Free An Unyielding Desire (After The End Book 2) by Kit Tunstall Page A

everyone had currently focus ed on, including the fence and harvesting. The escape tunnel would let out in the orchard on the other side of the in-construction fence, but they hadn’t dug anywhere close to that point yet.
    Passing the fields, she caught Lia’s gaze, seeing her sister frown at the sight of Shane walking beside her. There seemed to be a tinge of jealousy in her expression, which Mina found hypocritical and disgusting, especially since Lia wore her lover’s son on her back, but refused him any role in her or the baby’s life. It was particularly galling to see that look since she wasn’t with him by choice.
    As they passed out of the view of anyone nearby, Mina shuddered, unsurprised when he clamped his hand around her forearm to drag her against him. She whimpered as he half-dragged her toward the orchard, dreading what was in store. She’d known he would be angry that she had evaded him, but she’d fooled herself into thinking maybe she could continue ducking him. She’d allowed herself to feel safe with Coop, to rely on his protection, which was unfair. He had no idea she even needed protecting, because she was too afraid to tell him.
    When the apple trees came into view, he almost hurled her against the nearest one. Mina cried out when the bark scraped her back through her flannel shirt.
    “Goddamn it, Mina, I thought we had an understanding.” He pressed his body against hers, pushing her deeper into the rough bark. His hands were on her shoulders. “ No more games, I thought. Except hide-and-seek seems to be your newest method of pissing me off.”
    She stared at him without speaking, her pulse racing. His hands suddenly fastened around her throat with enough force to impede her flow of oxygen without actually choking her.
    “Do you like me hurting you? Is that what this is about? Do you want to provoke me to the point where I do something you’ll regret?” He squeezed tighter. “I warned you not to fuck with me. Are you going to make me kill Mrs. Marsden?”
    Mina clawed at his hands, trying to escape his hold so she could breathe properly. She tried to speak, but he squeezed harder. “Please,” she managed to mouth.
    Gradually, his hold lessened, but he didn’t release her. “Please what?”
    “Don’t hurt my mother. Don’t hurt anyone.”
    He sagged slightly, his shoulders suggesting he was drained. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, but you’re putting me in this position, Mina.”
    “Just let me go.” To her surprise, his hands moved back to her shoulders. “Thank you.” Oh, that cost her pride to mutter. “I meant you could just stop this whole thing right now, and no one else would get hurt.”
    Shane’s hands squeezed her shoulders, but not too painfully. “It’s not in my nature to give up what’s mine.”
    “But I’m not yours,” she dared whisper. “You can’t make someone want to belong with you.”
    He laughed. “You’re so naïve. I don’t care if you want to be with me. You’re with me. You’re mine. End of story.” Shane arched his brow. “Unless you prefer I kill your whore sister and take my son?”
    She shivered at the way his brown eyes had iced over. That color should be warm, not frigid, but he managed to look frosty enough to freeze her. The thought of him hurting Lia was bad, but knowing he would take Ty, and they’d never see the baby again, made her chest ache. “You can’t do that.”
    “When are you going to learn that I can do whatever I want? The world is different now, Mina. We don’t have to follow stupid rules or deny ourselves what we desire.” His hands settled on her hips, and he shifted her so her pelvis cushioned his forming erection. “I want this to be simple and easy, but I can do messy and complicated. So, which will it be? Are you going to continue fucking with me, or just fucking me?”
    She bit her lip, looking away from him as she forced her muscles to relax. Shane undid her jeans with no fumbling, and then