Page 45 of Lethal Weakness

All of my camera feeds pop up, showing me my perimeter and Linden’s. It’s past midnight; I’m sure she’s fast asleep.

With everything so quiet, I drag myself down the hallway to the shower and try to drown myself in steam.

It doesn’t matter. All I think about is the woman next door. Her smile, her laugh. My cock reacts before I even get to the shape of her ass in the tight jean shorts she wears. The curve of her breasts peaking out of the top of her tank tops.

She wears these loose t-shirts to bed every night, and every night I watch her at her kitchen table with a bowl of ice cream or a brownie.

I would kill to slip through her back door and lay her out on her kitchen table so that I could have her as my midnight snack.

I know she tastes just like her sweet personality. Like, warm honey.

Fuck. I grip my cock, fucking my hand in desperation. She has no fucking idea how bad I need her.

How fucking consumed I am.

I just want her soft hands to touch me as tenderly as she touched me the night I told her about my parents. I didn’t mean to scare her off, but her touch terrified me. It felt too good. The exact thing that would break me when I need to be an impenetrable shield.

I want her to do more than break me. I want her to whisper my name in a plea. I want to make her feel as good as she makes me feel.

I picture her in front of me, those warm golden eyes gazing at me so lovingly. Then she grabs my hand and lets me touch her face, cupping her cheek.

And my release jets out all over the shower wall.

I watch it drip down towards the drain as I catch my breath, and scrub a hand over my face.

If I’m not supposed to be distracted, why does it feel so good to have her in my head?

Because she’s light and I’m dark. If she ever finds out about me, she’ll be terrified of me. That’s why I’ve stayed away. I’d rather her be confused about my distance than afraid.

I walk down the dark hallway and go still, sensing a disturbance before I ever set foot in my control room.

Rain has started falling heavily, but it wouldn’t cause one of the motion-activated lights to chirp.

I don’t check my property first. I scan Linden’s as I drag jeans on, and loop a shirt over my head.

In her driveway is a car that I distinctly recognize.

I crank the sound up, and their voices fill the room as I yank my tac boots on, not bothering to tie them.

“Please, go. You’re going to wake Avery up!”

“I don’t care! She’s my daughter!”

“No, stop!” I hear the loud crash as he tries to shove past her door. The last thing I see is her attempting to block him before I’m out of the room.

Chapter Sixteen

Linden

“Get out of here, please! Go!” I beg, crying as he digs his elbow into my ribs, shoving me to get inside.

He showed up out of nowhere, wasted, and banging on my door. I barely managed to get outside before waking Avery up, but I can’t hold on much longer; he’s stronger than I am.

“You don’t get to tell me what to do, you bitch! I own you!” He screams, and the alcohol on his breath burns my nose.

My body trembles as I hold my fortress behind my back while rain pours from the sky, soaking my pajamas.

I came out here because I didn’t want Avery to see him like this, but I never should have opened the door. Now he’s trying to take her.