Page 117 of Angelic Vengeance

He grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled me in. “Say my name one more time and I’ll make sure you never speak again.”

“You won’t hurt me.” My voice was almost a whisper.

Something flashed across his eyes. “Don’t test me.”

“It’s not what you think, Zach…”

I watched him walk to the desk across the room and take something out of a drawer. As he walked back, my eyes dropped to the duct tape in his hand.

“No. Zach– Please, don’t.” I pulled my hands but they wouldn’t budge. Glancing up, I saw handcuffs.

A hiss rippled through the air as he pulled a band of adhesive out of the role. “You’re so cute, begging like anything could get you out of this.”

“Zach, stop! You can’t–”

He grabbed my face in his hand, squeezing my cheeks. “I’ll do whatever the fuck I want to you.”

I registered the exact moment my heart shattered. I could feel my face visibly twist with pain. Tears fell down my face, and consequently all over his fingers.

It was too much: the sex, the fighting, the misunderstanding – I couldn’t breathe.

Compared to other missions I’d been on… this was nothing. But it hurt me so deep in my chest, because it washimdoing it.

He was the first man I’d ever trusted with my body. My mind.My heart.

And he broke every promise he’d ever made to me.

I can’t fucking breathe when I’m not around you.

You have no idea how much you mean to me.

No one will ever hurt you. If they try,I will make them die a thousand deaths.

I’ll always be your protector.

“Do you think I like hurting you? Because I fucking love it.”

We both knew he didn’t mean physically, which was worse.

Through blurry vision, I heard something hit the wall. I blinked, seeing the tape on the floor across the room.

He leaned in closer but I couldn’t meet his eyes; not when I was crying. I hated that he was seeing me like this. “Your life is completely in my hands, so don’t try to test my boundaries.”

“You won’t hurt me,” I whispered again, more to myself.

He squeezed my cheeks harder. “Stop. Crying.”

That only made me cry harder. More tears fell down his hand.

Letting go of my face like I was on fire, he walked away.

I closed my eyes shut; the tears I refused to shed for the past decade, falling uncontrollably. It felt like I had barbwire around my throat. I couldn’t breathe. More tears burned down my cheeks and an inaudible sob escaped me, though my chest obviously spasmed.

A crash made me open my eyes again, seeing that he’d pushed everything off a table. Now, a vase was broken on the floor, along with many other objects I couldn’t make out.

Hands on the edge of the desk, he leaned against it, head hanging low. His back rose and fell with heavy breaths like he was the one who couldn’t breathe. Through the blood roaring in my ears, I could hear him struggling for air. He hadn’t breathed that hard when we were fighting.

Pushing off, he fisted his hands before relaxing and tensing again, as if he couldn’t make his mind up.