My phone flashed its annoying little light at me while I towel dried my hair, and I glared at it. I should just change my number. That was the sane thing to do, right? When you got played by a sociopathic nutcase who now won’t leave you alone, you changed your number. It was only smart.

And yet, my fingers were itching to check those damn messages.

“Nope, no moments of weakness for this chick,” I scolded myself, quickly picking my phone up and rapidly swiping all of the unread messages into the trash. It was safer than leaving them there begging to be read when I couldn’t sleep later.

I dried off and dressed in my comfiest pajamas, then ordered my very first pizza to my very own apartment. Okay, technically it was Richard Deboise on the deed, but he’d made it clear that he was putting my name into some clause that would see it transfer to me on my eighteenth birthday ... only three weeks away.

When I’d eaten half my body weight in pizza and dusted off a full family sized bottle of coke, I dragged my bloated self through to the bedroom. Not that I was going to be able to sleep, but at least I could say I tried.

A shadow appeared in my bedroom as I stepped in the door, and I let out an ear-shattering scream, already bringing my hands up to defend myself.

“It’s just me,” Beck said quickly, stepping forward, and wrapping his hands around my biceps.

I sucked in some deep breaths, in and out, trying to calm myself. “Jesus fucking Christ. How did you get in here?”

His eyes darted to the double glass doors of my bedroom which led out onto the balcony, and I blinked at him. We were three stories up … could Beck have seriously climbed up the side of the building like Spiderfuckingman?

“What are you doing here?” I asked now that we’d both established he was insane and liked to pretend he wore tights in his spare time. “I thought I made it pretty clear that I didn’t want to talk to you.”

Beck narrowed his eyes, taking a step back so he could look me over closely. My hair was still damp, the ends curling across my white tank top. I wore no makeup, my pajamas were not that fancy, and I was out of fucks to give.

“Have you checked your messages?” he asked.

My phone was sitting in plain view on my bedside table. Flashing its obnoxious light at me. “No,” I said what we both already knew. “I haven’t had time.”

Beck’s chest rumbled, and I knew I was pushing him too far, but I still was on the no- fucks-to-give thing, and I wasn’t about to start worrying about Beck’s temper now.

“You’re in danger, Riley,” he said.

I scoffed. “Right, and what could possibly be more dangerous than your crazy ass scaling three stories to stalk me in person?”

“How about a direct threat delivered today to the Deboise estate?” he said, voice like ice. “A threat that detailed how they were going to kidnap you. Torture you. Rape and murder you.”

I choked on my next words, fear slicing my body like cuts from an actual blade. The mental images his blunt words evoked were strong and soul shattering, and I found myself almost stumbling forward. “Are—” I cleared my throat. “Are you serious?”

There was murder in Beck’s eyes, and now that I was no longer looking at him with my own anger, I could finally see—and feel— his fury. Beck was absolutely vibrating with it, and that’s when I knew that the threat was very real. That someone had managed to make it into the Delta compound, and they had managed to deliver their threat.

“Why me?” I whispered, hugging myself to try and ward off my own fear.

Beck made a low, angry growl. “You’ve given them an easy target. The sole female heir. Living out here on her own. Outside of our protection, without our training, and publicly rejected by all of us so that you appear even more vulnerable.”

Fuck. I tried to think it through. In my desperate attempt to distance myself, to not rely on anyone, I had done exactly what Beck said. On the other hand, running back like a scared little bitch, would send the wrong message too.

“Do you have my gun?” I asked.

Beck stepped into me so suddenly that I didn’t even have time to register it before his arms were around me and he had me back, pressed against the wall, my feet dangling as he held me off the floor. He didn’t say anything, just let his heavy, angry breath wash over me as his eyes flared with storm clouds. The moment that delicious, spicy scent of Beck hit my nostrils, I fought my body’s urge to wrap my legs around him and bring him closer to my aching pussy. Fuck. Fuck him and fuck me for being so goddamn weak.

“Put me down,” I said, using anger to hide my arousal.

“Stop. Fucking. Pushing me. Butterfly,” Beck bit out, his jaw solid as he clenched it.

I jerked my head up, anger and stubbornness fighting within me. “I’m fine, Beck. I don’t need Delta. I don’t want Delta. Just give me my gun and I’ll defend myself.”

I gulped at the small tic high in his jaw as he continued to hold me like I weighed nothing. What would happen if I pushed him over the edge? A tiny, stupid part of me kind of wanted to see. The much smarter, larger parts knew, though, that I might not survive it. At least not with my heart intact.

He dropped me suddenly, and I felt light headed at the loss of his warmth and scent. “I’ll take the couch,” he said, storming from the room in a few long legged strides.

What? I mean … what?

I hurried out to find he’d already started to rearrange my couch, throwing all the cushions off and dropping a pillow and throw over the way-too-small for him piece of furniture. “You can’t stay here,” I said breathlessly and half hysterical. “I refuse to let you. This is my apartment. My sanctuary. I will call the police.”

He laughed dryly, and his mask was back in place now. That arrogant, I don’t give a fuck look he wore so well. “Do it, Butterfly. I probably owe them a timely reminder of who owns this town and pays for their service.”

My fists clenched as I fought back a scream. He couldn’t do this! Fuck!

Throwing my hands in the air, I swung around and stormed into my room, cursing that there was no door. I hadn’t expected I would need one in my own apartment. After triple checking my locks on the glass doors—they were all secured—I climbed into the bed and noisily punched my pillows. Huffing a few more times, I settled back into the bed and closed my eyes, more than a little aware that Beck was only a few feet away from me.