Tainted: Book Two - Coerced

33. Being an Idiot

"Don't say you're sorry! It's not your fault, so don't apologize. Look, I'm messed up to begin with, but right now I'm half crazy with worry and afraid of what—" He glanced away and swallowed hard. "Look, if you could help me out by not touching me, I would appreciate it."

"Understood." I moved closer to him, aware of Rome flanking me. "Now, release all this energy so you can try on the masterpiece of armor I've wrought for you."

He didn't dissipate the power like I expected. Instead, he kinda ... swallowed it. Absorbed it or something, I guessed.

I have never seen anything like this guy!

"Sorry, Mira." He shambled toward me with his head down. "I really, really am."

"I know."

"I'll let you punch me if you wanna."

"I'm not going to punch you." I smiled a little. "It was a misunderstanding. They happen between people all the time."

"Yeah, but misunderstandings with me can be fatal." He closed his eyes, misery in every line of his face. "I tried to tell Gigi I can't do this right now. I need to go!"

"What can't you do?" I cocked my head and studied him.

"Be all civilized and crap! I don't wanna hurt any of you!"

Hmm. Go hard or soft? Which would his beloved Gemma use to get her way? I almost smiled. Oh, soft, I'm sure. I can see her giving him the ol' doe eyes, and this boy - this fearsome, fierce boy - caves to her in a heartbeat. I'd bet good money on it.

"Kerry Harker," I layered the words with menace, "are you telling me you're leaving after I put my heart and soul into this cuirass? Why are you being so mean to me today?"

"Huh?" His eyes flew open.

"I put everything into this," I raised my voice just a tad to sound angry, "and now you wanna leave without even trying it on? Don't you appreciate my hard work at all?"

"No, I— Wait. What?"

A knock sounded at the door and Rome reached out to open it.

"Everything okay in here?" Gigi looked at each of our faces.

"Oh, he threw her into the wall, that's all." Rome stood in the center of the room, wearing his mean face. "And now he says he wants to leave."

The muscles in his arms jumped as he crossed them, and my eyes were drawn to his hard biceps, then down to his corded forearms. I had to force myself to look away as Gigi came over to me.

"You tried to touch him, didn't you?" She gave me a sympathetic smile. "My boyfriend Jax is a toucher. I can't tell you how many times Kerry has knocked him down or punched him. Are you okay?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm good."

"And are you okay, Kerry?" She arched an eyebrow and looked him up and down. "Never mind. I can see you're not. Do the breathing thing."

Then I watched as she very deliberately turned her back on him. Frowning, I tried to figure out what message she was trying to send.

And is it to us - or to Kerry?

"Are you getting hungry?" she asked. "I want to call over to the diner with a lunch order."

"Sure." I liked the diner's food. It was way better than what I was used to. "Chicken tenders with honey mustard for me, please."

As Rome rattled off his order, I kept my eyes on Kerry. He'd settled down some, but Gigi was right. He was a double-barrel shotgun on a hair-trigger.

There's a brutality in him that he never completely curbs. Ah! That's what he means when he says he can't be civilized. No matter how much his friends may think they've tamed him, he's a predatory beast first and foremost.