Split(38)

“No, I—”

“Shhh . . .” His arms convulse with what feels like barely held restraint. “Don’t be a cock tease.”

“Stop it!” I press against his chest, my legs tense and ready to run. “You’re scaring me.”

His tall frame locks up and he nips my earlobe hard enough to make me whimper. “Good.” He steps back, glowering, and seems even bigger now.

I tingle all over and try to remain upright. My limbs shake with adrenaline and with the distance between us I take my first full breath.

He casually leans against the counter as if nothing happened. Seemingly unaffected, he kicks his feet out and crosses them at the ankles. “You’re scared, run.” He motions to the door with a big sweeping stroke of his hand. “No one’s keeping you here.”

“What’s wrong with you?” The words fall out on a whisper as my mind tries to make sense of I’m seeing.

His gaze turns predatory and his casualness dissolves. “Leave.”

“But . . .” I struggle to find the right words. I was about to kiss him and he completely turned on me. “I thought . . .”

“Shy. Ann. Not so shy, Shyann.” He chuckles. His voice sounds different, darker and teasing in a way I don’t like at all. My cheeks flush with embarrassment as he mocks my emotions. “Not so shy, Shy. Ann.” He continues to roll my name around in his mouth as if he’s tried it and doesn’t like the taste. “You thought you could flash those baby blues, shove your tits in my face, rub your * against me, and get what you want.” He tsks and grins. “Shy. Ann?”

“Stop it!” God, who is this guy? One minute I can barely get him to speak and now he’s being downright cruel.

He scowls and his jaw goes rock hard. “No! You stop it!”

“I’m leaving.” I don’t need this crap. One minute he’s caring, then indifferent, and finally flat-out mean. I go to move past him, feeling like a total ass for thinking Lucas was different, that we had a connection, but I stop and look him in the eye. “You could’ve just told me you weren’t interested.”

He tilts his head and his eyes blaze a trail from my lips to my chest to . . . between my legs? I shiver from the visual assault and he must notice as he rubs his upper lip, grinning. “Oh no, Shy. Ann. He’s interested. That’s the problem.”

What is this? It’s like he’s been injected with sex and crazy. He’s the total opposite of the Lucas I’ve come to know. Disappointment washes over me and tightens my chest.

“G’night, Lucas.” I trudge through the living room with my eyes to the floor.

Embarrassment and shame carry my feet faster and as I pass through the front door, he mumbles, “Call me Gage.”





GAGE


I roll my head on my shoulders—his shoulders—what-the-f*ck-ever. Same thing.

It’s been a while since I’ve come forward, which says a lot about Luke. He’s managed to avoid people that’ll hurt him.

’Bout time. Only took twenty years to figure that out.

But then he had to go and f*ck it all up by getting close to this chick. He tried to hold himself back, keep his shit together, but the little * fell dick, heart, and balls for a girl.

A woman.

Makes me sick to think he could actually enjoy the company of a female after what that bitch-whore of a mother put us through.

I’m not saying he should be gay—hell, I’m just as turned on by big tits and a tight little * as he is—but beyond what they can offer sexually, women are disgusting, evil, wretched creatures.

Even now that I buried him in the dark I can still feel the effect she has on him stirring his insides. I rub my chest in an attempt to push back that tingly shit left lingering behind my ribs. Fuck a woman, yeah. But this shit Luke feels is not okay.

The sickness of lust mixes with an airy sensation that, I’m not gonna lie, feels really f*cking good.

But so does heroin.

Just because something feels good doesn’t make it safe.

Bitches get off on causing pain, especially to Luke. And falling in love with a woman has the potential to be disastrous.

They’re straight from the pit of hell, all of them except Alexis, but she was seven and was dead before the infection of womanhood could disease and ruin her.

I won’t allow him to be hurt again. Ever.

My entire existence revolves around keeping him safe. And the things I’ve done, the unimaginable lengths I’ve gone to in order to protect him, are what nightmares are made of.

Luke doesn’t need to be daydreaming about a woman who will only rip out his heart and destroy whatever good is left in him. Best to keep women in one category, and the only dreamin’ they’re good for is the wet kind.

Even now, as I watch that hot piece of ass storm down the dirt road, my cock stiffens. I coulda f*cked her. She wanted it bad enough. I would’ve made her beg for it, just like all the rest. But I know her feelings for Luke run deeper than a quick f*ck and there’s no way I’ll be able to keep him safe if I chum the waters with my dick.

Once Shyann disappears around the bend, I do a slow scan of my surroundings. I haven’t been needed this badly since we were run out of a little town in Nevada, but I’ve been keeping tabs. Luke got himself a place to live, nice and quiet, perfect for him.