. And Damon took advantage.

  Damon wrenched her hair, the pain forcing a cry out of her.

  “Look at the man you think is so good. He’s nothing, Raina. He’s not even fighting back. He’s just laying there, bleeding all over this beautiful white carpet.” Damon tsked as if disappointed in Adam. “Such a mess he’s leaving for housekeeping to clean up.”

  “You’re evil.”

  Damon’s laugh started small, like it surprised him she would say such a thing. It grew with each passing second, like her words buoyed him and encouraged him.

  Raina knew she had to do something. He would yank her hair out if she gave him the chance. He’d do whatever he wanted to her. She had to get away from him. Get a weapon. Get his weapon, if possible.

  She moved quickly while he laughed, reaching up to karate-chop him in the throat like Adam taught her. She was lucky, and it worked, shocking him enough that he released her.

  “You bitch,” Damon snarled.

  Raina hurried out of his reach, debating going to Adam, but he couldn’t help her and there was nothing she could do for him until she got away from Damon.

  Escape was the next thought in Raina’s mind. She raced toward the door, knowing if she could get out, she could alert Archer and Jack that Damon was there. In their room. With Adam.

  She was almost to the door when an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her effortlessly from behind. “No! Help me! HELP!”

  “Did you really think you’d be able to get away from me?” Damon hissed in her ear. “Did you think it would be that easy? This is going to be fun, Raina. You never put up a fight before, but I like this side of you.”

  He ground his erection against her backside and licked her ear.

  “Do you feel how much that turns me on? I’m going to fuck you so hard you beg for me to let you come. I can’t wait to feel your tight fucking pussy around my dick again. It’s been too long.”

  He shoved his hand beneath the waistband of her jeans, his fingers brushing the edge of her panties before she grabbed his arm. She dug her nails into his skin, scratching and pulling until she drew blood.

  He pressed harder, slamming his hand between her thighs. He bit the edge of her neck, hard enough that she saw stars.

  “You’re not going to be able to fight me off, Raina. I’m going to take everything I want from you. And your good agent is going to lie there and watch it. He’s going to see me fuck you every way I want, and then you’re going to watch him die. And when he’s dead, you and I are leaving this hotel room and no one will ever see you again.”

  Tears poured down Raina’s face, obscuring her vision of Adam. She fought against Damon’s touch, but he was too strong. He pushed a finger into her. She bucked against the intrusion, hating the feel of him surrounding her. His erection pressed to her back, his hand in her panties, his hot breath on her neck.

  Her stomach rolled, nausea buckling he knees. She fell, Damon’s hand mercifully yanked from her. She dry-heaved, nothing coming up except the shame and regret that filled her entire body.

  “Raina,” Adam whispered.

  She forced her eyes open and looked at him. He was close to her now. Only a few feet away. He was still blurry from her tears, but she could see his gaze, locked on her and steady.

  “I love you,” he breathed.

  “I love— Gah!” Raina reached up to stop the painful yank on her scalp.

  “You don’t love him. You love me. He’s a poor substitute.”

  “He’s not a substitute,” Raina snapped. All her rage exploding at the insinuation that Damon could ever be better than Adam. “You were the substitute. You’re not even a man. The only way you can get a woman is to drug her or kidnap her or trick her? How does that make you powerful? You’re a weak, pathetic excuse for a man. I don’t know what I ever saw in you, but my eyes are open now. You are worthless, Damon. Nothing. I will never love you. I will never willingly allow you into my body. You might fuck me and touch me and hell, you’re probably going to kill me, but you will never have my love. You will never have my heart. That belongs to Adam. He’s the man I love, the only man I love.”

  Damon tossed Raina to the side. She stumbled and fell into the edge of the armchair, her rib slamming against the solid frame barely covered with cushioned fabric.

  A crunch and oof had her spinning around. Damon was over Adam again, his boot lodged in Adam’s ribs.

  “Stop it!” Raina screamed.

  Damon kicked Adam again, squarely in the gut.

  Adam rolled and heaved, vomiting blood. He sank against the floor, his gaze glassy and dazed. He wasn’t going to last much longer without medical help.

  “Stop it!” Raina screamed again, jumping on Damon’s back before he could kick Adam again. She pounded on him, hitting and punching whatever she could reach.

  Damon swung at her, landing more than one blow to her head and back. He reached behind him and grabbed her hair, jerking her up his body until she toppled over his shoulder. She landed hard on the couch, her leg hitting the solid wood coffee table.

  Raina yelped in pain, but she knew that wasn’t the worst of it when Damon covered her body with his.

  He pressed his lips to hers and forced his tongue into her mouth. She bit him, and he pinched her nipple so hard she cried out. She brought her knee up to his crotch, and he tore her shirt down the middle, leaving her bra-covered breasts exposed.

  “I’ve missed these tits.” He leaned down and bit one, eliciting a scream when he bit down hard. “Oh, yeah, let me hear how much you like that.”

  He bit the other one, and she screamed louder.

  He had her arms pinned against the couch. His upper body covered hers, making it impossible for her to move.

  “I love you,” she heard from the floor.

  Adam. He was still giving her strength. Telling her not to give up. Encouraging her.

  And distracting Damon.

