Read Online Branded: You Own Me & The Virgin's Night Out by Shiloh Walker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shiloh Walker
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his cheek. “It’ll hurt me more if you end up in trouble over him. You’re right…he’s not worth it.”
He let Noel go, shoved him away so fast and sudden, the other man ended up tripping on his feet and crashing into a table before he promptly fell on his ass.
Elizabeth’s skin prickled, heat rushing over her as he moved in to stand next to her. “Touch her again, son,” Decker promised. “And you’ll find out. I might even break my record—and break you in forty-five.”
Slowly, ignoring the snickers coming from those around him, Noel rose, staring at Decker. “Threats go over real well with your parole officer?” he asked.
Decker tensed but she laid a hand on his chest and moved forward. “Probably as well as the video I’ll send to your boss will go,” she said, drawing Noel’s attention to her. When he looked at her, she nodded to the camera in the corner—one that had caught every last second on video. Holding out her arm, she bared the bruise already blooming on her skin.
“Especially when I show her this.”
Her comment hit home. Noel’s boss spent a weekend a month
volunteering at a women’s shelter—Noel bitched about it, and often, because he complained that he wouldn’t advance with her around
because she kept harping on civic responsibilities .
“We’re talking about this,” Noel said, his voice flat.
She shook her head. “There’s not much to talk about. You wanted me to lose weight. I did.” Too many were looking at her now and she couldn’t believe she was spilling herself like this, but too much had been trapped inside her. For far too long. “You didn’t like my hair, so I tried to wear it the way you liked it. I dressed too outlandishly for you so I changed that, too. You wanted an open relationship. I was willing to try that. But I won’t let you insult the people who matter to me. And you will not threaten them. If Decker has any trouble, now, five months from now, five years from now, I’ll show that video to whoever you’re working for…then I’ll go to the cops.” With a brittle smile, she added, “Then I’ll post the damn video on Youtube …with a link to your LinkedIn profile.”
Jutting her chin toward the door, she said, “Get out.”
• • •
There were certain things in life that were just facts. They sucked, but they were facts.
Fact one—Lizzie had a bruise on her and that prick Noel had put it on her, just as certain as he’d put those angry tears in her eyes.
Fact two—as much as he’d like to batter the son of a bitch for it, he knew what would happen. No way was he going back to prison for this. If Noel had really hurt her, nothing in heaven or hell could protect the man, but Decker wasn’t relinquishing his freedom just yet.
Fact three—Lizzie was crying and that meant he couldn’t even go after Noel and threaten him.
With his lap full of angry, hurt woman, all he could do was hold her and stroke her hair.
And on occasion, if he let himself breathe a sigh of thanks that she’d finally dumped the ass, well, Decker was only human.
One small fist clenched in his shirt and he covered it with his,
rubbing his thumb back and forth over her skin as he stared up at the ceiling. She curled in closer and he gritted his teeth, thought about every ugly, painful thing he’d ever been through —the worst beating he’d taken from his father. The way it had felt the first time they slammed the doors behind him. The fear he’d felt that one time he thought he’d really been cornered and he just might end up getting raped in prison.
Even that wasn’t enough to cool the fire in him, not when Lizzie pressed her face to his neck and continued to cry.
There was only one thing to be done for it.
He shifted on the futon she laughingly called a couch and stretched them out, rolling up on his side, but using his knee to keep her from cuddling in too close. The knee didn’t stop her. She just went with it until she was
He let Noel go, shoved him away so fast and sudden, the other man ended up tripping on his feet and crashing into a table before he promptly fell on his ass.
Elizabeth’s skin prickled, heat rushing over her as he moved in to stand next to her. “Touch her again, son,” Decker promised. “And you’ll find out. I might even break my record—and break you in forty-five.”
Slowly, ignoring the snickers coming from those around him, Noel rose, staring at Decker. “Threats go over real well with your parole officer?” he asked.
Decker tensed but she laid a hand on his chest and moved forward. “Probably as well as the video I’ll send to your boss will go,” she said, drawing Noel’s attention to her. When he looked at her, she nodded to the camera in the corner—one that had caught every last second on video. Holding out her arm, she bared the bruise already blooming on her skin.
“Especially when I show her this.”
Her comment hit home. Noel’s boss spent a weekend a month
volunteering at a women’s shelter—Noel bitched about it, and often, because he complained that he wouldn’t advance with her around
because she kept harping on civic responsibilities .
“We’re talking about this,” Noel said, his voice flat.
She shook her head. “There’s not much to talk about. You wanted me to lose weight. I did.” Too many were looking at her now and she couldn’t believe she was spilling herself like this, but too much had been trapped inside her. For far too long. “You didn’t like my hair, so I tried to wear it the way you liked it. I dressed too outlandishly for you so I changed that, too. You wanted an open relationship. I was willing to try that. But I won’t let you insult the people who matter to me. And you will not threaten them. If Decker has any trouble, now, five months from now, five years from now, I’ll show that video to whoever you’re working for…then I’ll go to the cops.” With a brittle smile, she added, “Then I’ll post the damn video on Youtube …with a link to your LinkedIn profile.”
Jutting her chin toward the door, she said, “Get out.”
• • •
There were certain things in life that were just facts. They sucked, but they were facts.
Fact one—Lizzie had a bruise on her and that prick Noel had put it on her, just as certain as he’d put those angry tears in her eyes.
Fact two—as much as he’d like to batter the son of a bitch for it, he knew what would happen. No way was he going back to prison for this. If Noel had really hurt her, nothing in heaven or hell could protect the man, but Decker wasn’t relinquishing his freedom just yet.
Fact three—Lizzie was crying and that meant he couldn’t even go after Noel and threaten him.
With his lap full of angry, hurt woman, all he could do was hold her and stroke her hair.
And on occasion, if he let himself breathe a sigh of thanks that she’d finally dumped the ass, well, Decker was only human.
One small fist clenched in his shirt and he covered it with his,
rubbing his thumb back and forth over her skin as he stared up at the ceiling. She curled in closer and he gritted his teeth, thought about every ugly, painful thing he’d ever been through —the worst beating he’d taken from his father. The way it had felt the first time they slammed the doors behind him. The fear he’d felt that one time he thought he’d really been cornered and he just might end up getting raped in prison.
Even that wasn’t enough to cool the fire in him, not when Lizzie pressed her face to his neck and continued to cry.
There was only one thing to be done for it.
He shifted on the futon she laughingly called a couch and stretched them out, rolling up on his side, but using his knee to keep her from cuddling in too close. The knee didn’t stop her. She just went with it until she was
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