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“He was just leaving,” I said.
Albie hesitated, chewing on his lower lip like he might protest. Then he skittered off.
Gideon placed his hand on my lower back and drew me inside. The next thing I knew, he had my body hemmed in against the door, crowding closer.
“What the fuck was that?”
“None of your business,” I said, my gaze sliding away.
“Bullshit,” Gideon spat. “Try again.”
I hissed through my teeth. I didn’t want him wrapped up in my problems, my trouble. I didn’t want him to get a target painted on his back because of me.
“Is he the one who gave you that bruise on your hip?” Gideon pressed.
“No,” I said, firm.
“Then who did?”
When I tried to shoulder past him, Gideon moved to block my escape route. In the blink of an eye, he wrapped his big hands around my waist and hoisted me onto the kitchen counter. Pushing between my thighs, he braced his hands on either side of my hips and fixed me with a hard stare. I wasn’t getting out of this one until I gave him some answers.
“Talk,” he ordered.
“You’re bossy,” I replied. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
Gideon lowered his chin with a grim set to his mouth, as if to say, don’t play games with me.
But I couldn’t tell him. He had looked out for me, fed me, housed me, and gave me a warm bed to sleep in. And he never once raised his hand to me. We hadn’t known each other for twenty-four hours yet, but something in my gut said this was a good man. I didn’t want to ruin his life with my poison.
“I’m on the run from my ex-boyfriend.”
Heat prickled my cheeks at the lie. I never had trouble lying before. It saved my ass more times than I could count.
For some reason though, lying to Gideon felt…wrong. It tasted sour on my tongue, charred black and sinful.
A heartbeat of stillness settled between us.
Did he believe me? Or could he see right through my lie?
Finally, Gideon spoke.
“A shitty ex-boyfriend doesn’t scare me. He won’t bother you here.”
If only you knew, I thought.
My brother would slaughter them all if it meant dragging me back into his personal hell.
Chapter Five
Gideon
I’m on the run from my ex-boyfriend.
I knew a lie when I smelled one and Liss reeked of it. I wanted to believe she was telling the truth. I wanted her to trust me. But that was just my heart—or my dick—talking. Whoever that kid was, he meant bad news, threatening her.
That’s a message you have to deliver yourself. He’ll beat you for it, Larissa.
No one would hurt that woman on my watch.
