Divided (Unguarded #2) - Ivy Stone Page 0,26
drops low, determined. “I want to kill him for doing this to you.”
She doesn’t speak. Just gleams at me. Her lips parted, eyes in a daze. The weight of what I’ve just done pressurizes in my chest. In a matter of seconds. A few words and a touch I’ve done everything I shouldn’t have. What I’ve been telling myself these past few days to avoid because it’s what she wants but shouldn’t have.
She’s nineteen.
She’s an adult.
She wants you. But she isn’t yours.
You can’t tell her what to do and sure as fuck shouldn’t touch her.
It takes all the resistance I have to pull my hands away from her and drop them to my sides. She grimaces as I move and I cringe, hating that I’ve hurt her. Regardless of the fact, this is only the fourth time I’ve ever been this close to her. Skin on skin. Breathing over the top of one another. It seems in all the time that passes, the odd connection we share—whatever the hell it is—doesn’t dissipate. Not in the slightest. I don’t understand it. Don’t know what it is. All I know is if she hurts, I hurt. She bleeds, my heart bleeds for her. I want to protect her, even if she won’t protect herself. I’ve lost time thinking about her. A complete stranger. A stranger who I feel compelled to, for a reason I can’t even understand, because even now I still don’t know much about her. Not the stuff I can’t find in her file. I’m losing control when I’m around her. I’ve never felt more vulnerable. I want more and loathe it all at the same time.
I rub a hand over my forehead and shift on my feet before attempting to steer the conversation in a safe direction, away from feelings I’d rather we keep buried. Away from the nagging feeling that draws me to her. “We need to get you cleaned up.”
Ali nods and her small soft voice sends a shiver over my spine. “Okay.”
My eyes drift away from her, confusion spinning in my head. I swallow the emotion swirling around in me. “Come on. We’ll go to the hospital, have them sort you out then go to the precinct. Call your sister to come pick you up. You can’t come back here, Ali.”
I reach for her without waiting for her to agree and rest a hand on her lower back, pushing her along beside me. We barely get a few steps when she digs her heels into the ground, stopping us. I turn around as the first drops of rain soak our hair, drizzling down our faces.
Ali wrings her fingers together while pleading with big round eyes. “No. I don’t need a hospital. And you can’t call, Lindsey. Or your work.”
My patience snaps. Her stupidity, infuriating.
I glare at her. “I don’t particularly care if you want to or not. You called me, Ali. Middle of the fucking night, because you need my help. Now accept it, and get your ass moving because you can’t go back to this place you call home. I let you go back there because you’re nineteen and responsible for yourself… and look what happened.” I gesture to the length of her. “Well, lesson fucking learned, babe. Not letting it happen again. We got to call your sister. She’s your family. That’s where you should be.”
I turn around, pull her slippery hand into mine and get moving before she can disagree with me some more.
“Please. Just stop a second.” She yanks her arm free and I’m done. I don’t have time for this shit and I can’t, won’t, leave her hurt and alone.
Rain pelts down on us as a storm brews above us and between us.
“I know you probably think I’m young and naïve. But I’m not stupid, Roamyn. I know what will happen the moment you take me to the precinct or the hospital. I’m not going to say anything against Lucio or his father. They’ll kill me before they’re even in cuffs. We both know it.” She drops her arms, her shoulders curling over as she sighs. “And I’m not worrying my sister over cuts that will heal. It’s not worth it. She’ll pull crazy out on their asses and it’s the last thing we need. Trust me when I say that to you. You’ll start something neither of us can finish because this…” she gestures around us, “…is so much bigger than you, me, and any of our problems.”
Her words sift