Page 357 of Coal Hearts

She cried out as I squeezed her shoulder too hard.

I ripped my hand away.

Fucking calm down, Ri.

Flexing my fingers, my nostrils flared as I did my best to tame myself.

To save her from the unleashed anarchy within me.

I didn’t trust myself around her.

Didn’t trust I could touch her kindly when every part of me was mean and nasty and noxious.

Never taking my eyes off her, I sucked in deep breaths.

I focused on her and only her.

She caused such chaos inside me.

Such awful things and precious things.

Shame filled me that I hadn’t protected her.

Despair that I’d been too late.

She didn’t look at me.

I really needed her to look at me.

I needed to know.

What did they do...?

Inhaling a shuddering gasp, she drew up her knees and hugged herself.

She looked so small, so fragile.

The killer inside me raged again.

My monster refused to back the fuck down.

I was feral and raw, and both man and beast wanted to gift her every gory trophy I could.

To present her with the cock that’d hurt her.

To give her the hands that’d dared touch her.

The tongue of those who dared taste her.

The motherfucking souls of any and all who dared possess her.

Including mine.

I shook as urges came too thick, too strong.

I looked over my shoulder at the third man. The man who Victor had ordered to fuck her in front of me when I’d done my best to convince him I wasn’t a cop.

He’s dead.