Read Online 7 Degrees of Alpha (a collection of seven new BWWM, Alpha Male Romances) by et al Phoenix Daniels Sara Allen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: et al Phoenix Daniels Sara Allen
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leave?” Val asked in a weak voice.
“Yeah. He said he gave you a sedative,” Jones said.
“I wouldn’t know because I can’t sleep, someone keeps shouting about retribution.” She half smiled at him.
“I was not shouting about retribution, just stating a fact,” Jones corrected her.
“Whatever!” Val eyed him. “Is he always like this?” she asked Doug.
“I haven’t seen him this bad, but… yeah, usually!” Doug smirked.
“You scared the shit out of me! What do you expect me to do?” Jones told her.
“Sorry,” Val whispered.
“Why should you be sorry? You didn’t do it to yourself,” he told her, “But I think I know the man who did.”
Val didn’t answer. She was hiding something and he knew it, but whether she liked it or not, she was going to tell him. And today!
“Looks like that’s my cue to get out now, while I can,” Doug teased, “See you later, Peter !”
Jones gave him a hard look, preferring not to say anything, before he returned his attention to Val, who sat squirming slightly in the armchair. Neither of them spoke as Doug made his way out of the apartment. They were anticipating the door closing behind him.
“Speak! Tell me what’s going on,” Jones told her.
“What? There’s nothing to tell,” Val said, trying to be evasive.
Jones said nothing. He would wait only so long.
“Look, I can handle it. Okay?” Val ensured.
“Yes, I saw you handling it very well when I went down and found you pressed against the fucking wall like a goddamn ragdoll!” Jones shouted at her, “Val, how can I protect you if you don’t trust me to help you?”
“I'm scared, Pete! I am scared!” she told him.
“Then tell me what’s going on so that I can help you! I need you around, and I don’t want to see anybody touching you like I saw earlier.” He wasn’t going to back down, and he saw the moment when her resolve broke and she shattered like a crystal under pressure. He couldn’t tell her how much he needed her; he didn’t want to scare her with how strongly he felt about her. All he could do was show her, and she needed to trust him first, trust that he had her best interests, and her heart at the top of his agenda.
“It was Damon,” she confessed quietly.
“Is he coming back?” he asked her, his voice stern.
She couldn’t speak, her terror palpable, as she nodded yes.
Jones rose and stood in front of her, pulling her from the chair into his arms.
“He will not get the chance to do what he did to you today ever again. Do you hear me?” he told her as he held her tightly, pouring reassurance into her through his touch.
“I was so scared. I didn’t even know what to do. I felt so helpless!” She sobbed into his chest, causing Jones’ heart to crack.
“Tell me everything.”
Six
08:25 a.m. October 16, 2004
“Please? You have to let me go to work,” Val pleaded with Jones again.
“No!”
“What?” she asked him in surprise, “Do you hear yourself?”
“I told you; until that bastard is caught, you stay here,” he insisted, unremorseful.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “I can’t believe you’re trying that caveman shit with me right now!”
“Then believe it.” Jones turned away from her. He couldn’t take how damn beautiful she looked all upset and glowing with irate anger. He wanted to take her to bed and do naughty things to her, but he knew she would flip. He’d been holding back for three days, three days of torturing himself because her essence had filled the apartment. Everywhere he turned, she was there, if not in person, then in spirit. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to be able to hold himself.
Val interrupted his reverie. “I'm talking to you.”
He shook his head, bringing himself back into the present. “What did you say?”
“I have an exhibition to curate!”
He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and touched her bottom lip with his thumb. The gesture was so gentle
“Yeah. He said he gave you a sedative,” Jones said.
“I wouldn’t know because I can’t sleep, someone keeps shouting about retribution.” She half smiled at him.
“I was not shouting about retribution, just stating a fact,” Jones corrected her.
“Whatever!” Val eyed him. “Is he always like this?” she asked Doug.
“I haven’t seen him this bad, but… yeah, usually!” Doug smirked.
“You scared the shit out of me! What do you expect me to do?” Jones told her.
“Sorry,” Val whispered.
“Why should you be sorry? You didn’t do it to yourself,” he told her, “But I think I know the man who did.”
Val didn’t answer. She was hiding something and he knew it, but whether she liked it or not, she was going to tell him. And today!
“Looks like that’s my cue to get out now, while I can,” Doug teased, “See you later, Peter !”
Jones gave him a hard look, preferring not to say anything, before he returned his attention to Val, who sat squirming slightly in the armchair. Neither of them spoke as Doug made his way out of the apartment. They were anticipating the door closing behind him.
“Speak! Tell me what’s going on,” Jones told her.
“What? There’s nothing to tell,” Val said, trying to be evasive.
Jones said nothing. He would wait only so long.
“Look, I can handle it. Okay?” Val ensured.
“Yes, I saw you handling it very well when I went down and found you pressed against the fucking wall like a goddamn ragdoll!” Jones shouted at her, “Val, how can I protect you if you don’t trust me to help you?”
“I'm scared, Pete! I am scared!” she told him.
“Then tell me what’s going on so that I can help you! I need you around, and I don’t want to see anybody touching you like I saw earlier.” He wasn’t going to back down, and he saw the moment when her resolve broke and she shattered like a crystal under pressure. He couldn’t tell her how much he needed her; he didn’t want to scare her with how strongly he felt about her. All he could do was show her, and she needed to trust him first, trust that he had her best interests, and her heart at the top of his agenda.
“It was Damon,” she confessed quietly.
“Is he coming back?” he asked her, his voice stern.
She couldn’t speak, her terror palpable, as she nodded yes.
Jones rose and stood in front of her, pulling her from the chair into his arms.
“He will not get the chance to do what he did to you today ever again. Do you hear me?” he told her as he held her tightly, pouring reassurance into her through his touch.
“I was so scared. I didn’t even know what to do. I felt so helpless!” She sobbed into his chest, causing Jones’ heart to crack.
“Tell me everything.”
Six
08:25 a.m. October 16, 2004
“Please? You have to let me go to work,” Val pleaded with Jones again.
“No!”
“What?” she asked him in surprise, “Do you hear yourself?”
“I told you; until that bastard is caught, you stay here,” he insisted, unremorseful.
Her mouth dropped open in shock. “I can’t believe you’re trying that caveman shit with me right now!”
“Then believe it.” Jones turned away from her. He couldn’t take how damn beautiful she looked all upset and glowing with irate anger. He wanted to take her to bed and do naughty things to her, but he knew she would flip. He’d been holding back for three days, three days of torturing himself because her essence had filled the apartment. Everywhere he turned, she was there, if not in person, then in spirit. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to be able to hold himself.
Val interrupted his reverie. “I'm talking to you.”
He shook his head, bringing himself back into the present. “What did you say?”
“I have an exhibition to curate!”
He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and touched her bottom lip with his thumb. The gesture was so gentle
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