“It’s not all Gareth’s fault. I’m a big girl. I chose to do it,” I say, coming to his defense.
“Well, you chose wrong,” Hayden growls. “Had I known what you were doing—”
“I still would have done it! You’re not my boss, Hayden,” I snap.
“Vi,” Camden warns.
“What? It’s true. I’m not going to let you all manhandle me into what you think is best for me right now. This is horse shit. I’m a fucking adult. I’m tired of you all interfering.”
“Vi!” Tanner snaps out of nowhere. “I’m bloody grateful Hayden was there tonight. That scene was rubbish and scary as fuck! I for one am glad you have him. Just stop with the independent woman, feminist shite and say thank you to your bloke for defending you the way he did. It could have been so much worse.”
Tanner’s outburst stuns me. He rarely gets ruffled feathers and holy shit are his feathers ever ruffled right now.
“I am thankful you were there, Hayden,” I whisper to him. He still hasn’t looked at me. I want him to understand, though, that I don’t have to be taken care of all the time or scolded like a child. My independence is important to me. But he looks like he’s warring over something bigger than the pub skirmish. I want to push this issue, but I need him to come back to me first. “I’m sorry,” I say softly. He still won’t look at me and the lower part of his jaw shifts as if he’s in pain. I grab his hand and twine my fingers with his. His shoulders drop and finally, he turns his glossy eyes to me. “I’m really sorry.”
The anxiety and fear-stricken look on Hayden’s face right now makes me feel ill. I rub the back of my fingers down his cheek and he exhales a breath he’s been holding for miles. He leans into me and rubs his nose on my temple, sucking in a shaky breath. The touch feels important. Like he’s telling himself that it’s okay for him to care about me.
After a few moments of driving in silence as we all sit and stew about just how bad that could have been, Tanner lightens the mood.
“Think you might have lost some fans tonight, bro.”
We all burst out laughing, and I glance over and see the corners of Hayden’s mouth turn up. Eventually, we pull up to our dad’s Chigwell house. My brothers each give Hayden a matey pat on the back before exiting the vehicle. Gareth stops and makes a point to shake Hayden’s hand. They exchange a silent, heavy look and then we depart…back to Brick Lane.
SCARS
Seeing that disgusting specimen of a man put his hand on Vi made everything inside my body snap. My mind, my temper, my muscles, my sanity.
My heart.
The word “mine” screamed in my head as I bulldozed through the crowd and wrenched him away from her. This scene was so much worse than the one with Ethan at Club Shay. I actually feared for Vi’s safety tonight. A fear that ripped through me like a pain that I’ve never felt before.
Fuck.
Fuck!
This is all happening too fast. Too quick. Too much. She’s just so open and trusting and giving. She’s got no idea about the deeply rooted fear that lives inside of me every time I’m with her. We make our way back up to her flat in a heavy silence. A silence that I’m not even sure how to fill at this point.
I’m fucking falling for Vi. And that terrifies me so much because she somehow turns me into a loose cannon. I lose all my control and all my sense. The immense possessiveness I have inside me regarding her safety and well-being is…terrifying.
“Do you want to talk about tonight?” she asks quietly, squatting down in the dark kitchen to pat Bruce affectionately as he laps at the fresh water she’s just poured for him.
I sigh heavily and ruffle my hair. “To be frank…I just want to take you to bed and bury myself inside of you until I can’t think anymore.” I don’t tell her that being inside her is the only time I feel like I truly have her.
She rises to her feet, watching me with a sombre expression. Then, she bends over and peels her dress up over her head. Her hair cascades around her shoulders as she stands before me in nothing but a black strapless bra, a black thong, and her black heels.
Desire throttles me as she drops the dress to the floor. In four strides, I’m on her. Kissing her harshly and painfully. Roughly, I toss her up on top of the counter and she flinches at the cold granite against her bare arse. I grab her jaw gruffly, squeezing tightly as I cut my narrowed eyes to hers in warning.