IMDD CHAPTER 229 [SEASON 4] (Patreon)

Eva was paralyzed. Her breath caught in her throat as she beheld the man she had yearned for, dreamt of, every waking and sleeping moment of the past seven years.

There he was, sitting in a relaxed yet dominant posture and dressed in a form-fitting, black button-down shirt that emphasized his muscular build. He was slightly leaning forward, with his legs apart and elbows resting on his knees. His hands came together in front of him, with one hand holding a glass of alcohol. A cigarette was also perched between his fingers, from which wisps of smoke curled up lazily from its tip.

Intricate dark tattoos wound their way up both forearms, creeping up to his neck. His long hair  was pulled back in a loose bun. Rogue strands flirted with his face and neck, granting him an air of rugged and effortless charisma.

His aura and his gaze were intensely dangerous, predatory, and alluring at the same time. He was simply a perfect blend of danger and magnetism.

“Gage…” The name escaped her lips, almost a reflex, as emotions flooded her.

He’d changed so much. She could feel it, see it. She remembered a Gage who never smoked, but that ashtray filled with stubbed-out cigarettes told a different story now. And his tattoos, visible on his forearms and neck, left her wondering about the expanse of their reach. Did they cover his chest, his back? 

But the way he looked at her… His gaze bore into her with the same intensity she remembered.  Those eyes, always so full of desire, that looked at her as though she was the only person in the room—the world even—hadn't changed. Those eyes still seemed to pierce through her, seeing her soul and craving her with an intensity that no word could probably describe.

Eva was reeling with anticipation and overwhelming emotions now. She wanted him to come to her and seize her. 

But he instead averted his gaze. And then with a swift motion, he emptied his glass, snuffed out his cigarette, and rose from his seat. When he stood, his towering presence felt even more formidable, making her feel smaller in comparison. The very air around him seemed to ripple with his dominant presence, causing her to involuntarily catch her breath.

Anticipation gripped her, every fiber of her being certain he would close the distance between them and grab her, kiss her. But in a twist she hadn’t expected, he pivoted on his heel and walked away.

Shocked, Eva immediately chased after him. Her heartbeats began to race harder. Longing, disbelief, frustration, and now, anger, began to swirl within her all at once.

“Gage!” she called out as she chased after him. But he didn’t respond. He continued walking away as if he heard nothing.

She called out his name a couple more times, but he didn’t even pause.

Her heart threatened to burst as she sprinted after him, dread pooling in her stomach at the thought of him vanishing once more from her life. In a desperate lunge, her fingers closed around his wrist.

He halted.

He didn’t move to look at her, but she immediately felt the way his body froze.

Panting, Eva demanded, “Look at me, Gage.” Her voice was filled with emotion.

But the man's response was cold and detached. "You're mistaken, darling," he said, glancing over his shoulder, his eyes shadowed and inscrutable. "I'm not Gage."

The look in his dark eyes almost made Eva’s heart shiver. They were suddenly intense as hell. It was obvious that the intensity of his gaze was meant to intimidate, to push her away. Yet, Eva saw a flicker of the man she loved. This was his desperate attempt to shield her from something. He wanted her to run away from him.

Undeterred, she shot back, her voice shaking, "Yes, you are." Holding onto his hand as if it were a lifeline, she continued, "You are Gage, my love, my husband!"

His eyes dilated, and then, in a blink of an eye, she was pinned against a wall. His large body was covering hers, but not touching, as he bent and whispered in her ear. “Listen… I wish I were the man you’re talking about, but I’m not. I am just a nameless devil who brings nothing but misfortune, so run away from me now, before this predator loses his mind and takes you, fucks you, ruins you, and makes your life miserable again.”