Absolution (Honor Guard 1)

Son of a bitch.

“She’s occupied. Date’s off. Go away.”

Her heel connected with his shin, and he laughed at her attempts to free herself, making her even more furious than she had been. She growled through his fingers and tried to yell. The pressure over her mouth increased, rendering her silent.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” Antonio questioned from the hallway. “Eva, are you in there? Are you okay?”

Joseph whispered, “Tell him to go away, or I’ll shoot him here and now. We have no clue who he works for or what his motives are.”

Eva shook her head. He frowned, pulled her arms free from between them, and spun her. Somehow, he managed to keep his palm over her mouth. So, she jerked her head in an attempt to get her message across. He removed his hand but kept it close by.

Eva gulped in air and whispered, “He’s not a killer. He’s a businessman. A good guy. Let me talk to him. He’ll stay unless he sees I’m okay.”

Joseph sneered. “No deal. He might have a gun.”

“Eva? Are you okay? Answer me, or I’m calling the police.”

“Please, let me show him I’m all right. He’s a decent guy.”

He grumbled something under his breath but loosened his grip on her. “Fine, but make it quick.”

He kissed her hard before he released her. She scowled at his liberties—while at the same time her heartbeat accelerated.

“Stop kissing me!” she ordered. “I’m not yours to do with as you please anymore.”

“Tell it to my body,” he mumbled.

He motioned her forward and followed on her heels. She looked over her shoulder and saw him rest his hand on his lower back. His Glock 22 was holstered there, loaded and ready to fire at a moment’s notice.

Like always.

She took a soothing breath and unlocked the deadbolt. When she swung the door open, Joseph stuck his foot out, leaving a crack of only a few inches for her to speak through. That was all he seemed willing to allow. She shot him a dirty look over her shoulder and turned to Antonio with a smile. His gaze moved first to her hair, which she had a sneaking suspicion appeared mussed, to her swollen lips, and then landed on Joseph. Eva faltered, realizing what it looked like they’d been doing. Ah, hell, what they had been doing. There goes the ‘he’s my cousin’ excuse I’d wanted to use.

“Antonio, this is Joseph. Joseph, Antonio.” She didn’t bother to explain Joseph’s presence. It seemed pretty self-explanatory. It didn’t stop her, however, from feeling like a complete jerk. “We’ve known each other for years, and he stopped by because he came to town.”

Antonio stepped forward, sticking his hand through the small opening of the door, to shake Joseph’s hand. When Joseph returned the gesture but placed his arm over Eva’s shoulder instead of on his own damn body where it belonged, she groaned. The message was clear. Joseph had claimed her as his, in male language. She shrugged and tried to step away, but Joseph scooted closer and threw his entire arm around her shoulders. His other hand, she noted, remained on his gun.

She met Antonio’s gaze and noticed he’d been watching the silent struggle with wide eyes. “Are you okay, Eva? If this man is intruding, I can—”

Joseph tensed and pulled her closer. “The intrusion, Antonio, is you. There isn’t room for a third wheel here, so….” Joseph moved to slam the door shut in Antonio’s face, but Eva snapped at his high-handed manner.

“Knock it off right now!” She pushed Joseph back and stepped into the open space of the doorway to hide him from Antonio’s view. “Look, Antonio, I know this looks bad, but it’s not what it looks like. Joseph is an ex, who is having a hard time separating the past from the present. There is nothing going on between us, but I have to cancel our date. Something came up, and he has to stay here for a while.”

“He seems to feel different. He looks like he’s ready to kill me.”

“Because I am. Go the f**k away,” Joseph said from behind the door.

She prayed his voice had been too low for Antonio to make out the words, but if the tensing of his shoulder gave any indication, he’d heard him.

“I think you should come with me, Eva. This man seems to be a little on the unstable side, if you know what I mean. How can you trust him?” Antonio glared at the door as if he could see Joseph hovering behind it. “He might kidnap you or something.”

“Oh, I don’t trust him. Not one bit.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw Joseph’s fists tighten.

“Now, there’s the first smart thing I’ve heard out of him so far. I should kidnap you. And have my way with you while I’m at it.”

He fondled her ass and she slapped his hand away, stomping her foot out of sheer frustration.

“Shut the hell up, already! I’m not yours, and I won’t be.” She turned to Antonio. “I’m sorry, but he has to stay. It’s a private matter, but he’s a…um…a friend of my dad’s.”

Joseph scoffed behind her, and she scowled even more.

“Well, I don’t like leaving you with him.” He gestured at the door with his head. “I’ll help you do whatever you two are doing. Just let me in.”

Joseph cursed and jerked Eva to his side, stepping out from behind the door despite her protests. He stuck his head in the doorway and said, “What we’re doing needs two people. I’m not into any kinky shit. Now, get the f**k out of here.” He slammed the door shut, locked it, and turned to Eva with a smile. “There. He’s gone. You’re welcome.”

Eva stood in shock at Joseph’s barbaric ways. He hadn’t been this bad before. He acted like he owned her apartment. And her. She shoved him back against the door, not minding the fact she stood five-foot-three with heels on versus his six-foot-one barefoot, and jabbed a finger into his chest.

“You listen to me, jackass. I am not yours. You lost me when you decided I couldn’t keep you happy in bed. You gave up your right to speak for me and my feelings when you stripped another woman in our bed. The same bed we’d made love in mere hours before.”

His eyes darkened, and he hardened against her as she plastered her body across his. Her ni**les tightened at his obvious arousal, but she forced her body’s demands to the back of her mind. She tried instead to focus on the anger. It was safer, by far.

“Eva, I never meant to hurt you. I’ve been trying to tell you what happened that night for weeks now. I made a bad choice. I found out—”