Page 18 of My Alpha Stepbrother's Dirty Secret 3

I didn't stop.

"Ryan‚ STOP!"

Her voice.

I froze.

She jumped in front of me‚ grabbing me‚ pulling me back.Her hands were on my chest‚ her eyes shining with tears‚ and that was when I came back to my senses.The guy was on the floor‚ groaning‚ his face bleeding‚ barely conscious.

I breathed hard‚ my heart racing‚ still ready to fucking murder him‚ but her touch‚ her voice‚ it pulled me back.

My hands dropped.

I looked up at anna.Her body was shaking.Her dress was messed up‚ her lip trembling‚ and all I could think was—this shouldn't have happened.

I should've been there.

She never should've been touched by another man.

This was my fault.

This was my fucking fault.

CHAPTER 123

Ryan's POV

I didn't even let myself speak.I just scooped her into my arms like my life depended on it‚ holding her so tight I was scared I'd crush her.But I couldn't let go.My chest hurt.My throat was tight.Everything inside me felt like it was burning with this sick kind of guilt I couldn't breathe past.

"Put me down!Ryan‚ put me down!"she screamed‚ her fists hitting my shoulder‚ struggling to get free‚ but her voice cracked halfway‚ and that sound cut through me worse than anything else.

I didn't say a damn word.I just carried her‚ tight against my chest‚ straight into the parking lot where my car was parked.I could feel her heart pounding through her chest‚ and maybe she could feel mine too‚ because it was slamming hard‚ fueled with so much rage and helplessness I didn't even know how I hadn't passed out yet.

The moment we reached the car‚ I dropped her on her feet and slammed her right against the side of it‚ pinning her there with one arm beside her head.My other hand went straight to her face‚ forcing her to look at me.She kept her eyes down‚ and that only pissed me off more.

"What the hell are you doing here‚ ?nna?"

She flinched.

"Answer me.What the fuck are you doing in a place like this?Dressed like this?!"

Her lips were trembling‚ and her eyes were blinking so fast like she was trying to hold back tears‚ but they were already falling.Soft streaks rolling down her cheeks while her mouth stayed shut.

"I'm talking to you‚ damn it!Answer me!"

She jerked slightly under the weight of my voice‚ and then finally‚ she whispered‚ "I didn't want to go home after what you said this morning.So Sasha invited me out… and I just didn't want to think about anything."

I stared at her.

"So that's it?You let your friend drag you to a fucking club dressed like this?Like you had no fucking self-respect?Half-naked‚ in a fucking bar full of drunk men?Is that what you wanted?"

She sniffled and tried to turn her face away again‚ but I gripped her jaw and made her look at me.

"That man almost raped you‚ ?nna.You understand that‚ right?That piece of shit would've had his way with you if I hadn't seen you on the damn screen!Is that what you wanted?Is that what you fucking planned when you put on this trashy dress?"

She slapped my hand off her face and glared up at me through her tears.

"Why do you care‚ Ryan?You made it clear I wasn't welcome anymore‚ so why the hell do you care what I wear or where I go?Why were you even watching me?Stalking me?"