Vipers Run by Stephanie Tyler

Author:Stephanie Tyler [Tyler, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-06-03T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

He carried me from the bike into the building. Wouldn’t let me go in the elevator. He talked to me like I was a wounded animal, telling me I was safe, and I let him, because I was still shaking from being in that crowd. I clung to him, feeling stupid. Vulnerable. There was no way I could survive in this world.

It wasn’t until we were upstairs and I was huddled on the couch, a blanket wrapped around me, that I focused on his worried green eyes.

“I didn’t realize, Calla.”

“How would you have?”

“You told me that a guy hurt you. I should’ve known . . .”

Honestly, I should’ve known too. But the way Cage treated me, the fact that he’d stripped down first and bared himself to me, had stopped all the familiar feelings of dread. Because he turned me on more than any man I’d ever met. The connection that solidified during our first phone call had never weakened.

But I’d avoided talking about this subject—and he hadn’t mentioned it except to tell me he hadn’t forgotten his promise.

But this morning, while I was answering Tenn’s e-mail, another, all too familiar one popped up. I didn’t want to open it, but I had to. I always had to, just to check. Somehow, I felt as if Jeffrey knew, that he was tracking whether or not I opened them, and if I didn’t, something worse would happen than just being sent a picture.

After I’d glanced through the pictures, I’d immediately gone into the bathroom and gotten sick. I’d shut the computer down and didn’t even think about it again. Until now. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You don’t have to go to the clubhouse anymore.”

“That’s not going to work. That’s your home, Cage.”

“You’re my home,” he said fiercely; then his tone quieted. “Babe, come on. Deep breaths, then talk to me.”

“I’m not strong enough.”

“Maybe not right now. But I’ll be strong enough for both of us.” God, that soothed me almost immediately. But I still remained on mute, and he continued trying. “Calla, come on, just talk to me. Lay it all out, because—fuck, I can’t help you with anything if you keep me in the dark.”

“I don’t want you to know things. I don’t like what you know already.”

His voice lowered to a dangerous octave. “What the fuck happened to you, Calla?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m fine.”

“You’re lying. And I’m the guy. I’m supposed to say everything’s fine. You’re not.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m not like other women.”

“No, you’re not. And that’s why I’m here with you. You’re not getting rid of me, so it’s either tell me now or I’ll start digging.”

“Don’t you dare. You bastard . . . you wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, I would, if it meant getting to the bottom of all this shit.”

The glint in his eye meant business. I knew he had the will and the means to try, but what was buried by Jameson Bradley was intended to stay that way. I couldn’t let Cage dig.

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