He didn’t like that. The anger in his gaze was the first sign of strength I’d actually seen from the guy. “And you aren’t?” he asked, his voice a notch higher than normal.

“I’m not weak. The other things might be true, but I own them. I know myself. But you pretend you’re perfect. You think your looks make it OK to be all those things. You aren’t perfect. You’re annoying.”

He looked off balance, like he had no idea what to do or say to me. I was smarter than him. Another check in my corner. “You are weak. If you were stronger, you wouldn’t go searching for a man to complete you. That’s weakness, Nan.”

I let that sink in, because he was right. Score one for Major. “Then we’re just alike. Haven’t you heard that opposites attract? We are so alike we’d kill each other.”

There, let him argue his way out of that one. I wasn’t going to deny my faults. I knew them more than anyone. Once I’d made excuses for them, but I’d stopped that. I was getting on my own nerves.

I doubted he’d ever get on his own nerves. He’d go look in a mirror and fix his hair and admire his face and forget he had seriously annoying flaws.

“I’ve heard people talk about your coldness. I didn’t believe them when they warned me. I thought someone who looked like you couldn’t be that bad. You had to have something in you worth loving. But they were right. All of them, especially Mase. He told me there was a reason he didn’t love you or want anything to do with you. You’ve got ice in your veins, and no amount of beauty can fix that shit, Nan. You’ll die old and lonely. No kids or husband to love you. Because you’re a bitch. A raging, cruel bitch with so much bitterness you can’t acknowledge a good man when you see one.”

His face was getting red as he said these things to me, and he was getting louder and louder. He’d be yelling at me soon.

Did he think he was hurting me? That others hadn’t said these exact same words to me before? Maybe he didn’t know that although I had my weaknesses, I was not completely weak. I had a strong core that held up under verbal attacks. I’d been dealt these blows my entire life, starting with my mother.

“Are you about done?” I asked before taking another bite of my yogurt. I really liked this yogurt. It had the fruit on the bottom, and it gave the tart flavor a sweet kick. Only one hundred thirty calories a serving. Couldn’t be better for my figure.

“Yeah, Nan. I’m about fucking done,” he said, his voice going back to normal. “With you,” he finished, as if that was going to hurt me. Silly boy. He knew nothing.

“Show yourself out. The maid will get your cup.”

He stared at me, and I lifted my gaze from the cup of yogurt I suddenly was in love with and smiled. I was as cold and bitter as he accused me of being.

I didn’t need or want Major Colt. God help the woman stupid enough to love his ass. He’d never love anyone as much as he loved himself. If he only knew how much work he needed in the bedroom. I could yawn thinking about how vanilla sex was with him.

“This is it, then? This is how you want to end it?” he asked, setting his cup down after only one sip.

“It’s been over. Just took you longer to figure it out than it did me.”

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head as if he couldn’t believe a word I was saying. “Crazy bitch,” he muttered.

I was done with him calling me a bitch in my own house. If he wanted to call me a bitch, then by all means, he could do it, but for God’s sake, not in my house. Did the boy have no manners at all? “Call me a bitch to my face one more time in my house, and I’ll slam a fucking frying pan over your head and smash your perfect nose,” I warned him, with a calm, bored voice. Then took another bite of my yogurt, because it was delicious.

He opened his mouth, and I cocked an eyebrow at him as if to say that I wasn’t kidding. He glanced up to a corner of the kitchen, shook his head, and walked away.

I waited until the front door closed behind him and let out the breath I was holding. “Thank God his ass is gone. Jesus, that was exhausting. I need another yogurt.”

Cope

Thank God his ass is gone. Jesus, that was exhausting. I need another yogurt.

There were things we could do with that yogurt she seemed to love so fucking much. The grin she brought to my lips wasn’t foreign anymore. She’d made me smile so damn much lately that I expected it. Savored it.

She didn’t go back for another yogurt, though. She debated a moment while looking into the fridge, then turned and went to put on her running clothes. The tight little shorts she wore was my favorite article of clothing she owned.

I’d slap her for this later. Maybe wrap my hands around her neck and gently squeeze. She was teasing me and anyone else who saw her with her body. Made me feel violent, yet I wanted her at the same time.

My phone vibrated, and it was Major. I ignored him. He knew I could see the stupid move he’d just made. He had gone against orders. I could send a text, and within seconds, his phone would be cut off. He’d be ordered to evacuate the apartment he was living in immediately. And I’d be gone. He wouldn’t be able to find me.

Major wouldn’t be continuing his work with us. He’d made the wrong choice. However, he’d live. At least, if DeCarlo said he would. If DeCarlo ordered a hit on him, I couldn’t stop that.

He was never cut out for this world. Captain had been wrong. But then, Captain hadn’t really been cut from my cloth, either. He had been on a train for revenge. Or vengeance, as he called it. Me, I just liked the kill. The feel of control and knowing that I was righting a wrong.