TABOO Chapters 1-8

TABOO CHAPTER FIVE

Levi

It's taking everything I have in me not to go over to that mother fucker's house and beat his ass as I witness how this is all tormenting her. She looks defeated and not at all the Kali I used to know. I'm still processing all of it as a car pulls into the driveway of the neighbor's house.

A dark haired, average looking guy gets out of the car and I watch his every move. His eyes instantly scan her yard and he strains to see inside my truck, no doubt being a nosy asshole. I hear her lower in the seat and know without asking that he's the one that's been fucking with her.

"So he just needs a reminder of how to treat people. I can handle this." I open my truck door and walk with a purpose to meet him in his yard. He takes a few steps back before I fully approach him. My guess is he saw the killer rage in my face that told him he was about to get fucked up.

Without saying a word, I punch him in his face, taking him to the ground as I squeeze his neck, holding him in place. I connect every time my arm comes forward and it isn't until I hear Kali screaming at me that I stop. I'm breathing heavily and I don't release my grip because I haven't said the one thing I need to say.

"So much as look at her and I'll fucking kill you." He gasps for air under my hold and I finally release my grasp and allow him to breathe. "You're only breathing because I'm giving you permission to. Remember that." And with a shove, I stand to face Kali, frustration still flowing through my body.

He begins to huff out and spit blood while he crawls backward trying to get away from me, but what he doesn't understand is that crawling away from me won't save him. I'll ruin him for touching her and I won't think twice about it.

"Why did you do that?" She's looking around me to watch his pathetic attempt to stand while she questions me.

"Because I want him to know who he's fucking with." Looking down at my bloody fists before I start to walk toward her house makes me hate him even more. She follows me to her front door and I don't even have to ask to come in before she's guiding me inside and running the water over my hands in her kitchen sink.

My eyes brush over her face just as she looks up at me. Her soft hands slide over mine a few more times while we're locked into each other's stare before I purposely look away. "We look like two thugs who've had shitty fuckin days." It's easier to change the subject and work with her laughter than it is to deal with the way she was just looking at me. It's the way I've wanted her to look at me for years, yet she's never had eyes for anyone when Noah was around.

She turns off the water and begins inspecting my hands. "Looks like most of the blood was his. You have this one knuckle that's busted open. Let me wrap it for you." She leaves the room and comes back with some tape and before I have time to think about anything else, she's wrapped my hand to stop the bleeding.

She looks up at me when I use my other hand to brush the hair off my face. Our eyes lock again and this time I don't look away. I smirk just slightly and wait for her to react. It's time I stop denying what I've always felt for her and let this happen if she's ready to test the water to what we potentially have if we just give us a chance.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to jump in the shower and get some of this grass out of my hair." She takes a step back, never letting her eyes fall from mine. I take a single step forward and reply with the only response I've ever known when given this kind of bait.

"Maybe I should help you." She pauses and without any other response, she turns and leads the way.