Irresistible Force by D. D. Ayres Read Free Book Online Page A

just from fear. Anger spurred that pump, too. She’d just spent a miserable month fighting her own self-doubts and vulnerabilities. That was his fault. She just couldn’t let him get away with thinking he had bested her.
    “Why were you seeing me if you had her?”
    He looked a little annoyed. “Her daddy’s had me dancing a damn two-step courtship these last ten months. You were my no-strings revenge fuck.”
    Shay didn’t even feel insulted by his crude remark. Instinct told her he’d come here to do more than gloat, and that’s where the danger lay.
    She dropped the bag of oysters on the table and clutched her phone to her chest where he couldn’t miss noticing it. “You need to leave.”
    His head jerked up, annoyance spoiling his good looks. “Now see. I’m asking you to understand my situation. But you won’t even try to understand. You’d rather jerk my chain.” He folded his arms casually across his chest. “Get this straight, Shay. I’m not leaving until I get what I came for.”
    “You don’t get to make threats anymore.”
    “Threats? I’m not threatening you.” His tone of voice ratcheted up to angry before he caught himself. He paused and unfolded his arms, his expression showing the strain of dialing back his temper.
    He took another step toward her, his voice dropping in tone. “The truth is, Shay, I just can’t forget how you walked out on me. And called the cops on me. That wasn’t very nice. I need you to apologize.”
    A spurt of anger made her brave. “Don’t hold your breath. We’re done.”
    His face lost animation. All that was left was an icy glitter in his narrowing gaze as he approached her. “Who the fuck do you think you’re dealing with? You don’t call the shots in this relationship.”
    In that moment everything clicked into focus for Shay. He’s going to hurt me. Really hurt me this time.
    The thought shocked her so much she immediately shied away from it. Yet there was no avoiding his expression. She’d seen that look once before on a man’s face, and it had ruined her life.
    Shay backed up, trying to avoid him as her finger pressed the emergency button. But he grabbed her wrist and wrenched the cell phone out of her hand then tossed it away before she could be certain the call had gone through.
    Panicked by memories, she swung at him wildly, her fist connecting to his jaw with a force that snapped his head back.
    “Shit!” He pushed her back so hard her body slammed into the cabin wall. Then he seized her shoulders and her head snapped back against the wall with a sickening thud.
    “You stupid bitch!” He began shaking her with enough force to cause damage.
    Panicked and unable to free herself, Shay gripped his biceps to steady herself and hung on. She had no family to protect her. No one ready to smack down the man hurting her. Eric knew that. No one would come to rescue her.
    A whimper escaped her, drawing her deeper into remembered terror.

 
    CHAPTER SIX
    “Let’s haul ass!” James swung open the door and Bogart bounded into the passenger seat of his pickup.
    What should have been a mere formality at the sheriff’s office had turned into an all-day marathon of waiting while the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department “checked” their facts in the matter. He suspected this was his chief’s way of expressing disapproval of the manner in which he had rescued Bogart. His unit leader was going to tear him a new one, too, when he got home. That didn’t matter. Bogart was back where he belonged.
    As he tightened the seat harness especially designed for dogs, Bogart happily licked his face.
    “Oh, now you want to make up.” James playfully pushed his muzzle away. “I don’t forget that easily, you turncoat. You chose the pretty girl over me.”
    Bogart tilted his head to the side, black eyes regarding James with soulful interest. This meant, James knew, that Bogart was trying to figure out his partner’s state of mind.
    For the year and a half