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ELEVEN

WADE was never so relieved to see Eliza’s lare as she stared at him from across the small breakfast table in a safe house two hours fro of the table, whichseated in the le to one another

"Eat," he ordered in a tone he kneould piss her off

If he kept her pissed off, thenwere less and it would keep her focused on hi with Furtherain, he couldn’t be assured he wouldn’t completely lose it hiether because he was not losing the fierce yet infinitely fragile wo the inevitable, Eliza," he said with exasperation he didn’t even attempt to hide "If you want to sit here and have a stare down all godda to eat and we are going to talk and then you’re going to get solanced down at the mound of food on the plate he’d put in front of her and he could see the hunger beating at her Damn stubborn woman Still, it was better than the alternative Her in his ar despair he’d never before witnessed in anyone,in before I take over and feed you ood kind of fury that told hia this to her She despised losing her for forced to take it fro to take her choices from her because the result was a subdued, beaten down Eliza and not the fiery, kickass, fearless woman who could hold her own in any situation

She likely thought he got off on it Enjoyed it Was probably humiliated beyond measure that he had the upper hand and she was vulnerable She couldn’t beover her as he’d done He liked her spirit, her fire, her confidence and her strength He liked it a hell of a lot

She sent hi scowl and then picked up her fork with her free hand and began to eat A dull flush worked its way up her neck as she stared down at the meat he’d cut into bite-size portions so she could eat one-handed Then she lifted her chin and he didn’t like what he saw in her eyes at all

"Are you enjoying this?" she asked quietly "The opportunity to take me down a notch Shoho’s boss"

His response was autoripped his nape with his hand and rubbed wearily She wasn’t the only one who needed rest He hadn’t slept since the night she du off like a bat out of hell

"You think I enjoy seeing you cry, Eliza? You think I enjoy i you hurt, tortured or dead? You think I’ve enjoyed being worried out ofet here too late? You think I like seeing you fall apart when you’re the strongest fucking woistered in her eyes Her hand froze,off and hitting the table

"Eat," he growled "We have a lot to talk about but we aren’t doing it until you clean that entire plate"

Surprisingly she co on the food and once she started eating, his suspicions were confir since she’d had a decent rily but what bothered hiain