hands into the flimsy material of her spaghetti-strap top.
Jaron pulled her off her bare feet to his height and glared at her with as much fury as he was able until she turned her head away. For a second more he pressed her higher into the air. He was six-foot-four, hard as steel after years of using the jail gym—he had needed to get strong to survive. No one was allowed to fuck with him. Especially not her. Rain felt like a living doll in his arms. She kicked her legs and tried wiggling sideways. He was hurting her chest; he could tell.
Jaron shoved her back into the car. Rain fell onto the seat sideways. She pulled her legs up to her chest. She may have acted unconcerned, but he saw her shaking—he had scared her. Jaron slammed the door.
Without another word Jaron got back behind the wheel. He pulled out onto the gravel road slowly, taking deep breaths to regain his temper. This was her fault, he reminded himself. It didn't matter that she was smaller and weaker. Anything that happened to her was a direct result of what she had done to him.
Near dusk, Jaron stopped at a secluded cabin. They weren't too far from the interstate. They still had a ways to travel. The cabin was dark. Jaron got out of the car and locked the doors, leaving Rain behind while he checked out his hideout. It was empty. He went back for Rain. When he pulled her from the car she collapsed and he slung her over his shoulder.
Once inside the cabin he dropped her onto a couch. She settled with a bounce and lay there, looking right through him. Jaron hoisted her into a sitting position. His fist wound in her red lace teddy, keeping her upright.
"We're going to talk," he said grimly.
"You killed Papa, and my friend." Her voice was monotone.
"I didn't set the fire," he ground out.
"Then why didn't you save him?" Rain looked at him and from her expression he knew she was seeing him.
"Carver set the fire," Jaron said. "He's after you, too."
"Who is Carver and why is he after me?"
"You know why. I don't."
"I don't know why."
"Cut the shit," he yelled directly into her face and she cringed.
"I don't know why," Rain screamed. She yanked herself from his grasp, her teddy ripping, and was suddenly up and running toward the door.
Jaron went after her. She collided with solid wood and slumped to the ground. Jaron hauled her up and sent her spinning back onto the couch. She lay on her side gasping. Jaron yanked her upright once more and her shoulders bent forward to try and cover her exposed breasts.
"Why are you doing this to me, to my family?"
"You can't be serious," he said, shaking his head.
Jaron's hands shook when he sat beside her. He had waited years to ask her why she had let him rot in jail. She wasn't going to ruin his revenge by making him feel any sympathy for her—no matter how pitiful she looked. Jaron grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"You left me there all alone," he yelled into her face. "Why didn't you come forward and tell them what really happened?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"You're lying," he ground out. "The night your parents were killed I saved your life."
"I don't remember."
"How can you not remember? You reached for me after your mother was dead on the ground in the pouring rain. While the apartment went up in flames behind you."
"I was all alone when they found me," she said with confusion.
"Because I left to get Carver away from you," Jaron snapped. He got to his feet and started pacing.
"I was only four years old. I was just a little girl."
"That was your excuse then. That I get. But when you got older why didn't you tell someone I hid you? Why didn't your grandparents say anything? I was twelve, for God's sake. I couldn't run with you and get away from Carver. He was twenty and twice my size back then. Shit, you saw him a few hours ago; he's still huge. He's thirty-eight, in his prime, and pissed as hell."
Rain looked up at him. Her dark brown eyes were wet. She looked so confused. Jaron ran a quick
Jaron pulled her off her bare feet to his height and glared at her with as much fury as he was able until she turned her head away. For a second more he pressed her higher into the air. He was six-foot-four, hard as steel after years of using the jail gym—he had needed to get strong to survive. No one was allowed to fuck with him. Especially not her. Rain felt like a living doll in his arms. She kicked her legs and tried wiggling sideways. He was hurting her chest; he could tell.
Jaron shoved her back into the car. Rain fell onto the seat sideways. She pulled her legs up to her chest. She may have acted unconcerned, but he saw her shaking—he had scared her. Jaron slammed the door.
Without another word Jaron got back behind the wheel. He pulled out onto the gravel road slowly, taking deep breaths to regain his temper. This was her fault, he reminded himself. It didn't matter that she was smaller and weaker. Anything that happened to her was a direct result of what she had done to him.
Near dusk, Jaron stopped at a secluded cabin. They weren't too far from the interstate. They still had a ways to travel. The cabin was dark. Jaron got out of the car and locked the doors, leaving Rain behind while he checked out his hideout. It was empty. He went back for Rain. When he pulled her from the car she collapsed and he slung her over his shoulder.
Once inside the cabin he dropped her onto a couch. She settled with a bounce and lay there, looking right through him. Jaron hoisted her into a sitting position. His fist wound in her red lace teddy, keeping her upright.
"We're going to talk," he said grimly.
"You killed Papa, and my friend." Her voice was monotone.
"I didn't set the fire," he ground out.
"Then why didn't you save him?" Rain looked at him and from her expression he knew she was seeing him.
"Carver set the fire," Jaron said. "He's after you, too."
"Who is Carver and why is he after me?"
"You know why. I don't."
"I don't know why."
"Cut the shit," he yelled directly into her face and she cringed.
"I don't know why," Rain screamed. She yanked herself from his grasp, her teddy ripping, and was suddenly up and running toward the door.
Jaron went after her. She collided with solid wood and slumped to the ground. Jaron hauled her up and sent her spinning back onto the couch. She lay on her side gasping. Jaron yanked her upright once more and her shoulders bent forward to try and cover her exposed breasts.
"Why are you doing this to me, to my family?"
"You can't be serious," he said, shaking his head.
Jaron's hands shook when he sat beside her. He had waited years to ask her why she had let him rot in jail. She wasn't going to ruin his revenge by making him feel any sympathy for her—no matter how pitiful she looked. Jaron grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"You left me there all alone," he yelled into her face. "Why didn't you come forward and tell them what really happened?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"You're lying," he ground out. "The night your parents were killed I saved your life."
"I don't remember."
"How can you not remember? You reached for me after your mother was dead on the ground in the pouring rain. While the apartment went up in flames behind you."
"I was all alone when they found me," she said with confusion.
"Because I left to get Carver away from you," Jaron snapped. He got to his feet and started pacing.
"I was only four years old. I was just a little girl."
"That was your excuse then. That I get. But when you got older why didn't you tell someone I hid you? Why didn't your grandparents say anything? I was twelve, for God's sake. I couldn't run with you and get away from Carver. He was twenty and twice my size back then. Shit, you saw him a few hours ago; he's still huge. He's thirty-eight, in his prime, and pissed as hell."
Rain looked up at him. Her dark brown eyes were wet. She looked so confused. Jaron ran a quick
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