Blake, Abby - Suddenly Bear (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Free

excuse she’d come up with this time. The girl was only nineteen, and it was obvious to everyone, except maybe the man himself, that she really wanted Jayden to notice her.
    Violet flung open the door expecting to see Goth-style clothing, black hair, and more piercings than Violet ever wanted to think about. But instead she found herself face-to-face with her ex.
    “What do you want?” She would’ve slammed the door in his face except that he’d already stepped into the apartment.
    “We need to talk.”
    She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s necessary. You made your feelings for me very clear a year ago.”
    “But I’ve changed.” He said it with such sincerity that for a moment she wondered if she should hear him out, but then visions of him buried between another woman’s legs flipped through her brain, and she found her resolve. Nobody was perfect, but she knew that she deserved to be treated better than the way this man had treated her.
    “That’s good to know,” she said carefully, trying to be diplomatic. “I’ve changed, too.” It was stretching the truth in many ways, but she wasn’t about to admit her failings to this man.
    “That’s perfect, because I want you back.” He grinned, and she had the weirdest impression that he expected her to fall gratefully into his arms.
    “I can’t,” she said with a shake of her head. “I don’t want to go back.”
    The anger on Bruce’s face wasn’t entirely unexpected. He always had a short fuse, but then the memory of Jayden stepping in to stop this man, who professed to love her, from punching her in the head suddenly came in to sharp focus. Shit, she could be in serious trouble here.
    “It’s him isn’t it?” Bruce didn’t give her a chance to answer. He stood over her, his fists clenched, his face red and twisted in anger. “You fucking whore,” he screamed in her face.
    Her instinct should have been to cower away, but if she’d learned anything about herself in the past year, it was that she would make her own choices. No man—not this one or any other—was going to take away her options.
    “No, it’s not Jayden,” she said, feeling that she should at least try not to involve an innocent man in her problems. “But I don’t want you. I don’t want anybody. Please just leave me alone.”
    For a moment Bruce looked completely stunned by her show of backbone. Even on the night they’d broken up she hadn’t stood up to him. Not really. She’d surprised herself by slapping Bruce’s face, and it had taken months to realize why she’d been brave enough, or maybe stupid enough, to do it. Jayden had been there, and even though she hadn’t known him well at the time, she’d sensed that he would protect her—even if it was from her own stupidity.
    But now, she was alone in her apartment with a man who could quite easily hurt her if he wanted. It was also possible that he would feel his actions justified simply because she’d been the first to resort to violence. She sniffed the air, grateful to realize she couldn’t smell alcohol. Hopefully, at least by being sober he wouldn’t resort to using his physical strength against her.
    “Vee-vee,” he said softly, using the nickname that she’d always hated. “None of it would have happened if you hadn’t been so frigid in bed.”
    “What?” The word came out small and nearly breathless, and she cursed her insecurity even as she gave in to it.
    “But I love you anyway, and I’m willing to give you another chance.”
    “But…”
    “No buts, Vee-vee, pack your stuff. You’re moving in with me.”
    Finally she found that backbone she’d been missing a moment ago. “No,” she said very firmly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “The fuck you aren’t,” Bruce said as he grabbed her ponytail and yanked hard. “You’re mine, bitch, and you’ll be mine until I say otherwise.”
    “No,” she said, instinctively scrabbling to grab his hand out of her hair. He laughed,