Free Tangled Fates by Carly Fall, Allison Itterly Page B

held on to that hope,
    as she couldn’t imagine going through life alone any longer. In her deepest, darkest hours, she
    lamented the fact that she had always been alone.
    She stood from the sofa and went to the bar.
    Looking at the many bottles, she decided to go with the whiskey that Liberty had
    recommended. Annis found that she actually preferred a Chardonnay wine to the whiskey, but
    she didn’t see any lined up among the many choices.
    She carried the glass back over to the couch, took a long sip, and closed her eyes as a
    feeling of warmth and relaxation seeped into her bones.
    A moment later, she felt another presence before she saw it. Her eyes flew open, her calm
    evaporated. Cohen walked into the room, but didn’t see her or the golden glow of her eyes. She
    didn’t close them, but stared at him boldly. He wore only a pair of sweatpants, and the muscles
    on his back heaved beneath his skin as he walked, as if he were carrying an extra burden on his
    shoulders.
    He went to the bar and grabbed a glass from the shelf, mumbling something, but she
    couldn’t understand what he said. Turning, he finally noticed her, and their stares met, hers
    golden, his eyes a violent purple.
    Her heart fluttered as she took in his broad frame standing behind the mahogany bar, his
    dark hair a mess, and the shadow on his chin.
    His gaze intensified as he stared at her, as it always did.
    “Hello, Cohen.”
    He didn’t answer.
    After a long pause, she said, “It seems that we are both up at odd hours. Perhaps we can
    sit and make peace.”
    He again didn’t answer, but his eyes brutalized her as she sat in her simple black
    nightshirt.
    Taking a long sip of whiskey, she stood, ready to take on the verbal onslaught that might
    be the result of her pushing a stick into the hornets’ nest that was Cohen.
    “Cohen, it is apparent to me and everyone in this house that you have a deep-seated
    hatred for me, and I would like to know why, as I have done nothing but tried to be kind to you.”
    He stared at her a minute more, then slammed down his glass, the shards flying up as the
    tumbler hit the bar. As he approached her, she could see the anger vibrating within him, and she
    tapped down the fear that began to rise within her. Thoughts about ways to take him down, if it
    came to that. First she would throw the whiskey in his face, then an uppercut—
    He stopped inches from her, his fists clenched at his sides, his breathing heavy. It was
    then she realized that it had not been his first trip to the bar, as she smelled the alcohol on him
    with each heavy exhale. Perhaps her idea of a little chat, the clearing of the air, would be more
    appropriate at another time.
    “Cohen, I would like to talk to you about what bothers you, what I have done to deserve
    such hatred, but perhaps this isn’t the best time.”
    She moved to step around him, but he grabbed her upper arm. She looked at his hand
    circling her bicep, then up at him.
    “You don’t know a fucking thing about me,” he growled.
    Annis said nothing, just stared at him.
    “You think we need to get together and sing Kumbaya or some shit. Bring out the peace
    pipe and smoke to our newfound friendship because we’re of the same species. Well, that’s not
    going to fucking happen, Pocahontas.”
    Annis didn’t know what Kumbaya meant or who Pocahontas was, but her anger was
    rising at the tightness of his grip. She was also uncertain on what to do. He seemed as though he
    had enjoyed a little too much of the liquor, so she felt that she should go easy. However, she
    didn’t appreciate being manhandled in this fashion.
    Not. At. All.
    “Cohen, I would suggest you let go of me, and we can discuss things, or I can just leave
    you be.”
    Instead, his grip tightened, and he caught her off guard. In a few steps he had her sitting
    on the couch while he hovered above her. Oddly enough, she still wasn’t frightened, but more
    curious than anything. This was the most contact and