Page 157 of Stand: Part One

I groaned my objection to his sudden declaration, shoving at his chest to release my face so I could at least breathe properly.

The glare I received from him had me quickly rethinking my strategy. “You’re soaking wet, that water is over your head, and there are scratches all over your arms and shoulder,” Darren scolded as he looked me up and down.

“So?!” I muffled through my still trapped mouth as I glared right back at him. I’d survived so much fucking worse just last night. It was comical to think otherwise.

Finally releasing my face, I took a huge step back and rubbed my now achy jaw but kept my eyes level with his.

“I have enough shit going on, Jaden. I don’t need to add worrying about you creating trouble in my own backyard to that list,” he rumbled, holstering his gun behind his back.

I almost punched him. “Then train your guards to be more respectful of my activities and maybe a little more attentive of their surroundings. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t walked right into an airborne Frisbee,” I argued, pointing at the freshly dead guard still laid out on the grass.

“None of this would have happened if you had stayed inside like I told you to,” Darren countered, stepping farther into my space to crowd me.

My neck strained just to continue matching his gaze, his giant stature swallowing up not only my space but my entire fucking body, and with each inch he claimed, I felt myself growing more and more agitated.

I scowled in response. “I was not about to sit back and watch my dog drown.”

Darren’s jaw tensed again, that dark blue gaze reminding me of who I was arguing with. “I have half a mind to have that damn dog removed. She’s starting to be more trouble than she’s worth, and I won’t have that, Jaden.”

My eyes widened in shock, panic and fury igniting my entire body until a surge of adrenaline suddenly shot through my veins. This motherfucker just threatened my fucking dog!

I didn’t know what came over me. Maybe it was all the pent-up anxiety. Maybe my brain short-circuited. But in an instant, all my fear and wifely decorum instantly vanished, and I just…lunged.

Bolting forward, I wrapped my arms around Darren’s waist and shoved my shoulder into his hip, knocking him back and forcing us both off the dock and straight into the lake. Water splashed everywhere as we sank together, landing in the shallow area that was thankfully only about two feet deep.

A series of “oh shits” circulated the air, the remaining guards still watching from a safe distance, wisely refraining from intervening.

Maneuvering myself as we fell, I twisted my body so that I landed on top of Darren’s chest and gripped the collar of his shirt in my hands, yanking him to me.

“Don’t you dare touch my fucking dog! Do you hear me!?” I roared down at him. “You lay one fucking hand on her, and I swear to God, you will never know another restful night again because I will kill you in your fucking sleep!” I shouted at him, my rage matching his own as I stared him down.

I didn’t know what I expected in return from him, but it certainly wasn’t the look he was currently wearing. A flash of shock had reflected in his eyes when we landed in the water, but after my threats had been unleashed, it was quickly replaced with a softened expression and curled lips.

I recognized the look almost immediately, and it made me want to instantly punch him in the mouth. Because that was the look he usually displayed when he thought I was being the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. And it made me growl, knowing he never took my threats seriously.

A soft chuckle reverberated behind his closed lips, my first sign of incoming retribution. “You are just. So. Damn. Cute,” he sneered, barely shaking his head. And then his expression suddenly changed, turning completely blank, and I felt a small spike of fear in the pit of my stomach.

Before I could register what was happening, Darren had flipped us, his body trapping mine under the water while both his hands held my head just above the surface. The position made me feel way too vulnerable, fearful that fighting him like this would be a terrible idea, and he knew that. Bastard.

His piercing gaze held mine in place, my body still as stone while my heart raced like a damn thoroughbred. His voice was low, quiet enough for only the two of us to hear, but the warning in his tone was enough to cool down the rage burning in my chest.

“I’ll admit, that was a nice tackle,” he said, pride lingering in his eyes. “But if you ever pull something like that again in front of my men, I will punish you so harshly you’ll never be this confident in their presence again. Do you understand?”

It took me several breaths before I could answer, the frigid chill of the water stealing my voice. “Y-yes,” I whispered on an exhale.

“Good girl. Now kiss me.”

Tilting my head, I begrudgingly pressed my lips to his, giving him the surrender he clearly wanted me to display. Taking advantage, I could taste the smile on his lips as his tongue plundered my mouth, his fingers gripping my jaw to claim more of his territory.

Releasing my mouth, he tilted my face to force me to look at him. “I won’t touch your dog, but understand that she is only yours for as long as I allow it. Camaro needs to be an asset, not a liability. Consider this your one and only warning.”

I had nothing to say to that…because I knew he wasn’t wrong. He could do whatever he wanted, take whatever he wanted, and the most I could do about it was act out my tantrum and proceed to pout for the rest of my life. But even with this acceptance, I didn’t regret a single word.

“I. Said. What. I. Said.”

Darren rolled his eyes and released a heavy breath, his mouth forming the tiniest hint of a smirk as he released my face. “So you did. And now we both need a shower,” he commented.

He then placed his hands under my arms to lift me out of the water and then threw me over his shoulder. Groaning aloud in protest, Darren walked our soaking-wet bodies out of the lake, past the awkwardly silent guards, and down the lawn back toward the house.