Free Deliverance (The Maverick Defense #1) by L.A. Cotton, Jenny Siegel Page B

nothing like the decaying town we lived in, but despite the stylish decor and modern facilities, I couldn’t stand being here.
    I hated it.
    The second the elevator pinged open to Donnie’s floor, my skin started to crawl. Donnie almost dragged me out into the hallway, ignoring my reluctance. The fury still rolled off him in waves. He slid out the magnetic key card and opened the door and pulled me inside. It slammed shut behind me and I jumped. Donnie shot me an irritated look before going to the kitchen and making himself a drink.
    “Did you know?” His words were calm. Calculated.
    “Know what?” I replied trying to play dumb.
    “Don’t play dumb, Joy. Did you know he was back in town?”
    “Yes.”
    The glass shattered into tiny pieces next to me, and I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut trying to calm my racing heart.
    “He’s not supposed to be here.” Donnie thrust his hand into his hair and dragged it back and forth. He looked crazed, eyes blazing with fire. “He wasn’t supposed to come back.”
    I know.
    Like a lion hunting its prey, Donnie stalked toward me. I pressed back into the door.
    “Why is he back, Joy?”
    “For the funeral. You know that,” I answered, my voice shaking.
    “Are you sure that’s all?”
    My mouth dropped open ready to respond, but the words wouldn’t come. Of course, it was all he was back for, wasn’t it? What else could there be? He’d looked just as shocked to see me as I was to see him.
    Donnie stopped in front of me, glaring down at me as if I was his enemy. “Have you spoken to him?”
    Yes.
    If I told the truth, things would turn ugly, but if I lied, he’d see straight through it and that would end just as badly. I opted for silence.
    It was the wrong move.
    Donnie’s hand closed around my throat with such force that my body slammed against the door. My eyes went wide with panic as I clawed at his hand.
    “Now, now, baby. I’ll ask again. Did you speak to him?”
    My heart pounded in my chest so hard I felt lightheaded. Or was that my airway being constricted?
    “Joy, don’t test me.” Donnie’s voice was eerily calm. Too calm. His eyes were still ablaze, but he seemed in control. Fully aware of his hand wrapped around my neck.
    This wasn’t the first time Donnie had hurt me. A couple of times in the past things had gotten ugly. A split lip, a black eye, but never this. Never before had Donnie lashed out in such a calculated manner. It was always a spur-of-the-moment thing. He was always sick with worry afterward, showering me with affection and apologies.
    His hand tightened again and he rammed my head back against the door. Pain splintered through my skull and my eyes rolled into the back of my head.
    “Don’t make me hurt you, baby. I don’t want to hurt you.” Donnie sounded almost pained as his voice floated into my half-conscious state.
    “Yes,” I croaked out. “I saw him. We- we spoke.”
    Pain exploded across my cheek and into my eye socket and then everything went black.

A ll weekend, images of Donnie reaching out to claim Joy tormented me. The way he touched her, so intimate and possessive. My girl and my best friend. Ex-girlfriend and ex-best friend. Donnie wasn’t the same friend I left behind, and seeing Joy again … it made me realize what I’d tried to keep buried. That I had never stopped loving her. In my head, she had moved on and started a new life in California. My heart was a different story. It was still there—the magic, a spark, whatever the fuck you wanted to call it. I saw it in her eyes when I touched her, a flash of desire. Along with a silent plea and a look of regret. And I didn’t miss the shiver of revulsion when Donnie claimed her. She was tied to him in some way, and I was hell-bent on finding out what hold he had over her. I lay in bed staring up at the ceiling as dawn chased away the shadows, the room growing brighter until I couldn’t stand it any longer. Throwing back the covers, I stood and pulled on