Page 57 of Chad's Chase

An eyebrow winged up at me. “Here’s a fun fact: When Chadrick Niiveux’s not busy dodging hits at his head, he actuallyhasa life.”

Just like that. Going about his normal life as if a couple of hours ago he hadn’t blown up my bike in Excelsior and set my fucking apartment on fire. And on the topic of last night, was any of that shit even necessary, or was he just one of those dramatic criminals? Blowing things up for effects and epics.

Cocky little shit.

“Being a dick doesn’t suit you,” I sneered at him.

Chad scooped up his cellphone from the counter, glanced at the screen and started in the direction of the elevator.

I hopped off the bar stool and followed him. “Am I supposed to just stay here and chew my fingernails all day?”

“A normal girl would paint them.”

“I’m sure you know by now I’m not a normal girl.”

Still reading from his phone screen, he mumbled, “There’s a library, there’s cable, there’s Internet. Do whatever.”

“Can I order a call-girl?”

A pause, then, “Do whatever you want, Blood. Just don’t attempt to leave the building.”

“Oh, right, because you’re ‘protecting’ me,” I said, keeping on his heels. “Um, from who again?”

“Later,” he replied when he got up to the elevator and poked the call button. He pocketed his cellphone. “We’ll talk on that matter later.”

“You’relying.”

That got him to look at me. “Excuse me?”

Folding my arms protectively across my chest, I repeated, “You’re lying. There’s no one after me. You just want to scare me from leaving so you can keep me here as prisoner.”

He said nothing, his cheeks sucking in.

“Just kill me, Chad,” I pushed. “I don’t want to be your prisoner. I don’t want to be your do-as-I-say slave. I don’t want—”

My words got knocked back down my throat when he turned on me and grabbed my face painfully hard with one hand, glaring down at me. “Use the word prisoner or slave again, and I’ll show you exactly what it’s like to be imprisoned and enslaved. Don’t. Fucking. Push me.”

Holding my ground, I spoke as clearly as I could through my squished lips. “I’m not afraid of you.”

“That’s because so far, I’ve been playing nice. Maybetoonice.” Squeezing my face harder, he stepped closer so our bodies were touching, and brought his face lower, boring his malignant, pitch-black eyes into mine. “Do I need to give you something to fear, Blood?”

“You said you wouldn’t hurt me,” I reminded him.

“Then stop fucking pushing me!”

My eyes squinted at his burst of anger, and the only reason I didn’t recoil was because he was keeping me in place. I could exercise my skills and fight him. But maybe I really needed to stop pushing him and believe him.

I didn’t know why I was even acting like this. Like I was suddenly dependent on him. Like I needed him tobethere. To talk to me.

Him leaving to go wherever to do whatever was bothering me. I wanted him to take me with him or not leave at all. Because maybe…maybe he wouldn’t come back.

I sighed.

Silly. That’s what I was being. Silly. The man lived here. Of course, he’d be coming back. And I would get to see him then. We could talk then, and eat, and maybe kiss, and fuck.

Who the hell was this person inside me? It was as if my body had been hijacked my some wanty, needy bimbo.

As the elevator pinged open, Chad released me and stalked inside, making a furious rake of his hand through his hair.