Page 4

Violence surges in my veins, and I relish the sensation.
A deranged grin stretches across my lips.
“Fuck,” Grant curses.
My dickhead fuse is short, and my tolerance is miniscule. People who know me don’t touch me. They only fuck around and find out once.
And for whatever reason, this girl feels like an extension of myself.
I reach over the table and snatch his hand from her arm, twisting and squeezing at the wrist. “I’ll break your fucking hand if you ever touch her again. Then your wrist. Then your shoulder. And if you open your mouth one more time, I’ll knock your fucking teeth out. You’ll be watching games from a hospital bed while sipping meals through a straw.”
His nostrils flare, and a deep shade of red spreads over his face and neck. “Come on, man. We’re on the same team here.” All bravado is gone from his tone. Pathetic.
I release his hand, and he sits back down.
“Don’t sit. You’re not staying.”
He lingers at the front of the booth, jaw clenched tight. “If I leave, she’s going with me.”
The balls on this guy. I’d rather be skinned alive than see her leave with this prick.
A massive body appears beside Rookie. “What’s up, fuckers?” Kill singsongs before he cuffs the back of Grant’s head.
The slender blonde with him must be Aurora’s friend, Emily. She’s bleach-blonde and plastic—your typical puck bunny or jersey chaser.
She slides into the booth beside Aurora, glancing between us. “What’s going on?”
Aurora peers over at me helplessly.
“Fuckface put hands on Aurora, and now he’s leaving,” I say, more than willing to be her voice.
Brows furrowed, Emily scans her best friend. “Hands on herhow?”
“He grabbed my arm. That’s all.” Aurora’s tone is quiet yet rushed, her gaze nervously flitting around the table. She doesn’t enjoy the attention.
Her anxiety calls out to me. I want to wrap her in my arms and protect her from this harsh world, keep her to myself and hide her where no one can find her.
Okay, that’s a little unhinged, but what the hell do I know? I’ve never given a fuck about anyone before.
Except for my mother, who’s dead, and I deliberately avoid thinking about.
Emily murmurs something, and Aurora quickly shakes her head.
“She’s not leaving with you.” Emily gives Rookie a dismissive nod. “Go find someone else.”
This girl’s BBE, Big Bitch Energy, is solid. I don’t hate it.
His dark eyes flick between me, Killian, and Grant as if he’s contemplating the consequences of arguing before he storms off.
I shoot him a smug smile and a childish wave. “See ya on the ice, Rookie.”
He tosses me the middle finger, and I’m almost giddy as I face the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. “Okay, where were we? Oh, right. You were saying you wanted to leave.” I pull out my phone and check the time. “If we hurry, I know a fantastic place to eat.”
“She’s not leaving with you, O’Reilly.”
That BBE focuses on me, but Emily is in for a fight. I never give up. I always get what I want—always—and I want Aurora. I don’t understand it, but I’m not letting her slip through my fingers while I figure it out.
“I think she can make her own decisions.”