Page 54 of Take

My past had messed me up, too, but I didn’t hurt those around me. I didn’t use people.

His tone was harsh as he said, “I’m not walking away.”

I shoved him again, this time with both hands, but he’d been ready for it and didn’t move. “Then I will.” I pushed by him, but he grabbed my arm, pulling me around. I put out my hands to stop from crashing into him and they rested over his heart. It wasn’t the usual steady beat. It was frantic.

“You’re jumping to conclusions. And you’re not leaving.” His eyes flashed black and his jaw clenched. He always had this power in him, this overwhelming control over the room and I hated that I wanted to bend to him. “Things changed. It’s not like that now. Fuck, it was never like that.”

I didn’t want to hear excuses. I wanted to get this over with. “Where’s your Ink?” He refused to answer and I raised my voice. “Where the fuck is your Ink?”

“It’s on his left shoulder,” his brother said from the doorway. “On his back.”

“Fuck you, Holden.” Jasper swung around taking me with him as he glared at his brother. “Stay out of this.”

His brother leaned against the front door and crossed his arms over his broad chest. From my quick glance, he was making certain of two things, that I didn’t leave and neither did Jasper.

I wasn’t stupid and had no intention to leave until I had a plan. “Take off your shirt,” I said. At any other time, I knew Jasper’s usual response would’ve been a cocky smirk, but all I got was a scowl with lowered brows and the crease between them.

“We are not doing this.” Jasper shot a glare at his brother then put his hands on my waist and slid them down to grasp my hips. “Max, I told you, shit changed. It was a job. Now, it’s not. Shit, it wasn’t from the beginning. I took it to protect you.”

I lowered my head. “Yeah.” They were words with no meaning. I didn’t trust anything he said.

“Sunshine.” A sharp pain hit my chest at his soft drawl. “Fuck. I took the deal and . . .” He grabbed either side of my face and forced my head up so I’d look at him. “Max, I didn’t know I’d fuckin’ care. I haven’t cared about anything for a goddamn century.” I averted my eyes and he tightened his grip, fingers curling into my hair. “Jesus. Don’t pull away from me.” His tone quivered and softened as he said, “Please, Max.”

I wanted to believe him, and maybe there was a sliver of truth in his words because I’d felt it. But it didn’t change the fact Jasper had been using me for my ability.

“Tell her the rest.” Holden’s voice abruptly cut through the air. “Tell her or I will.”

Jasper’s hands fell away and my heart skipped a beat with my breath catching in my throat. “What?”

Jasper stepped away, the color draining from his face. Oh, God, it was bad. Worse. I clutched at the denim of my jeans on either side of me as I waited for the wrecking ball to do its final destruction.

Jasper looked at the floor for a second and then he took a deep breath and met my eyes again. “If Drake got too close, I was supposed to kill you.”

My breath hitched as I shook my head. No. It couldn’t be true. Xamien . . . Xamien wouldn’t let that happen. But suddenly I was uncertain of anything and I was drifting away into the abyss of deceit. I was drowning in the depths as I was yanked under by the force of the waves, pulled into the darkness where I was safe.

“Baby, it’s not—”

Anger flashed and I went for him. He must have seen it coming, but he didn’t do anything to stop me as I slapped him across the face, his head jerked to the side from the force. The sound echoed in the silence of the room and then I was punching his chest as emotions I’d kept locked away for years suddenly released.

It was like gravity pulling me down further and further as I hit him repeatedly. I’d slept with a guy who’d been hired to kill me. I’d lain in his arms. I developed feelings for him. And all this time, he’d known that he’d kill me if he had to.

“You’re a cold son-of-a-bitch,” I yelled as I completely lost it. “Do you get off sleeping with women you’re hired to kill? I bet you do. I bet you—”

An arm looped around my waist and dragged me backward away from Jasper. “Go, damn it,” Holden ordered. I struggled against the hard body holding me, my mind spinning and every emotion I’d locked away suddenly set free as I cracked wide open.

Bleeding.

Draining.

Drowning.

The words kept repeating in my head. Jasper was hired to kill me if things went bad. Xamien never said anything. They all knew about my ability and they wanted me dead rather than end up in Drake’s hands.

Deceit.

Lies.

Betrayal.