Page 28 of Pushed

Ethan smiled, winking at me as he spoke. “You can send her to me, I'll get her ready if you can't handle her. I'd be more than happy to take her off your hands.”

“No,” Machi barked, wrapping his hand around his back to pull me in closer. “This one isn't yours to claim, I brought her here without orders from Sylvan. Besides, have I ever needed your help? She'll learn, just like all the others.”

Others?

“Mm,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Does she have a name?” Licking his lips, his eyes pierced mine. I hadn't realized that I had let them drift up again, darting my eyes back to the floor, I pressed myself into Machi's back.

“Pixie.”

“Pixie, huh? Does she have wings?” he asked with a sinister giggle. “I bet she wishes she did so she could fly out of here.” Leaning over, Ethan's eyes rode my body, sending a shiver up my spine. “She looks like typical street trash if you ask me. Where did you find this one, a whore house?”

I was supposed to stay quiet, I was supposed to keep my eyes down. I didn't, not after that.

“Fuck you asshole! You don't know me!” Lunging forward, I slapped his glass from his hand, knocking it to the ground. “You're fucking trash!” Sucking in heated breaths, I clutched my fists at my side. I wanted to strike him down, I wanted to turn my words into knives and cut him where he stood.

Ethan's eyes filled with black fire, burning me as I stood there. The room didn't quiet down, everyone around us either didn't notice my outburst at all or they had ignored us for a good reason.

Arching his lip, Ethan bared his teeth. “You better teach this little whore how things work around here before I do. That was her only one, her only error. If she does anything like that again, Machi, anything. . .” Fixing his jacket, he ran his hands down the front, smoothing it out. “I'll do what you can't. I'll fix her dirty fucking mouth and make her wish she had been a good girl. Teach her well, teach her right, or you'll both be wishing for another chance.”

Machi scooped me in, pulling me firmly inside his strong arms. “Touch her and I'll fucking kill you.” Holding me close to his chest, I could hear his heartbeat. Thud after thud, the pace intensified, crackling against his ribs.

Looking up at him, his sharp jaw had jetted out to the side, his nostrils flared wide and his eyes. . . His eyes were filled with rage, condemning the man who cast threats at me.

I let him hold me, I accepted the protection he was granting me. Curling into his chest, I pressed my palm against the rigid stone of his stomach. My fingers stroked gently over his abs as I tucked my head into his arms.

Harbored inside him, I felt safe, I felt untouchable in his grasp. And to my surprise, I liked it, I enjoyed being wrapped up in him.

“She's not yours, Ethan, and she's not his. I brought her here, she's mine.”

“Fix her,” Ethan growled, bringing up a hand to adjust his tie. “Or you won't have a say in who she belongs to at all.” Turning on his heels, he kicked the glass on the floor and stormed off into the darkness.

Machi kept me pulled in tight, watching him as he disappeared into the room and dissolved into the blackness.

Stepping back, he yanked me off his chest and wriggled his fingers into my hair. “You just made a mistake.” Lurching forward, he kept his fingers in place and dragged me behind him. “A big fucking mistake.”