“That is never going to happen,” he says fiercely, pulling me back into his chest. “Nothing could ever make me stop wanting you, Alyssa, least of all this fucking sleazebag.”
I sigh and wrap my arms around him, resting my face against his chest. “You promise?”
In response, he pulls back just enough to look me in the eye, and then he leans down and kisses me. It’s a gentle kiss, not at all demanding, maybe even a touch remorseful. I love every kiss he’s ever given me except for this one.
A surge of rebellion shoots through me and I reach up to wrap an arm around his neck and get a better hold on him, then I pull him into the kiss I want—hungry and desperate and maybe a little sick. I need to pull him inside my body, need him to touch me and kiss me like he wants me.
I don’t realize what I’m doing until I start pulling at the button on his jeans.
“Alyssa?” he questions, looking down at me.
“If you want me, show me,” I demand.
His eyebrows rise in surprise. He glances past me at the corpse in the pool of blood just a few feet away. “Right here? Right now?”
I nod my head, looking up at him. I know it’s a little sordid and filthy and maybe more fucked up than he was prepared for, but I need to know he still wants me. I need more than his words; I need him to prove it.
He must be able to see that, because without another moment of hesitation, his powerful arm locks around my waist and he hauls me up against him. He walks me backward until my butt comes up against the edge of his workshop counter, then he stops and looks down at me.
I love the way he looks at me, the softness in his beautiful brown eyes, the loving way he skims my sides with his knuckles. He grabs one of my legs and lifts it, wedging himself between them. I lock my leg around his hip and tilt my head to give him better access as he kisses my neck.
My eyes are closed, my senses delightfully wrapped up in what’s happening right here, but as his hand cups my breast, my eyes drift open, and then I scream.
Brant jumps back, turning around quickly to look where I’m looking.
“What the fuck,” he murmurs in wonder as he sees exactly what I just saw.
Theo is reaching forward, trying to crawl off the green tarp.
“I thought you said he was dead!” I shriek, trying to back myself up against the counter.
“Oh, thank fuck.” There’s bloodlust in his voice like I’ve never heard before, and when he turns around, there’s an almost terrifying light in his eyes. “You might want to go over there,” he tells me, gesturing across the shop while he reaches past me and grabs a tool and a pair of gloves off the wall. “Better yet, go in the house.”
I watch him pull one of the gloves on. “I’m not going anywhere. What are you going to do?”
It’s a dumb question, and he doesn’t take the time to answer it. He appears almost gleeful as he stalks over to Theo, who isn’t dead but is in truly terrible shape. As he tries to drag his useless body off the mat, he leaves a new smear of blood across the floor.
“Ugh, gross,” I mutter to myself. I’m going to have to buy so much bleach tomorrow.
“Help!” Theo cries uselessly.
I lean back against the counter then lift myself up and sit on it. I cross my legs and smooth down my nightie, then I call out, “No one around to help you, asshole.”
“Alyssa,” he tries, looking truly miserable. “Alyssa, help me.”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Remember all those times I told you Brant was gonna kill you? Well, your time has come.”
Groaning as Brant nudges him in the side with his foot, Theo rolls over and looks at my husband towering above him.
“I am so glad you’re not dead,” Brant tells him, gripping whatever tool he grabbed in his ungloved hand like a knife. It is very sharp and stabby-looking.
Looking over at me one more time, Brant says, “Baby, I mean it. You should really go back in the house. I don’t want you to see what I’m about to do to him.”
“I think I want to see,” I tell him.
“Are you sure?”
I nod my head. “Positive. Do your thing. If it turns my stomach too much, I’ll leave.”
“Is she fucking serious?” Theo demands to no one.
Brant looks down at him and grins. “You have no idea how much I’m going to enjoy this.”
Since Brant has the stabby thing in hand, I expect him to go the direct route and simply stab Theo in the chest. Stop his heart, he’s dead, it’s over.