Project: Killer (Project Series Book 1) by J.L. Beck Read Free Book Online Page B

second floor that was never used, my body told me no. Don’t follow. I had never been scared of Diesel. To me, he was a man who was on the verge of death with every breath that passed his lips. The things he had to endure in his life when he should’ve been making happy memories hurt my soul.
    “Come on,” he ordered, breaking me from my thoughts. Placing one foot in front of the other like a scared puppy, I walked up the stairs. The place smelled of books and dust. I watched him walk over to a far corner of the room where a big window overlooked the greenhouse on the other side.
    “Didn’t I tell you more than once you couldn’t save everybody…?” It was as if he were whispering.
    “I wasn’t trying to save anyone. I just wanted him to leave me alone,” I almost cried out. I wanted him to understand, to listen.
    “You were, and you have been this whole time.” He whirled around so fast, I felt like I was going to be sick. My body quivered with built up emotions.
    “I did nothing wrong,” I yelled my voice growing weak. He crossed the room in what seemed like less than a second coming face to face with me. He reached his hand up, and on instinct, I flinched away. Not because I thought he would hurt me, but because it just had become a habit.
    “You’re so right, Maggie. You haven’t done anything wrong. You have been the kindest individual you could be, and I understand that now. What you don’t get is when I told you to stop…” his words stopped as his eyes dropped down to the spot where Blake’s hand had touched me, “…to stop sticking up for me—you caring has brought all this on you.”
    His voice was soft, caring, and I wanted to press into his touch as his fingers gently ran across the slap on my cheek.
    “I don’t care. It was the right thing.” The words didn’t sting quite as bad as the reality of what they meant. I had been doing the right thing. I had been sticking up for Diesel because no one else would. Even if we were both damaged from the outcome of it all, I would rather have us both here than an early death for him.
    “In reality, it isn’t. You don’t deserve to be called names.” His breath could be felt against my own lips, and as I lifted my eyes up to his, I almost gasped. In those eyes, I saw a flicker of something that I had never seen in all the years I had known him. Love.
    “It’s not the names that hurt, Diesel. It’s the physical things that hurt. I can wipe away the hurtful comments like a chalkboard, but I can’t undo the physical. I can’t make my mind forget what a slap feels like.” A tear escaped my eye, sliding down my cheek. Diesel’s thumb stopped it, pressing softly against my skin.
    “You won’t ever have to… I’ll help you forget.” His lips pressed against mine feather soft, the connection causing goose bumps to develop on my skin. His hand sunk into my hair softly as if he wanted to breathe life back into me. Was he afraid the others would shut out the goodness that was inside of me?
    When he pulled away from me, my mind was spinning and my cheeks were flushed. Long gone was the very thought of pain. Now it was replaced with something else. He pressed our foreheads together and stared deeply into my eyes.
    “I won’t let them hurt you anymore. I won’t let them break you, beat you, or make you weak. You didn’t listen to my warnings. You didn’t stay out of it. None of that matters though—all that matters now is that they stop hurting you. You were there for me, even when I didn’t need you. Want you. I will be here for you.”
    “What’s her name?” I could hear someone ask but couldn’t answer. My throat ached as if someone had shoved a baseball bat down it.
    “No idea. I never asked Killer, and at this point and time, I don’t feel like going back in there to do so.” The voice speaking was deep and robust. My body felt weak as I tried to move around in the arms of the person carrying me.
    “Fuck. She’s waking up.