Tales of Darkness & Sin - Pepper Winters Page 0,18
back, but it’s like pushing against a tank.
He pinches my face between his fingers and tries to kiss me, and when I turn away, he yanks me by the hair toward the house. “No more fighting, Violet. You’re going to get this shit out of your system once and for all. Now we’re going inside, and you’re going to play nice.”
“Fuck you!” I thrust my hands into his chest, but it does nothing. His grip on my hair leaves me no choice but to follow as he drags me along into the house. “I’ll scream!”
“Go ahead,” he snickers. “I like it when you scream.”
“Is there a fucking problem here?”
Both of our heads whip to the side, and the breath leaves my lungs on a gasp when I see Zander standing there. When did he get here? His truck isn’t in the drive, and I have no idea where he came from. But regardless, I’ve never been so happy to see him in my entire life.
Scott releases me and glares at my savior. “This is a personal matter. It’s none of your business.”
“It’s my business if you’re trespassing and Violet doesn’t want you here.”
“Who is this guy?” Scott pins me with his gaze. “Does he know you?”
Zander seems amused that Scott doesn’t seem to recognize him from high school. But all I can think about is getting Scott out of my life once and for all.
“Yeah, I know him.” I walk over to Zander and tuck myself against his side. “He’s my boyfriend. And he’s also a detective, who just happens to live next door. So you might want to think about that next time you try to pay me a visit.”
Scott’s face mottles with red while he studies us, and a shit eating grin splits across Zander’s face. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s taunting him as he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me against him, gently tilting my chin up to kiss him.
“It’s alright, baby. I’ve got you.”
I sigh into him and somewhere in the space of those few stolen moments, Scott disappears. But before I can get too comfortable, Zander untangles himself from my body, his expression morphing into frustration.
“Um…thank you for doing that. I really appreciate it. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come along—”
“I have to get back to work,” he says abruptly.
I don’t get a chance to ask him if we can talk later because he’s already walking away. Again.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Friday
Zander
“Come on, Violet.” He pounds on her front door. “Open up.”
Scott’s always been an idiot, and right now is no exception.
Violet’s out walking Nutmeg—yes, I know, she actually takes her cat for walks. Although Nutmeg tends to give up about a minute into it, so Violet ends up scooping her off the ground and cradling her to her chest for the next two blocks.
Either way, she’s not fucking home.
And more importantly—she has no interest in seeing him.
Something he damn well knows after we sent him packing the last time he showed up.
Hopping out of my truck, I stalk toward Violet’s house.
Scott’s still banging away on Violet’s front door, so he doesn’t see or hear me when I approach.
A simple gun to the head would put an end to this whole fucking thing, but given the son-of-a-bitch broke my leg and left me with a brain bleed that put me in the hospital and made me miss my high school graduation, I think I’m entitled to have a little fun.
Since I just got home from work, I have everything I need at my disposal.
Removing my taser gun from my belt, I aim it at his back.
I’d be lying if I said the sight of him falling to the ground in a fit of jerks and thrashes didn’t make me smile.
But it’s only the tip of the iceberg for what I have planned.
In one fell swoop, I flip him over on his belly and handcuff him.
He tries to fight me, but I’m the stronger one this time around.
“What the fuck—ouch.”
Snatching his hair, I pull him to his feet.
And then I launch my fist into his face, landing a sucker punch to his nose.
One that has him staggering back like a drunk giraffe before he falls.
Perfect.
Whistling, I lug his limp body toward my house.
Hopefully he enjoys our little sleepover as much as I do.
But something tells me he won’t.
I toss a pitcher of ice water at his face. “Wake up, sunshine.”