  Damon shoved Raina down and roared as he stomped the few steps to where Adam laid, barely moving and barely conscious. Damon kneeled in front of Adam and sneered at him.

  “Do you think you’re going to ever touch her again? Do you think I’d ever let you? All the things you did to keep her safe were useless. And this is just one more.” Damon made a fist. He held it up in front of Adam’s face.

  Raina sucked in a breath, not wanting to watch Damon hit Adam.

  But Damon didn’t punch Adam. He took his fist and pressed it to the stab wound. Hard.

  Adam shouted.

  Damon pressed harder.

  Adam screamed.

  And Raina saw the gun. In Damon’s waistband.

  She’d forgotten about it. But there it was. And he was focused on Adam.

  She pushed off the couch before she could think twice. She launched herself at him. She tackled him, the metal brushing against her fingers.

  Adam grunted when the pressure was released from his wound.

  Damon shouted when Raina landed on him.

  Raina tightened her grip on the gun and scrambled away from Damon. She held it up in front of her, a barrier between them that shook with her fear and uncertainty and pain.

  Damon looked from Raina to the gun, then back to Raina. “What are you going to do with that?”

  “I’m going to kill you.”

  Damon snorted. “With hands that shaky, you’ll be lucky if you don’t hit your agent instead of me. Come on, Raina. We both know you’re not going to shoot me.”

  Raina steadied the gun with her second hand, knowing he was right. She could hit Adam. “Get out,” she growled.

  Damon smirked at her. “I told you you’d never shoot me. Now, be a good girl and give me the gun.”

  Damon took a step toward her, and Raina squeezed the trigger.

  22

  Raina couldn’t move. It was too much. The shot boomed, echoing all around her. Her ears rung, the sound drowning out everything else, if there was anything else.

  She stared at the man she thought she loved once upon a time. His face registered shock when he looked down. A single spot on his shirt turned red. Like ink from a broken pen. The red grew, more pumping out of the hole in his chest.

  Damon fell to his knees, the jolt of his fall hard enough that he clutched for his chest. Or maybe that was because of the bullet hole.

  Then he collapsed onto the floor. His blood created a stain right next to Adam’s blood. Twin holes. Two men unmoving. Ringing. Echoes. Silence.

  Something touched her. A hand. Raina screamed, trying to lift the gun against the person she never noticed in the room. Damon had an accomplice.

  “Raina!” the man shouted.

  Everything was too loud. Shouting. Footsteps. More shouting.

  “Raina, can you hear me?” Archer. It was Archer in front of her. Trying to take the gun from her hands.

  Raina shook. She stared at the carnage in front of her. It was her fault. Adam was dying because of her. Damon was dying because of her. Two men she’d loved. One she now hated. One she still loved.

  “What did I do?” she breathed.

  “Let’s sit down,” Archer said, his voice low and soothing. He glanced at someone, but Raina could only focus on putting one foot in front of the other. With Archer’s help.

  He guided her to a bar stool in the kitchen. Away from the blood. From the two men lying on the floor of her suite.

  “Are you hurt?” Archer asked, his gaze scanning her, lingering in some spots.

  Raina shook her head. “Adam.”

  “Jack’s with him. He’s still alive. An ambulance is on the way.”

  “Damon.”

  Archer shook his head.

  “I killed a man. He told me I wouldn’t do it, but I… I…”

  “Raina, it’s okay.” Archer stood and walked a few steps away. He grabbed something, a blanket, and put it around Raina’s shoulders.

  It was soft. Warm. Comforting against her bare skin.

  Bare skin.

  She looked down and saw her shirt was torn open. She wrapped the blanket around her body, shame heating her skin.

  “You’re safe now,” Archer said.

  He barely got the words out before the room exploded with more noise. Police officers swarmed inside, followed immediately by F-BOMB. Liam spared Raina a glance before dropping to his knees next to Adam.

  “What happened?” Liam barked.

  “Still working that out,” Archer said, his tone equally angry.

  “How the fuck did Street get in here?”

  “He was waiting for us,” Raina answered.

  “Waiting for you?” Archer asked.

  Raina nodded, the pain of what she’d been through seeping past the adrenaline that kept her fighting until Damon was dead and help arrived. “He was in here when we got back from the store. Adam walked in first. Damon was in the kitchen.” She looked at the spot Damon had first stood. “He had a gun on Adam. Adam told me to leave, but Damon said he’d shoot Adam if I did.”

  “You stayed to protect him,” Liam whispered.

  “I didn’t do a very good job,” Raina said on a sob.

  “It’s okay,” Lorelei said, appearing out of nowhere. Or maybe she was there all along. Raina didn’t know anymore.

  Time felt slow. Everything was muddy.

  Lorelei hugged Raina, relieving Archer of his duties. With the arms of a friend around her, Raina’s tentative control on her emotions shattered, and so did she.

  Lorelei kept Raina pressed to her body and let Raina cry. The sounds around her were confusing and difficult to understand, but Raina couldn’t focus on them, anyway.

  After a few minutes, or a few hours, Lorelei led Raina across the hall. Edie was no longer in the room, but there were two bedrooms. Lorelei guided Raina into one of them and had her lie down on the bed. Raina fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

  Voices filtered into her dream, waking Raina. Her dream was peaceful, soothing. The world was good. She was safe. Everything was okay.

 

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