“I don’t need your help,” I snapped back. Pulling my hair over my shoulders, I covered my front the best I could, feeling vulnerable and insecure. “Actually, I’d be better without you. I can’t wait to get back home and leave this whole horrific time behind me. Especially you.”
It was a second—a blink.
He grabbed my shoulders, shoving me back into the wall, igniting sparks through me, flushing my skin with energy. Adrenaline slammed into my bloodstream, spiking my senses. His enormous physique flattened against mine.
“You aren’t going back home, princess.” He glared down at me as his legs pressed into my thighs, the fabric of his cotton pants and T-shirt rubbing across my bare skin. My body responded with want, curving into him, greedy for more, which only made me angrier.
“I am,” I seethed. “You have no say over me.”
“Really?” he gritted, moving in closer. On purpose or not, the movement scraped his clothes against my core and nipples, filling me with blinding need. Stop, Brexley. You don’t even like him.
Clenching my jaw, I funneled everything into hate. “Get. Off. Me.”
He smirked, his hand coming to my throat, the pulse of his erection rubbing into me, spinning my head like a whirlwind, shooting out all my logic. His thumb grazed over the black and blue bruises he put there yesterday. His jaw twitched as he ran over them, fury lighting up his eyes.
“Let me go.”
“No.” His fingers trailed down my throat, firing another shot of adrenaline into my blood. With everything I had, I swallowed back the moan clawing up my throat. “You need me, Kovacs.” He pushed me into the wall harder, wetness slicking my core.
Fuck, did I like this? What was wrong with me?
“You would be still in prison if it wasn’t for me. Or dead.” He loomed even more fiercely.
“Need you?” I spat, lifting my chin. “I don’t need a man who wants me dead.”
His thumb ran up my neck. Slowly. Sensually. Threatening. “If I did, you would be. That was just me playing with you. Bought us more time.”
“You choking me was just a little game?”
His thumb sank down into my collarbone, and once again, I was overcome with the sensation of hands grazing up the back of my thighs.
“Yes,” he replied. “And you liked it.”
I sucked in sharply, feeling my body answer with an eager yes.
“But make no mistake, I saved you. Your life is mine now. I own you.”
“Nyasgem.” Fuck off. I felt my voice vibrate against his palm. “No one owns me.” I realized how easily I let Istvan give me over to the disgusting Romanian asshole. I didn’t fight, sensing it was out of my control.
Owned. Weak. Submissive.
I had been beaten, stabbed, starved, tortured, locked in a hole, whipped, and almost raped. I had survived it all.
I wasn’t some little doll anymore.
I was a killer.
Going in innocent, considering myself tough, but I came out of Halalhaz as the monster they created.
Feral and dangerous.
And I wouldn’t be tamed.
Adrenaline masked the pain in my body, so I curled my good leg around his, wrenching it hard. Warwick dipped to the side, giving me a moment to shove him back.
“That all you got, princess?” He laughed, his frame barely registering my hit, which spiraled frenzy in my chest.
A growl vibrated in my throat as I barreled forward. As if I was siphoning energy from him, I rammed into Warwick with a force I knew my fragile frame was not capable of in its condition. Warwick’s eyes widened slightly as he stumbled back, his arms flailing, his massive build dropping back.
Splash!
A wall of water sprayed into the room like stormy ocean waves, roaring and breaking as they came crashing back down, dumping on his head, spilling over the floor. His form folded into the bathtub.
Holy shit, how did I do that?
There was a pregnant pause as liquid dripped down his face, drops sticking to his lashes. His livid blue eyes shot up to mine, glinting with fire, his nostrils flaring. Slowly, his tongue slid out, sweeping up the water from his lip.
Heat and terror flushed my stomach with hot and cold, but I kept my head up, holding on to my façade of strength.
“I’m not property,” I snarled, keeping my voice low. “And if you try anything like that again, I will stab you in the throat. I’ve done it before…and I will do it again.”
Before he could respond, I whipped around, going for the towel on the hook but seeing it was drenched with