Page 72 of Darling Psycho

Lawless craved very little, but quiet was one thing he needed, and he would not take it for granted now he was a free man breathing in clean air.

The cold bit at his neck when he stepped down from the bike sometime later. It was late, but lights blazed from the cabin.

Was Angela still awake?

Only two days out of town, and he was greedy to set his eyes on her.

How the mighty have fallen.

And he unlocked the door, grinning. Usually, the ginger cat flew from whatever corner he was lazing in to greet Lawless. But this time, there was nothing, and he locked up behind him. Then, tossing his coat, he toed off the boots and left them by the door before padding socked feet into the living room.

Lawless came up short. The shuddering sobs from Angela to her knees didn’t register at first.

And then they did.

And his protective temper flamed to life to kill whatever or whoever had hurt her.

“What the fuck has happened? Who hurt you? Give me a name to kill.” He growled, filling the room with his rumbling temper, and her inky black head flew up, startled by his presence. The tears didn’t stop. They ran like two rivers down her red face, making her look unlike the strong woman she’d grown into.

Three strides and he was beside her on the couch. Her faithful ginger friend curled up against her thigh, butting Angela with his head for comfort. On TV, credits were rolling up.

“Angela, what’s happened?” He asked firmly, and she blinked owl-like, stuttering over her words. “I was watchingMe before You. It always makes me cry.”

Was she bawling her heart out over a dumb film?

She’s lying.

Oh, she was probably crying over a dumb movie, too. Angela was a bleeding heart for a sob story, but Lawless suspected it was more than that.

“What is it, Angela?”

“Nothing,” she hiccupped, trying to get herself under control and failing miserably.

Grasping her chin, he tipped it up. A pulse fluttered wildly in her throat. “Don’t lie to me. Tell me what I’m fixing.”

It was an odd sensation to be in serial killer mode and still high on lust, watching her beautiful face contort with upset. Before Lawless knew it was happening, his lap was filled with a squirming woman, and it took his breath away.

She kneeled up with her legs on either side of his thighs, grasping his neck, and she went into a bout of fresh crying as she pressed her face into his shirt. “You went to prison because of me. Why did you do that, Lawless? You took you away from me.”

Ah. He wondered if he’d ever get around to telling her, but it seemed she’d found out.

She went on, between great hulking sobs that soaked the front of his shirt. This beautiful creature was forbidden to him for so long, and now she was crawled all over him, and Lawless couldn’t fucking breathe right.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” she cried. “If you’d told me what you were doing, I would have said it wasn’t worth it. I wasn’t worth it. I didn’t need revenge if it meant I lost you. You went away, and I couldn’t function, Lawless.”

Her despair clung to his skin as she rose her face and started peppering teary kisses all over his in a rapid, uncoordinated formation of lust and tears.

“I didn’t need revenge. I needed you here. You left me alone, and I missed you until my heart wouldn’t work properly. I missed you, and you wouldn’t even let me visit you.”

Goddammit, he couldn’t stand the taste of her pain.

“You were too young for a place like that.”

“I needed to see you.”

“If I went to prison today, I would let you visit me.”

“How sweet.”