Free Life Before Damaged Vol. 8 (The Ferro Family) by H. M. Ward

moments--hurt, rejection, loneliness. On Jonathan, the look is quickly replaced by amusement at the prospect of getting into some kind of trouble.
    The butler moves in and takes hold of Anthony, restraining his arms tightly behind his back. Anthony doesn’t fight back. “What should I do about our guest, Miss Granz?”
    I glance from seething Pete, to battered Anthony, to hopeful Jonathan. “Jonathan, could you please escort Anthony off the premises?”
    “Sure thing," he says, his face lighting up. "Anything for you, gorgeous.” Jon winks at me and grabs hold of Anthony’s elbow, leading him toward the front door. “C’mon! It's garbage day," he says a bit too happily. "Don't want to miss your ride out of here, do you, buddy?”
    I take hold of Pete’s hand and pull gently. I don’t need to say anything more, he just follows.
    “Regina! Please don’t do this," Anthony protests on his way out the door. "I didn't mean it! I love you, Regina! You're making a huge mistake.” Anthony’s voice becomes an echo the further away we move from the foyer. I lead Pete towards the ballroom and close the massive double doors behind us, shutting everyone else out.
    Pete paces the floor. He’s blowing off steam, hands busy ruffling his hair and nostrils flaring as he tries to get his breathing under control.
    I push myself off the door and make my way in front of him, interrupting his pacing. I place a hand on his cheek, and he closes his eyes, leaning into my touch. His shoulders eventually drop, and his back isn’t quite so stiff.
    “Peter?” His eyes open and they are noticeably calmer than even a few moments ago. “This needs to stop. Fighting like this—it’s destroying you. I see a good man in front of me, someone I care about, and someone who’s fiercely passionate and willing to go to great lengths to protect me. As your friend, I’m begging you to stop. If not for you, then do it for me.”
    “Gina, I...”
    I take both of his lips in between my fingers and pinch them shut to shush him. He’ll probably bite me, but I don’t care, I don’t let him talk. If I do, he’ll come up with dumb excuses.
    “No, let me talk. Remember when I told you about going through life without regrets and to make every moment count?” Pete looks away, avoiding my gaze, but I pull on his lips, forcing him to look at me. “It's time for you to make some changes. You spend all your time screwing women, getting into nasty fights, and spending your money on crap. That's not living. Your words are so powerful, and they can build faster than your fists can destroy. There are worlds inside of you, aching to get out. There are things you could do, because of who you are and I don’t mean your name. Being a Ferro only takes you so far. There’s something else that’s more powerful laying beneath the surface and you hardly ever tap into it. That man is amazing.”
    Pete gently removes my finger clamp from his mouth and watches me uncertainly. “It’s not that simple.”
    “I never said it was easy," I reply, folding my arms across my chest and cocking my head to the side. "In fact, it’s harder to channel all that rage into something else, but you have to do it. This path you’re on won’t end well, Peter. And you have so much more to offer. All I’m saying is you need to find an outlet for all the pent-up rage and passion you have locked up in here.” I place a hand on his bare chest. His skin is hot and soft; his heartbeat is steady and strong.
    Pete places a hand over mine, over his heart and moves in closer. There’s only an inch in between us. He looks down at me and lifts my chin with his other hand. “What do you suggest?”
    "Do something that’s worthwhile with that raw emotion. It’s dying to come out, so channel it. Grab hold and realize that you’re attempting to grab lightning. It’ll be hard and it may hurt, but my God, Peter—you could do so much besides smash things.”
    “It sounds like you see