Branded (Fall of Angels #1)(43)

His lip twitches to almost form a grin. Almost, but not quite. “You know what I mean.”

“Oh, please elaborate,” I muse, cocking my head.

For some reason, our bodies are closer than we were a few minutes ago. It’s as though we’re hovering toward each other even though we both know better than to repeat that mistake.

Suddenly, his phone rings, breaking the spell.

He leans back, clears his throat, and then snatches his cell phone off the counter. His fingers hover over the green button to accept the call. All he needs to do is push.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he waits until the call ends. Then he goes into his contacts, blocks the number, and throws the phone back onto the counter. The name at the top clearly said Josiah.

“Your uncle?” I ask.

He nods but doesn’t say anything. Words aren’t necessary.

He’s saying all he needs to by doing what he just did. By going against his uncle’s wishes to capture me, he signed his own death warrant. We both know it, but he doesn’t seem fazed. In fact, he seems more sure than ever of his decision.

Is this because I told him about the drugs and that his uncle did business with us?

Or because he wants to keep me to himself?

I shudder at the thought of everything he could do to me. And how my body tingles at the thought. Fuck.

No.

Not happening.

He’s the reason your brothers are dead.

I close my eyes and tell myself to get a grip. He got away with a crime, and he should pay for it in blood. Just like his uncle, who ruined our business by not paying for the drugs he got.

But I know he wants me to pay too. He believes I ruined his life. That’s why he came to destroy mine. It’s not fair, but I’m not in a position to go at him right now.

I’m not the one with a gun. He is.

And I’m sure he’d use it to hurt me if he had to.

If it meant I’d do exactly what he wanted.

Brandon has proven he doesn’t back down from a fight, so I can’t risk it. But maybe, just maybe, I can change my fate and force his hand by taking advantage of the situation.

By using his only weakness against him.

And I know exactly what that is.

Me.

I reach for him, placing one hand on his shoulder while the other carefully trails up his chest. “So what are we gonna do now?”

“We?” he repeats with a gruff voice.

“I know you wanna,” I say, smiling coyly. I’ve seen it with my own eyes in that shower. He can’t hide that he had a hard-on right after talking to me … and that he jerked off.

God, I can still see the cum shooting from his cock. That was a sight to behold. Big too. I never imagined I’d witness that … and especially not from him.

I swallow, and his eyes follow down my throat. I feel watched. As if he knows exactly what I’m thinking. I hope not. I don’t want him to know I’m planning to take his gun when we’re tumbling on the bed.

“You’re wrong,” he says with a harsh voice and a stoic face.

“Lie,” I say, licking my lips. Now his eyes follow my tongue. “See?”

He swats away my hand when I get to his face. “Don’t.”

“What? Touch you?”

“Pretend you actually wanna.”

He’s right. I don’t. I shouldn’t. Or at least, that’s what I’m trying to tell myself as the picture of his naked body lingers in my mind. Shit.

“Who says I don’t?” I say, shrugging. “You don’t know that.”

“You hate me,” he says, narrowing his eyes.

I do, actually. I hate his guts. More than anything, I wish him dead for what he did to my brothers.

But he’s my only way out of this mess too.

“So?” I smirk. “Who says people need to love each other to fuck?” When I attempt to come close again, he shoves me away.

“I said no,” he says with an even angrier voice than before. I think I’m getting close. He’s about to burst.

“Or what?” I reply. “You’ll hurt me?”

I’m not afraid. He can’t kill me. He tried and failed.

Suddenly, he grabs my wrist midair, his grip rough and painful. “Don’t try me,” he says.

I’m not gonna back down. This is my only shot at freedom. And now that he stopped answering his uncle, it’s the perfect time to start.

But that flicker of excitement in his eyes … damn. It makes my heart pump faster.



*

Brandon



She’s getting on my nerves. So much so that I just wanna tie her to the bed at this point. Maybe strip her of some clothes and see how far we get until she begs me to stop.

I don’t think she means it. She’s only saying it to get me to let her go. Does she really think I won’t notice? I’m not that stupid.

Despite her alluring body and scent pulling me in, I know better than to play with fire. And she sure is a blazing one. Smart too. She knows how to turn something into an advantage, but I can’t let it happen.

She needs to pay for her crimes.

I won’t forgive her for ruining my life, and I won’t forgive her for trying to kill me and my uncle with a fucking bomb either.

But fuck me, she’s so damn hard to resist.