Noxious (Anathema #1) - Yolanda Olson Page 0,43

hilarious. When I yank the driver's side door open, it takes all my self-control not to punch him right in the nose. The way he's smirking at me I can tell he's waiting for it, and I know he can hurt me a lot more than I can hurt him in an even fight.

"Out," I growl through clenched teeth, and he unbuckles his seat belt, raising his hands up as he drops to the ground.

"You know... if you put on some leather, carried a whip, I might really be into this." Aftyn winks at me, and I shove past him to get in the car, but he's leaning on the damn door when I turn around to shut it—and he's not smiling anymore. "But, unless you plan on spanking me before you suck my dick and bend over for me, you need to stop bossing me around. Got it?"

I'm still so angry that I'm tempted to tell him to go to hell, or launch myself at him and beat his head against the asphalt. But that's what he wants. He wants me to go after him so he can show me that he's in charge, and he definitely fucking isn't. Turning away from him, I start the car and look back at Daphne. She's got a slight smile on her face and I want to slap it off her more than anything in the world. Instead, I just smile back. "Get out of my fucking car."

"What?" Her eyes widen a little and I point toward the door.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Fucking. Car." I enunciate each word clearly and she looks past me at Aftyn. "Don't look at him! I'm driving now and I want you out of my goddamn car."

"Why don't you make her get out of the car, Willa?" Aftyn has leaned too close to me, speaking right against the shell of my ear, and I can feel the heat of his breath on his next exhale. "Show her what you're made of."

Bringing my elbow back hard, I'm surprised when I actually catch him in the ribs, and he starts laughing as he backs off.

"Your choice, Wills. But if you don't have the ovaries to kick her out yourself, then I think she's going to hang around a little longer." Grinning, Aftyn walks as slow as fucking possible around the front of the SUV, and I'm so tempted to run him over, or drive off without him. Leave him in the same kind of miserable, roadside hole he left Dexter in—but then I'd still be stuck with Daphne, and halfway across the US for no goddamn reason.

So, I just slam the door and grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white.

Aftyn is taking his sweet time, stretching his back out beside the car, and I don't think I've ever wanted to hurt him this much. He always pisses me off, he likes to push my buttons, but killing Dexter was too far and he knows it. When he finally gets in, I give him the same courtesy he gave me when we left Dexter behind—absolutely none. I throw the SUV into drive and speed out of the parking lot before he even has his door shut.

Unfortunately, all Aftyn does is chuckle under his breath, as he adjusts himself in the seat and buckles up. Reaching in front of my face, he plucks his pack of cigarettes from the visor, and I just grit my teeth as I listen to him light up, cracking his window when we hit the highway again. I want him to suffer, and the only way I can think of doing it right now is by letting Daphne in on his stupid fucking secret.

"Hey Daphne, since you're apparently following us around like a bad case of herpes, why don't you ask Aftyn about why we're going to Arizona?" I glance up at her in the rear-view and she meets my eyes for a moment before she stares at the back of the headrest in front of her. I can see Aftyn's jaw muscle twitching, and I smile as I turn to face the highway again.

It takes a minute for Daphne to build up the courage, but she finally breaks the quiet. "Why are you going to Arizona?"

"None of your business."

"He's going to meet his daddy for the first time," I answer her, smiling at Aftyn when he glares at me with a flash of rage. "His mom was a bitch, but she's been gone