Free Surrender to Me by Shayla Black Page B

it.
    “Did your stepfather hit you? Because I’d never lift a finger to you, ever. I’ll beat the shit out of anyone who tries.”
    “My family is messed up, but we’re not an episode of Cops in the making. You’re loco.”
    “Not the first time I’ve heard that I’m crazy. I’m also persistent.”
    “No.” Her mock surprise dripped sarcasm. “I would have never guessed!”
    When it came to defense mechanisms, she had an arsenal. Good thing he had his own weapons.
    As she signaled for yet another drink, he grabbed her hand. “You’re going to make yourself damn sick if you keep that up.”
    “That’s my choice.”
    Hunter couldn’t dispute that. Stupid choice, but hers. “What are you drinking?”
    She slanted him a suspicious stare. “Patrón.”
    He held in a wince. Very soon, she would be feeling no pain. Tomorrow, it would hit her like a ton of bricks.
    “Hey, pal,” the bartender called. “Want something?”
    “Club soda with a twist of lime.”
    The beefy bartender, who could have been Mr. Clean’s double, raised an amused brow.
    “What, you can’t handle Patrón?” Kata sneered, the effects of the alcohol beginning to show in her heavy-lidded eyes.
    “I don’t drink.”
    She frowned, lost her balance for a second, and grabbed him to stabilize. Whether she knew it or not, some part of her trusted him.
    “Recovering alcoholic?”
    “Nope. I just refuse to engage in something so obviously selfdestructive.”
    With a roll of her eyes, Kata reached for the shot glass and lime the bartender set in front of her. “Are you determined to crawl on my every last nerve tonight?”
    “No, but I am determined to make sure you stay safe.”
    The bartender with the shaved head slammed the glass on the bar. “Four dollars.”
    “I want to close out her tab, too.”
    In the middle of tossing back her latest shot, she choked. “What the hell ?”
    The other guy shrugged. “She handed me a hundred bucks when she walked in and told me to keep the tequila flowing until her money ran out. She’s got a bit less than half her tab left.”
    And she’d have alcohol poisoning by then, too. Fuck . Hunter reached into his wallet and pulled out another hundred. “Close it out. Now.”
    Mr. Clean shrugged. “You got it.”
    “Hey!” Kata slurred at the bartender, who ignored her. Then she swayed on her feet and scowled at Hunter. “Goddamn it! There you go, trying to control me again. Why the hell did I ever let you fuck me?”
    The bartender repressed a smile. Hunter cursed under his breath. Kata had definitely had too much to drink, and he had to get her out of here quickly. For a girl who wanted to retain control, she’d certainly drunk enough to ensure that she lost it. The tequila was to mask fear and pain; he got that. Now he had to figure out her issue before she erected permanent barriers between them.
    The conflict with her stepfather, whatever the cause, was something bigger than he could deal with here with the music pulsing, artificial smoke pumping, and her blood alcohol way over the legal limit. Because while she might have been disturbed by the way he controlled her body, she’d loved it. So had he. If he pointed that out again, he’d only drive her farther away. Likely, Kata’s stepfather had used his position in the family to somehow abuse her trust, so he must tread carefully.
    She turned, staggering away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her against his body. “I’m sorry.”
    Kata looked at him with shocked, slightly unfocused eyes. “For what exactly?”
    “Taking so much of the control without talking to you first. I tend to be dominant.”
    “ Tend to be?” She rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Captain Obvious.”
    “If I had known how much it would bother you, we would have had more conversation.”
    “Before you fucked me into the mattress? Yeah, how would that conversation have gone?”
    Hunter sighed. They weren’t going to solve anything with the Black Eyed Peas making the