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I didn’t make excuses for my behaviour I knehat I was

But I found a way to deal with the blackness in ave them my pain It was a trade-off and it worked--for a tiht I could wipe my violent past free all thanks to the cure I’d found in one woman

I piled allruinedher kindly, I slipped back to the past and lost

I raped her I hurt her Ia fierce woman intomy personal hell

She made sure to break me

Fuck

I couldn’t believe what I’d done I couldn’t believe I’d taken her so rough with no fucking reht to her safety

The instant she was bound, instead of being soothed by being in control, it est bastard alive

I couldn’t stand to be around her--knowing I ruined everything I did the only thing I could do to protect her

I ran

I returned to the baseer into a piece of bronze I fucked up by taking her so fast I forced myself on her and was no better than rapist scu the sole offlesh helped purify s I’d done

Only once I could think straight and resembled a huise I turned

I couldn’t find her

Anywhere

Everywhere I looked, it was eed whatever existed between us, but I hadn’t expected her to abandonraped her, you idiot!

I’d done to her what I’d sworn never to do again--I took soainst their wishes I was no better than theone

Gone!

The club opened at nine p with helplessness and rage Theleave?"

Oscar climbed the last stair with the stiffness of preparation for a fight His shoulders tensed, face darkened

I clenched and unclenched my fists How dare she disappear! I couldn’t let it end like that I had tosecond chance

He glared bloodyinto mine "What the fuck was I supposed to do? She’s a free woo and I agreed" Co closer, he seethed, "What the hell did you do to her last night, Fox? She walked out of here as if she’d been used by a fucking stallion" His gaze shot ot yourback"

This was the saht The same man who looked at Zel as if she were a succubus out to stealbusiness She was mine We had a deal!"

"A deal? What? Where you were allowed to destroy the poor girl? Don’t er Oscar couldn’t point fingers Fucking hypocrite He had more women than I’d ever ht to their feelings

"At least I’ve only hurt one" I narrowedopen "Screw you I fuck women ant me to fuck them I don’t kidnap them and then rape them For God’s sake, we’ll have the police here if she decides to lay charges"

The thought of being touched by e, undid es, belonging to others I was done

I couldn’t speak Anger closed e I was always one-step away fro off

"I fucked her So what?"

Oscar came forward "Please tell me she wanted it or so help me We may be business partners, Fox, and I don’t knohat shit you dealt with in your past, but if you raped her, I’ll kill you led with keeping off--flicked on The coht so hard to cultivate disappeared in a puff of smoke Every lesson I’d ever learned, all the pain I’d suffered, all the blood I’d spilled swamped me in a cloud of contamination

"You think you could kill me?" My voice never rose past a whisper, but it throbbed with a threat

The noise of fighters pu each other in Obsidian below pricked y

Violence Blood Pain It was my DNA The only reason I was born--the only reason why I was still alive

I took one step toward Oscar His healthy tan faded as fear ashed his features Instead of backing down, he stepped forward until only a foot separated us "I think you need so help, Fox The way you ith that woht, it was obsessive You seemed cory edge "You seeise if you have any hope of fixing it"