Avenging Angel (Pounding Hearts 5)

She grabs my hand on the center console and gives it a tight squeeze while tugging it toward her.

Glancing over at her, I see that there’s concern in her eyes.

Casey is just chattering away behind us, oblivious to the drama unfolding in my head.

Quietly, so that only I hear, Bree asks, “What’s going on?”

I shake my head because I can’t even explain the long, twisted thoughts that are flowing through my mind. The one thing, though, that lingers in the background of all those thoughts is that I have her here, right now, by my side.

Her and Casey, here in the now.

And I’m not letting her get away. I don’t care what I have to do, I’m fucking keeping her ass.

Keeping her and never fucking letting go.

“Tell me later?” she asks, and she gives me a small smile, showing me how fucking warm her heart is.

Showing me how deep her emotions must run. That she can read me and see that I’m twisted up shows. Fuck, this girl is something special.

Nodding my head to her, I mouth back, “I’ll try.”

“So guys, anyone want to place bets on whether Dale makes Emmett puke today or not?” Casey asks.

“I hate you right now,” I growl out at him.

“I’ll tell him you said that.” Casey snickers at me. “I’m safe, he likes kids and women.”

“Well… keep it up and we’ll see,” I say.

I don’t have a comeback. He’s probably right about it all.

Squeezing my hand tightly, Bree gives me that warm and mushy feeling all over again. It’s fucking jarring and settling at the same time. It’s also so unfamiliar, I just might fall into it and not come back out.

Last night was… I hate to use the term, but it was fucking magical. I don’t know how else to describe the pleasure I gave and received. I don’t know how to describe the connection we formed. The only thing I’ve ever experienced that comes close to it is the peace I feel when I’m in the ring. And even that isn’t the same.

I’m actually happy that she’s beside me right now. I’m happy and I feel guilty as fuck for it.

How the fuck do I deserve to be happy?

The ride to her mom’s has my head swaying from happy to guilt to confusion. Fuck, I’m a goddamn mess.

When we pull up in front of her house, my hand seems to have a mind of its own. It simply doesn’t want to let her go. I even have to do an awkward reach over my body with my free hand to put the Jeep in park.

“I’m going to need to take my hand with me, Emmett,” Bree says with a laugh when I refuse to let her go.

“Fine, but only if you agree to come to dinner with us,” I say with a smile. “Unless you want me dragging you to the gym with us right now in your clothes from yesterday.”

Growling, she yanks on her hand, but I refuse to let go without the promise. “Fine, dinner, but you have to cook.”

“Works for me.”

I smile and let go of her hand. If she knew how much it costs me to let go, I doubt she would have made me just yet.

Pulling her hand away, she looks back to Casey. “How bad is it going to be tonight?”

“Depends, they have food poisoning vaccines yet?” he asks.

“That was one time. One goddamn time and it was like four years ago,” I growl at him.