“Clearly, this isn’t any of my business,” Ezra says and walks out of the front door. I sigh and glare at Haylee, who stood still watching with an amused look on her face. I go after Ezra and see her skulking off down the corridor.
“Ezra,” I call out, walking after her, but she ignores me. “Ezra, get back here. Hey!” I yell, and she stops walking but doesn’t turn to face me. I walk up behind her and grab her arm, turning her to face me. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“For a walk.” She mutters acidly, staring at anything but my face. “Maybe you and your ex might need some privacy to fuck each other to death.”
“Ezra, don’t be ridiculous, get back in the apartment,” I tell her sternly, pointing down the hall. Ezra shakes her head stubbornly, pulls her arm out of my hold, and turns to leave again. I sigh, grab her and hoist her over my shoulder.
“Hey!” She squeals, thrashing about in my arms. “Put me down, you asshole!” I carry her back to the apartment while she continues to kick her legs.
“Stop thrashing about,” I growl as I carry her inside and toward the bedroom.
“Go to hell.” She hollers, slapping my back. “Put me down, right now!”
“As you wish, princess.” I drop her ass on the bed, and she glowers up at me and tries to sit up, but I crawl up on the bed and pin her down with my body. My hands curl around her wrists and keep them against her sides.
I lean in close to her face and look into her eyes. “Stay put, or I swear I will tie your ass up to this bed and spank you. Do you understand me?” She glares up at me in return and nods. “Good,” I mutter and scoot off the bed.
That’s one down.
“Put the baby to bed?” Haylee sneers, raising her brow. I roll my eyes and walk over to her.
“What are you after, Haylee?” I question her, and she frowns, shrugging her shoulder impassively.
“I already told you why I’m here, Damien.” She insists, leaning back against the dining table. “Your plan is—”
“—I’ve been in tougher assignments than this, all right, so spare me the bullshit and come out with what you’re truly after.” Haylee just stares at me and shakes her head; her eyes shift to the door to my bedroom and back at me again.
“Okay fine, I’m worried something will happen to you.” She admits throwing her hands up in surrender. “You’re in over your head this time, Damien. James and Jax also agree with me. That girl in there has gotten your head all screwed up. Do you think I can’t tell just by looking at you that you’ve changed? You’ve gone soft, Dami. That preppy little princess in there is no good for you.”
“Oh, give me a fucking break,” I bark angrily. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I haven’t fucking changed!”
“Oh, really?” Haylee snipes back. “We dated for three goddamn years, and you broke it off with me because you said you couldn’t commit, and you said it was too dangerous. And yet you’ve known her for five minutes, and you marry her? How is that logical? Explain that to me, Damien?”
“I don’t need to explain a goddamn thing to you,” I growl, taking a threatening step toward her. “Who the fuck, do you think you are, breaking into my apartment and demanding a fucking explanation? We broke up a year ago, Haylee; frankly, what I do and who I do it with is my business.”
“When you break up with me with some phony reason, you damn well do owe me an explanation.” She retorts back hotly, shoving me back. I’m losing my patience, and it’s taking everything to resist the urge to knock this bitch into the middle of next week.
“A year ago. I left you a fucking year ago, and what, you woke up this morning and suddenly decided you need justification?”
“I fucking loved you, Damien, I still do, and I don’t want you to jump into something blind and unprepared because you’re too distracted trying to protect some ditzy little rich bitch.” I grab Haylee by the throat, walk her back, and slam her hard against the refrigerator.
“Careful, Haylee,” I warn darkly, “You’re treading on thin ice.”
Haylee smiles and fixes her gaze to mine. “There he is,” She whispers, biting her lip. “There’s my Damien. Dark and dangerous. Come on, baby, you know I love it rough. Did I hurt your feelings by insulting your little princess?”
“Don’t fuck with me, Haylee.” I hiss irately, and her green eyes sweep over my face while she swipes her tongue over her bottom lip.
“I’d love nothing more than to fuck with you, baby.” She purrs, staring into my eyes. “I know you haven’t forgotten how insatiable it was between us.” She leans in closer, her gaze hot on mine. “She doesn’t have what it takes to satisfy the hunger of a man like you, baby. Not like I did.”
“Jesus. You want an explanation Hayles,” I answer, leaning in close till my nose was close to hers. “You want to know why I married her? Because she’s everything you’re fucking not. She’s the most loving and kindhearted person I have ever met, and she deserves so much better than the likes of me. She fell in love with the ugly and nasty beast inside of me. She’s unselfish, and you know something else, she makes me wish I was a better man so that I could be worthy of being with her.” Haylee’s eyes glisten, but she blinks them away and pushes me off her with a shake of her head.
“You fucking love her.” She glowers at me with those green eyes that used to drive me insane. When I don’t give her an answer, she cackles bitterly and grabs her gun off the table. “The big bad Damien Wolfe is capable of loving after all.” She tucks her weapon at the hem of her pants and walks over to me. “Why don’t you call me when you fuck this up because we both know you will.” She leans in close to my ear. “I’ll be waiting, baby.” She adds with a smirk and walks out. I slam the door shut behind her and fight the urge to put my fist through it.
“Fuck. My. Life.” I grumble, turning to walk to the kitchen and see Ezra standing by the bedroom door, her arms crossed over her chest, glaring daggers at me. How long has she been standing there? “If you’re going to chew me out about Haylee, save your breath. I’m really not in the fucking mood,” I tell her, opening the fridge and taking out a cold beer and twisting the top off before I chug it back.
“I’m not going to say anything to you anymore. It’s not my place to question you about your life or your past. After all, I’m only your fake wife, and whatever happened between us, it’s not like it was real, right.” She replies coldly, walking over to the living room and pulling the balcony door open before she walks outside. I set the bottle of beer down and pinch the bridge of my nose. I was on the brink of losing my goddamn mind. Why does everything have to be so fucking hard all the damn time?
Maybe cause you’re confusing the shit out of her, you idiot!