Breaking Him(36)
He was still crowding me. I was struggling to breathe through the out-of-control beating of my heart, the pulsing, throbbing beat between my thighs, deep inside me, when he cupped my face and bent down, pressing his lips to mine, and kissed me hard and deep.
“What the fuck?” someone shouted.
Eli pulled away, and I spun toward the voice, wincing when I saw Kyle standing there.
Oh shit.
Our secret would be all over town before the end of the day.
Chapter Ten
“Why is he touching you?” Kyle shouted.
Eli stepped away from me, turning toward him, hard, scary eyes locking on the smaller man.
I stepped forward, in front of Elijah. “What are you doing here, Kyle?”
“I came to see you.” His lips curled. “But instead I find you with this fucking wack job.”
“Don’t say one more damn word…”
“Why?” Kyle snarled. “Because you know it’s true, Abi?”
“No…”
He flung an arm out, motioning to us. “That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. Jesus Christ. Have you fucked that monster? Did you let him put his filthy dick in you?”
I jerked like he’d struck me, anger firing through my veins. “We’re not doing anything wrong,” I yelled back.
“No? Are you serious? Have you lost your mind? He’s a murderer, Abi. He killed someone!”
I shook my head, the denial coming out of my mouth before I knew what I was doing. “It’s not true. None of it.”
“Of course it is!” Eli’s boots scraped as he took a step forward.
I stepped back at the same time, trying to use my body to hold Elijah back. “You’re the only disgusting monster I can see, Kyle Harris. Now get the hell off my ranch.”
“I can’t believe you turned me down for that,” he yelled. “For that…thing.”
“Leave!”
“Someone needs to say something. That monster is liable to murder you in your bed, take a kitchen knife to you like he did his old man.”
I was shaking my head, trembling I was so angry. “You don’t know him. How dare you come to my place and insult him like that.”
“Wait till I tell everyone you’re this psycho’s whore…”
Eli lifted me bodily when that ugly word flew from Kyle’s lips. He placed me out of his path and headed toward Kyle. Kyle’s eyes went wide, and he started backing up.
“Don’t you ever talk about her like that,” Elijah said in a low, terrifying voice. “Ever.”
Before Eli could reach him, Kyle spun and ran to his truck. He tore off down the road a few seconds later.
I stood there, fists clenched at my sides, pulse racing, angrier than I could ever remember being. Dread fired through me. “He’s going to head into town and run his mouth off to anyone who will listen.”
Eli was still staring at the road, back wide and rigid, so still, he looked like a statue. When Kyle’s truck disappeared around the bend, he turned to me.
“Eli…”
“That bothers you?”
I stared back. “What?”
“That Kyle will talk about what he saw here?”
I shook my head. “I don’t want them talking about you like that.”
“Is that why you said it was a lie, what I did? Why you said we’re not doing anything wrong?” His body was still stiff. “Who are you trying to convince, Abigail? Him or you?”
“No, that’s not it.” I hugged myself tighter, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. “No…the things he was saying about you…I didn’t want them talking about you like that, I didn’t want…”
“I don’t care what they say about me.” He moved in, stopping right in front of me. “I don’t care what Kyle fucking Harris thinks about me. It’s only your opinion that matters.” He crossed his arms. “Why were you standing in front of me?”
I blinked up at him. “I…well, I didn’t want…” I trailed off, not sure how to answer.
“Did you think I’d hurt him?”
“No!”
“So you think I need you to protect me, that I need you to fight my battles, that I’m too weak or brainless to defend myself against a man like that?”
“No.” I shook my head and stepped closer. “Of course not.”
He stepped back, denying me, not letting me touch him. It was the worst kind of punishment he could ever dish out.
“I may not talk much to the folks in town, but that’s because they’re not worth the energy. He isn’t worth the energy. I’m not simple or slow…or goddamn pathetic.”