His Trouble Maker

Chapter 98

GRAYSON

She doesn’t mean it.

That’s what I tell myself while her voice rips through me like claws through flesh. But that doesn’t make the words hurt any less.

You’re a coward.

She spit it at me like it was a truth she’d been sharpening for months, and maybe it was. Maybe she meant every syllable. Maybe I earned it.

I am a fucking coward when it comes to her. Maybe being Alpha isn’t enough if I can’t even keep her safe. Maybe I’m so stubborn–so godsdamn obsessed with wanting her in this lifetime–that I’ve ruined everything.

But what can I do?

+38)

What the fuck can I do when I am so in love with her?

“Let me go!” she screamed it again, rage curdled into something half–broken, half–feral. I shoved the door open with my shoulder and kicked it closed behind us, one arm locked around her ribs, the other fending off the hits she didn’t even realize she was landing.

“You’re not going out there,” I growled, breath ragged, forehead pressed to hers for a second too long. “Not like this.”

Her hands shoved at my chest. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

“I do when you’re bleeding and ready to kill someone and you can’t fucking stand.”

“I’ll crawl.”

“You’ll fucking die.”

“I don’t care!”

That did it. I grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her backward, her legs buckling as she hit the floor. I was on her in seconds, my hands pinning her arms down, my weight trapping her.

“You don’t fucking care?” ! spat, voice guttural, my breath harsh against her cheek. “You don’t fucking care if you die?”

She thrashed against me–hips jerking, teeth bared, trying to tear free–and I pressed harder, shoved my thigh between hers to trap her legs from kicking again.

“Yes!”

“Yes, I’d rather fucking die than stay here locked up like your broken little pet!”

She bucked again–hard–and I caught her with my body, my hand fisting in her hair, yanking her head back so I could see her, bare her throat, force her to face what she was saying.

“You don’t get to say that.” My voice broke low, sayage, ragged at the edges like I was choking on all the things I couldn’t fix. “You don’t get to look me in the eye and tell me death’s better than me.”

“I’ve almost killed Riot! We could’ve won and-

“And you could’ve died!” I roared, the sound/ripping out of me like it had claws. “You would’ve! You were seconds from bleeding out and you didn’t even

know it!”

“I didn’t care!” she screamed back, kicking at my thigh. “Do you know what he’s done to me?”

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Chapter 98

I froze.

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“Jessica-”

me back with both hands, but I didn’t

Her voice tore into a sob, wild and strangled. “He locked the door.

My heart stopped.

curled, eyes rimmed in red like she’d

she whispered, voice shredding. “And you weren’t

out and risked everything. But that? That wasn’t fury anymore. That was shame. That was horror. That was

toward her and she backed

for the

head violently, like if she didn’t, she’d fall apart completely.

I wasn’t there

she needed me to understand it wasn’t just once.

And then she dropped.

floor like her knees gave out under the weight of it all–arms shaking, breathing like she couldn’t find air, hair falling in her face. She clawed at it, yanked it back, pulled at the roots like she wanted to rip herself out of her

dropped to my knees in front of her, palms out, chest cracking open. “Look at me. Please.

she was folding in on something rotting inside her, hands over her ears, rocking. “I should’ve killed him. I should’ve torn his fucking throat out.

too hard but I didn’t/care–she was unraveling and I couldn’t let

did.”

back, sobbing now, shaking like an earthquake had started in her bones. “I let him! I froze! I didn’t

her jaw, holding her there, anchoring her. “You

met mine–and they were so red, so wet, like they’d been bleeding instead

for staying alive,” I whispered, forehead falling to hers. “Don’t do that. Don’t fucking

apology I didn’t

the door off its hinges. I should’ve gutted him before he ever laid a finger on her. I should’ve smelled the fear on

But I didn’t.

sob like she hated herself for surviving–was the cruelest punishment the gods could’ve ever given

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Chapter 98

thousand times over just to stop the sound she made when she whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m

I broke.

63%

+38)

From

never supposed to be strong enough to

supposed

I fucking

sleep for hours before I finally let go and tucked her in the bed. It’s more painful to see

walked outside and found Theo. He’s reading some

cigarette

the drama?” he muttered without looking

jaw

lit one with shaking fingers but never really put it to my mouth. Just held it like

under the bleachers, both of us coughing our lungs out before deciding we hated it. We

seventeen and free.

watching me through the smoke. “Don’t tell

stared at the glowing tip in my hand–burning for no one. “Do you know what happened to

The shift was instant.

He fucking knew.

to want the bastard dead. But not the

I swallowed hard.

“You saved me first.”

me like he knew exactly

dragging a hand through his hair. “Pierce wanted