Free Last Chance Rebel by Maisey Yates

charity.” She scowled. “In fact, I think I’ve made it pretty clear I want to blot your charity from the record.”
    â€œYou’re not doing the work anymore. That’s it. Not going to have you limping around town because you’re trying to repay something I didn’t want you to pay for in the first place.”
    He was just so large, hard and imposing, looming over her, his face a whole thunderstorm. He made her feel small and vulnerable. Like she was out of control. And she hated it.
    â€œIt isn’t your decision,” she said, her voice hard. “I have some say.”
    He shook his head, and she found her eyes drawn to the grim line of his mouth. She was fascinated by it. By the deep grooves around it that proved this firm, uncompromising set was the typical expression for him. She wondered what he had to be uncompromising about.
    She shouldn’t wonder. She shouldn’t wonder any damn thing about him.
    â€œSorry to say,” he said, not sounding sorry at all, “But you don’t.”
    â€œI don’t understand why you’re doing this,” she said, keeping her voice low. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to them. They probably already were drawing attention. Pathetic, scarred-up Rebecca Bear talking to the tallest, hottest guy in the room. People were probably pitying her. Or wondering if he was asking for directions.
    Heat washed over her skin, leaving a prickling sensation behind. Humiliation. Anger.
    â€œYou don’t think I feel bad about this? Do you think you’re the only person who lost sleep over it?”
    â€œWell, I know I lost sleep. Recovery is a bitch.”
    â€œI want to fix it. I want to make it right.”
    â€œYou can see the way that I’m walking today, can’t you? There is no making it right, Gage. There’s no fixing it. You can’t just make it like it didn’t happen. I’m not something you can just walk into town and put back together. I’m broken. That’s the beginning and end of it. And it’s my burden to bear, it isn’t yours. It isn’t fair. To wander around acting like you’ve been shouldering some of this for the past seventeen years when you just haven’t been.”
    â€œThe hell I haven’t,” he said, reaching out, wrapping his fingers around her arm and drawing her in closer to him.
    His touch burned her, scorched her from the inside out. Her mind was blank, except for one thought. How long had it been since a man touched her? Anyone? She couldn’t remember.
    â€œYou can’t buy me,” she said, her voice low, shaking. And she wasn’t really sure if it was from rage, or because of the way he touched her. So firm and sure and completely unexpected. “You can’t throw money at this and expect it to go away.”
    â€œHey.” Rebecca turned and saw Ace standing behind the counter right next to them, his expression hard. “Is he bothering you?”
    Of course Ace knew who Gage was. Ace was his brother-in-law. She wasn’t sure if anyone else in town recognized Gage West yet. And even if they did, they didn’t know the connection she had with him.
    She doubted Ace knew either. But then, she couldn’t really be sure of what Gage had told his family, and what he hadn’t.
    She pulled away from Gage, taking a step back. “It’s fine,” she said. She treated Ace to a hard look that expressed her to desire to have him go away.
    She didn’t want him white knighting. She didn’t want anyone else enmeshed in this at all.
    When he was out of earshot, Gage turned to her, leaning in slightly. “I’ve lived with it for the past seventeen years too,” he said. “Whether you want to listen to that or not, it’s true. Whether you think it’s fair or not, it’s true.”
    â€œSo, it sounds like you’re a big fan of being punished for your mistakes,