Forbidden (Blood Ties #7)

I looked from her to the plate, then turned around and strode away.Goddamn woman. GODDAMN WOMAN!She was pushing me.Testing my limits.I strode back into the kitchen and scraped the entire meal into the garbage.

My breaths were savage.

My pulse was out of control.

And there was a tic in the corner of my eye again.

“I don’t eat meat,”I muttered.“I don’t eat goddamn meat.”

I turned around, eyed the small basket of fresh fruit my housecleaner had left for me, then snatched the bright red apple from the top of the pile. I strode back, my fist gripping it tight and stepped into the bedroom.

“Here.” I tossed the damn thing toward her. “Unless you don’t eat apples as well?”

She grabbed it with both hands, glaring at me. Then she pulled it toward her, bared her teeth, and bit down hard.

Spiteful fucking thing.

I wanted to let her starve.

To let her—

Juice dribbled down her lips and down her chin. She never even wiped it, just took another bite. Those brown eyes filled with poison as she chewed in wounding gnashes of her teeth.

I’d never seen anything so fucking sexy in all my goddamn life.

The rage.

Thepromise.

Fuck, this woman was devastating.

Beep.

I jolted at the sound and wrenched my gaze down to my hand. I still held my cell…and the bottle of water. I swapped it over, scanning the caller ID.Julius Harmon.

“What the fuck?” I answered the call. “Yes?”

“Our mutual acquaintance isn’t happy,” Harmon warned. “And he wants you gone. Youandyour brothers.”

My jaw clenched.

Sweat rose along the top of my brow as his words hit home. Hale wanted me gone?

He wanted me gone…

“But I’ve convinced him otherwise,” Harmon added carefully, his tone crooning. “I still believe you’re an asset, Riven. Please don’t cause me to think otherwise. I told him from now on you would be a team player. Are you, Riven?Areyou a team player?”

My lips curled. “Yes.” I stared at the woman on the floor in front of me. “Yes, I’m a team player.”

“Good. I was hoping you were going to say that. Very glad. I’m taking over operations from here on out. We have other…shipments coming. I will need you and your brothers to oversee their arrival. You’ll house them…clothe them…get them ready as you’ve done in the past. I will contact you with further instructions. Until then, get your fucking shit together.Do you hear me?Get ittogether.”

“Yes.” I forced the word through clenched teeth. “I…get it.”

“Good.” He exhaled hard into the phone. “Lie low. Make no further rash decisions. I’ll be in contact.”

“Fin—” I started, but he was already gone.

Leaving me to unravel.