Free Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland Page B

get away, and his hands snake around my waist. The additional contact sets off more alarms in my head. Slowly They rouse with whispers of what he would like to do to me, and the image makes bile burn the back of my throat. They urge me to cause him pain. I swallow thickly. If I don’t maintain control on Them, this fun little outing could turn into a massacre of XY chromosomes.
    Dylan laughs, oblivious to my dark thoughts. “See, you don’t need to sit with those losers. I have a seat for you right here.” He pats my thigh reassuringly.
    I try to stand again, but he holds on tight. Dylan is pissing me off. His hands skim places that are definitely off-limits. All I can think of is escape, and I fight to stay calm so They don’t fully wake. Panic steals my breath, and I have to forcibly remind myself that I’m not in any real danger. He’s just a bully, not a criminal. I squirm around until I can stare into in his muddy brown eyes. “Let me go,” I mutter.
    He laughs. “Make me.” His friends whoop, and a couple offer helpful suggestions as to what Dylan should do with me. I swallow dryly and ignore them. I’m no match for Dylan’s strength, but I know who is. I give in to Their sleepy murmurs and relax my hold on Them a little.
    The noise of the restaurant fades away as I stare into Dylan’s eyes. His gaze is locked onto mine, and it takes only a couple of seconds before I can feel the shift in his behavior. His smirk fades. A couple of heartbeats more and he jerks in surprise, then squirms in his seat. His breathing quickens and he tenses like a rabbit sensing danger, eyes widening. They can sense his fear, and now They are anxious for release, hungry for a taste of pain. My head pounds and I’m certain he can see Them swirling around in the depths of my eyes. A slight smile curves my lips. There is nothing friendly about it.
    “Let. Me. Go.” The sound is something more than human.
    Dylan releases me so suddenly that I fall backward off his lap. I catch myself and stand, straightening my sweater over my jeans. He’s staring at me now like I might sprout another head.
    I take a deep breath and force Them back down into the dark part of my consciousness. They aren’t happy about being denied Their fun, and I promise to make it up to Them. Dylan’s friends groan when I grab the plastic chair. I heft it while shooting the table a dazzling smile. “Thank you, boys.” There are a couple of catcalls and lewd suggestions, but Dylan says nothing as I take the chair back to my table. His gaze burns a hole into my back.
    I set the chair down next to Adam’s and sit down. I still shake a little, so I sit on my hands and lean forward, forcing a grin. Mindi, Jocelyn, Tom, and Adam stare at me in wide-eyed shock, while Amber’s lips twist with disgust. The only person I can’t read is Niko. His expression is, as usual, indecipherable.
    Tom reaches across the table to give me a fist bump. “All right! I can’t believe you entered the den of the jock and lived to tell about it.”
    Adam shakes his head. “Me either.” He looks miserable, as though he’s just now realizing how weak his hesitation made him look.
    I shrug. “No worries. I just had to ask him nicely.”
    Amber snorts. “Yeah, we saw how nicely you asked him.” The glare she sends in my direction makes me push Them further into the back of my mind. They aren’t happy, and They do the mental equivalent of snarling and snapping at being denied some fun. They don’t even care that she’s not male. They just don’t like her. I shut Them in the back of my mind, throwing a mental dead bolt on the door that keeps them from ruling me completely. I’m still the one in control.
    Mindi makes a choked sound at Amber’s comment, but I shoot my would-be tormentor a wide smile. “Oh, that? He was just being neighborly. No big deal.”
    The corner of Amber’s mouth twists down. “You practically gave him a lap dance.”
    Jocelyn laughs a little too