Chapter 16

16

“ E lijah,” I whispered, a pleading note to my voice. He gripped my arm and yanked me close to him before steering me towards the bed. I swallowed nervously, my heart hammering against my breastbone.

Now that my high had worn off as well as some of my rage, I knew I’d handled the entire situation wrong.

I had been more than aware of the rules surrounding me, keeping me in a tight, neat box. And I’d completely disregarded every single one of those rules when I’d lashed out at not only his wife but at him as well.

He suddenly stopped moving, his eyes focused on my duffel bag behind me. Abruptly, he released me, his eyes swinging back to mine.

“You’re leaving?” he asked, sounding shocked.

I jerkily nodded my head. “I was planning on being gone before you came home,” I confessed.

He turned away from me and paced the length of my room, shoving his fingers through his messy, dark hair. I watched him warily, unsure of what was going to happen now that he knew I’d been planning on leaving not just him, but this club as well.

“Fuck,” he groaned as he turned to face me. “Christ. Don’t leave, doll,” he pleaded.

I frowned at him. That hadn’t been the reaction I’d been expecting. In fact, it looked like he wasn’t even pissed anymore. Instead, he was looking at me like he was about to lose his security blanket.

“Elijah, this is becoming too complicated,” I told him.

He sighed and scrubbed his massive hands down his face. “I filed for a divorce last week.” My lips parted softly in shock. I hadn’t known that. “My guess is she got served papers today, so she lashed out at you.”

I frowned. “Elijah, why are you divorcing her?” I asked him.

He sighed. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I, doll? Being married to her is a fucking nightmare. My favor to her parents is done. There’s no reason for us to remain married. The only reason I did was because I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of a divorce.” He stepped towards me and cupped my face in his hands. “And I want you. I want to claim you, but I know you well enough to know you won’t let me completely have you unless I’m a free man.”

I frowned at him, my heart aching enough for the both of us. “Maybe not even then, Elijah. I won’t be cheated on by my old man.”

He grinned down at me, instantly weakening my resolve. “Who the fuck says I would cheat on you, Olivia?”

I scoffed. “Um, you cheating on your wife does,” I retorted.

He shook his head at me, that grin never leaving his lips. “I’d never cheat on you, doll. I’m fucking hooked on you.”

With that, he covered my lips with his, effectively wiping my mind of any argument I’d been planning to make against him.