Better When He's Bad -Better When Series 1(Complete)

Chapter 10

He gave his head a violent shake. "Too close. You need to get farther away."

I snorted. "Where do you suggest? This is the Point, not grammar school. I don't have a hoard of besties in my back pocket to pull from in an emergency. The only other person I can rely on in the world is missing, in case you forgot, so Carmen's will have to do." Not that I was thrilled with the prospect of bringing any kind of danger to her door.

He sighed and his hands opened and closed into fists.

"I have a place I can take you for a few days."

I barked out a laugh and tucked some hair behind my ear. "No, thanks. I've had enough of strippers and prostitutes for one night. Carmen's will be fine."

He glared down at me and started hauling me toward the door, which was hanging drunkenly off its hinges. Turn and burn indeed. Nothing escaped unscathed. My clothes, pots and pans, the stuff in the fridge, anything that wasn't tied down was on the floor. The couch was upside down, the curtains were ripped off the broken window, and sure enough, every single book and piece of paper that was in the messenger bag I used for school was tossed and thrown all across the floor. It looked like someone had put the entire mess through a wood chipper. Disaster didn't even begin to cover it. All I could do was stand there and try and take it in with my mouth hanging open.

"Come on. There's nothing you can pull out of this mess."

He sounded gruff and angry. When I numbly looked up at him, I was surprised to see black fire glowing in his eyes. I don't know how I, for one second, ever thought those pitch-black orbs were emotionless. I felt like whatever rage was burning in them was tied to the very core of his corrupted soul.

I picked my way across the floor as delicately as I could to peek inside the tiny bedroom. It wasn't like I had very much stuff or any kind of quality wardrobe, but what I did have was shredded and tossed around the room like fabric confetti. Whoever had done this had taken their time and enjoyed every second of it. I shook my head and jumped a little when Bax grabbed my arm from behind.

"Let's go."

I didn't struggle and didn't argue when he dragged me past Carmen's apartment and back down the stairs. There was no way I could put her and the kids at risk. This was my problem . . . well, Race's problem, but since he was now literally all I had left in the world, it was my burden to figure out. If Bax wanted to dump me with one of his lady friends for a few days, I would just have to deal with it. My next shift at the restaurant was in a couple days and I would just ask Brysen if I could hang out at her place for a while. I was pretty sure she would be okay with it. That only solved one immediate problem. I had no idea what I was going to do about my schoolbooks or finding money to buy an entirely new wardrobe.

I felt like a rag doll as Bax ushered me back into his black-and-yellow monster and strapped the seat belt on around me. All I could do was stare blankly at him as he rounded the hood and slid in next to me. The engine sounded as angry as he looked as he peeled out of the parking lot and headed farther into the Point. It was well past midnight now, and nothing good ever happened here when the sun went down. I should demand to know where we were going, what his plan was, but I just couldn't muster up the energy to care. I closed my eyes and tried to remind myself that Race had saved me, had changed my life, so little inconveniences like a totally trashed apartment and a disturbingly hot make-out session with a criminal were just small sacrifices I could suffer through in return.

I was brooding and lost track of time, so when the car pulled to a stop on the street in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse, it could have been an hour or five minutes later. I rolled my head over to look at Bax, but he was already pocketing the keys and climbing out the door.