Read Beyond Pain for Free Online Page A

"You wouldn't tell me if I did do something wrong, though. Would you?"
    She blinked, as if he'd broken a spell, and her features twisted into a scowl. "If you did something I didn't want, I'd knee your balls halfway to your throat."
    Which didn't mean she wouldn't let him lead her, talk her around to something because she trusted him to know what was best. To treat her kindly. "Come on." He resumed his path down the hall. "It's getting late."
    She trailed behind him, silent as a shadow until he reached her room. She paused with her fingers on the doorknob. "You don't have to go back to the party to get off. We could--or I could. I mean, if you want."
    Oh, Christ. "I'm not going back to the party." And he'd be damned before he let any woman, much less a traumatized one, throw him a pity jerk.
    "Oh." She pushed open the door, but didn't cross the threshold. "But you don't wanna mess around?"
    It was his own fucking fault for jumping the gun, for the mixed signals of putting his hands on her. "Maybe some other time."
    Awkward silence stretched out forever before she turned and walked stiffly into her room. "Okay, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. If we've still got practice."
    "Three o'clock this time." By then, he could lock it down. Get his libido under control.
    She made a quiet noise--agreement, acknowledgment, he couldn't even tell--and closed the door in his face.
    Bren backed against the opposite wall and indulged himself with one light bang of his head against the brick. She was upset, he was an ass--and the whole situation would get worse, not better, if they had to hit Sector Three this twisted up.
    No way. It was too dangerous, not to mention unfair to her. He'd fix it.
    Somehow.

Mad
     
    Rachel had slid into Sector Four so smoothly it was like she'd always been an O'Kane, but Mad could have watched her for thirty seconds and known she wasn't sector-born.
    She didn't know how to hide her pain. Everyone who grew up in the sectors learned to sooner or later--it was your only defense against bullies, not to mention the cruelty of a world that favored strength over compassion. Not everyone grew up to be a good actor, but you stood a better chance of growing up at all if you refused to let anyone see when you were hurting.
    Rachel sucked at hiding. As he approached, he watched her slam more dirty glasses on the counter, her movements so rough she snagged a fingernail under the edge of the plastic tray and snapped it off.
    "Perfect," she muttered in a defeated voice that pinched at his heart.
    Blood pearled on her fingertip. Mad reached for her wrist, ignoring her start of surprise as he lifted her hand to examine the damage. Not too bad, but it had to sting like a bitch. "Bad day, darling?"
    Her hand twitched, as if she'd barely stopped herself from jerking away. "I broke a nail, that's all."
    Liar. Calling her on it wouldn't help, so he rubbed his thumb over her palm and tilted his head toward the remains of the party. "You don't have to clean this all up tonight, you know. Plenty of people'll be around to help you tomorrow, if you want."
    "It's got to be done." The words were brittle. Pained. "May as well get it over with."
    Alone . It seethed under the words, and Mad would have had to be blind and stupid not to know why. With Jasper stepping up into a leadership role, Ace had been left without a partner. Cruz was the perfect replacement, a steady straight man to play off Ace's lazily deceptive charm.
    It had proven a killer combination in the past, and everyone had expected them to put aside their shit and get the job done. No one had expected them to hit it off--least of all the woman they'd been fighting over.
    He gave her hand a final squeeze before releasing it to see to the tray. "Well, if you're determined to do it now , you'll have to put up with me helping. Besides, I don't get to see much of you these days. Dallas has kept me busy."
    She joined him in unloading the tray. "Maybe we can rustle up another regular