Page 136 of Pretty Broken Wings

“What?” She turns to me sharply, making the bird jump again. She asks again in a quieter tone, “What?”

I just raise my eyebrows at her. “Gage is basically a grouchy Snow White. He used to help all kinds of animals when we were growing up. Nursed them back to health. You know, stupid princess shit.”

Raven’s eyes are suspicious at first, narrowed at me. Like I would make up a lie to make her like my brother more.

Although, he’s the only person I’d ever lie for.

“Yep, he’s practically perfect.” I wave my hand lightly at her in a shooing motion. “Go back in there and live your happily ever after.”

Because I’m thinking about how easy it would be to throw her over my shoulder again, and the longer I’m with her, the harder it is to remember why that’s a bad idea.

“He’s sweet.” Raven says it like it's a bad thing. And damn, I can’t help but latch onto that. Is that a bad thing?

“That’s not what you wanted?” I keep my voice blank.

Raven doesn’t respond for a long time. I think I see the panic warring in her eyes.

Fuck. Satan is really testing me right now. Why the hell did I have this change of heart?

Oh yeah. ‘Cause I can’t fucking stand myself.

I grind my teeth. “Gage is nice. Disgustingly nice. He’ll take care of you.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

I grind my teeth harder. “No.”

She considers that for a long moment, dark hair tossing in the wind. Then, she raises her head. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. I’m leaving.”

For a second, I don’t register what she’s saying. Then, her words sink in. She’s… leaving? What the hell does she mean she’s leaving? Gage will be heartbroken. Again.

I open my mouth to lay into her, then stop. Raven’s just like me. No amount of railing at her will get her to change her mind. In fact, it’ll only make it worse.

“You can’t tell me not to. You guys kidnapped me.”

I drone, “Don’t give the credit to my brother; that was all me.”

“Well, I can’t stay. Max knows what town I’m in.”

He knows a whole lot more than that. Well, knew. Suddenly, my mood improves.

“I just… I can’t…” Raven’s words trail off.

“Are you trying to convince you or me?”

“Fuck you.”

Automatically, I say, “If you’re offering.”

Suddenly, Raven turns on me, shoving me back.

Instinctually, I whirl on her, grabbing her upper arms and pushing her back into the glass. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I catch a whiff of Gage’s cinnamon on her. All the pent-up adrenaline and wanting and longing are too far gone, and I lean into her, heaving for breath. “If you think watching you with my brother hasn’t been the biggest form of torture… If you think I’m not a hair’s breadth away from taking you with me and making you hate me for the rest of your life,” I shake her a little, “You’re sorely mistaken.”

I force myself away from her, sucking in breath after breath. I expect her to be afraid. To be frozen like she was on the bed. Only this time, Raven’s pupils are blown, and her chest is heaving.

“How… fucking dare you!”

She comes at me again, and this time, I snap my hand up to her throat, pinning her again. “Was I not fucking clear?” Her proximity is seeping into my bones. I want her. Ineedher. I want to see every last emotion on her face as I fuck into her. “I’ll do anything I want to you, and you’ll like it.”