away. You’re real fucking good at that, aren’t you?”
“I said get the fuck out!” she yells, her voice crackling as she throws the brush at my face. It would’ve hit me if I hadn’t ducked, but it crashes uselessly against the wall instead before clattering to the ground.
“Sure thing,” I say, but instead of moving for the door, I move toward her.
In a second, I have her jaw in my hands and my lips pressed against hers, and I start fucking her mouth with my tongue. I arch her back, bending her spine like I wish I could bend her will.
She bites me, claws at my arms, snarls into my throat, but she also grinds against my pelvis, hooks her leg around my calf, and mouth-fucks me right back.
I dominate her in a kiss to end all kisses. A kiss that brands her memory with the veracity of its heat. She can fucking run, but she won’t forget. I’m making damn sure of it.
When a groan crawls up her throat and dumps onto the surface of my tongue, I finally pull away, leaving her gasping for air with swollen lips and fuck-me eyes.
“Try telling me now that I don’t fucking matter,” I tell her.
She swallows hard, but no words come out of her.
“That’s what I thought.”
“Get out, Jericho.”
Defeat crushes my ribs, but I nod. “Yeah.”
I turn on my heel and walk away, slamming the bedroom door behind me with a crash and knowing full well that I’m probably never going to see the stubborn ass love of my life ever again.
22
Jetta
I’m never going to see him again.
I know it. He knows it. But our knowledge stems from two very different facts. He thinks I’m abandoning him by choice. And I am...just not the way he thinks.
But I’ve run through the scenarios, and I know what kind of male Kaazu is. He doesn’t bluff. He will kill Freddie without hesitation if I so much as bring a single shifter with me. Not only will Rockhead be patrolling, but he’ll have the troupers at full alert too. It’s a test, and it’s one I can’t fail.
After I hear Jericho storm down the stairs and out the front door, I let out a shaky breath. I feel like puking, but I’m well aware that the fear and heartsickness won’t be what spews out of me, and that’s what’s making me sick.
I take one last look around my room and then walk out without a backward glance, heading for the back door instead of the front. I jump the wooden fence easily and then cut across to the compound’s front gate. I can see two shifters manning it tonight, and I gear up in case either of them gives me shit or tries to keep me. I’ll render them unconscious if I have to.
“Jetta!”
My back tenses at the sound of Addie’s voice as she runs toward me from the enforcer’s front gate observation tower. She was waiting for me, here to head me off.
She skids to a stop in front of me. “Look, don’t leave.”
“Stop, Addie,” I say, because I don’t have the emotional energy to go a second round with her after the shit show that just went down with Jericho. I almost cracked, multiple times, and that punishing goodbye kiss nearly killed me.
“Jetta, don’t go. Maybe...he doesn’t know you’re here?”
“Believe me, he knows,” I reply as I continue to walk toward the fence.
“Wait! Just talk to me,” Addie pleads, rushing in front of me. “Don’t leave.”
The fragile emotional tether I have around me is starting to fray, and I’m all too aware of the night hour growing later. I need to hurry. “What do you want from me, Addie?” I ask, my arms tossing up in frustration. “Why does everyone keep expecting shit from me? I’m not some hidden gem. I’m a selfish bitch who doesn’t play well with others. Why your pack even let me stay here for this long is beyond me.”
Her eyes grow sad as she looks at me, tears falling down her cheeks. I hate that emotion is trying to snap me in half. I hate that I feel so fucking raw.
“You’re my friend, Jetta. And you’re one of us, whether you want to admit it or not,” she says, voice cracking.
“I’m not, and the sooner you guys realize that, the better.”
“But—”
“Tell Hugo thank you. For letting me stay. And thank you too,” I say, trying and failing to keep my eyes from burning. “But I have to