Page 12 of Merciless Angel

“So don’t do anything that deserves punishment and you won’t have anything to worry about,” Cash quipped. He tore open a chocolate bar from my bag, frowning as he reconsidered his statement. “Actually, that’s probably not entirely true. We can get a little carried away at times.”

“So I’ve heard,” I muttered, wincing as a glare crossed Daire’s face.

“Careful, Angel,” Daire admonished, tapping his fingers on the desk. “You might find out firsthand what we did to Raina.”

Blaze stroked a hand over my hair and along my shoulder. His touch was warm and inviting, making me hate myself for liking it. In another time and place, I’d have been all over him.

“What you did to Raina, you mean.” Blaze shot Daire a pointed look. “That was all you, dude.”

Daire laughed, a haughty sound that made me sink in closer against Blaze. “If I recall correctly, you were right there egging me on. Pretty sure you told me to fuck her.”

Alarm bells rang inside my head. My cheeks burned hot at the thought of being at their mercy. What would they do to me? Would I be able to survive it?

“Cut it out, guys.” Cash waved a hand in my direction. “You’re scaring Clover. It’s not time for that yet.”

Blaze’s caressing hand strayed up into my hair, fisting a handful. He gave a tug that almost hurt. A fresh shock of adrenaline raced through me. Tingles slithered down my spine. God, it was so hard to breathe.

“You’re right,” Blaze agreed. “Clover has had a rough week. We’ll give her a few days to decompress.”

Heat flooded me as Blaze used his grip on my hair to turn me to face him. He leaned in close, bathing me in his musky, smoky scent. He brought us unbearably close, his lips mere inches from mine.

“We’re going to leave now, Dollface. But we’ll be back, and we’ll be watching you. Not a word about tonight to anyone, remember?” He waited for my nod, his fingers tightening painfully in my hair. “Hand me your phone.”

Frozen like the scared prey that I was, I reached into the pocket of my sweatpants and pulled out my phone. I keyed in the password and handed it to Blaze. He opened up my contacts and entered his number before entering a number for both Cash and Daire. He also sent himself a message so he’d have my number. Then he placed the phone on my lap.

“That’s a good girl. I’ll be seeing you real soon.” Blaze’s hand slid from my hair as he rose. He patted my cheek and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead before strolling to the door.

Cash pushed off the bed, following Blaze out of the room. Daire took his time, lingering at the door. He cast a vicious glance back at me.

“Just a word of advice, Angel. Don’t run to Raina and the Gods. There’s nothing they can do to keep you from us. You’re ours now.”

With those parting words, he was gone. The door closed behind him, leaving me to pick my jaw up off the floor. I sucked in a shaky breath. I didn’t expect to sleep much tonight.

CHAPTER SIX

DAIRE

Blaze was strangely quiet on the drive home. I snuck a few glances at him from the passenger seat, noting the stiffness to his shoulders and the tight way he gripped the steering wheel. He was way too hung up on this girl.

I kind of understood her appeal. She was a gorgeous little blonde with a tight body and wide blue eyes that conveyed her every emotion. Watching her blink at me with terror in those blue orbs had tested my restraint. I ached to make her beg.

As much as I wanted to test Clover in every way and make her scream, I didn’t have the attachment to her that Blaze seemed to have formed. Letting a woman get too close was dangerous. They had a way of getting into a man’s head and fucking them right up. I knew firsthand. I’d made the mistake of trusting a woman in the past. It had blown up in my face when I caught her in bed with her ex.

I didn’t want to see that happen to Blaze. I didn’t trust his interest in this girl. Of course it was too late to do anything about that now. She was ours. Our new toy.

Blaze pulled into the driveway of our shared rental house and turned off the engine. He glanced over at me. “I need a stiff drink.”

We entered the house that was far too white for my liking, flicking on the lights. The house was a blend of white and brown. The hardwood flooring that stretched throughout the house was a deep chestnut brown, a stark contrast to the white walls. Even the stairs were encased in white. But it was a rental so fuck it.

We passed the stairs and entered the kitchen. It was a large, sprawling space that bled into the attached living room. A kitchen like this was meant for cooking quality, healthy meals and feeding a thriving family. It was wasted on guys like us.

The gray stone island was littered with takeout containers, old coffee cups, and liquor bottles. The usual.

Blaze grabbed the bottle with the most liquor left inside. Instead of using a glass, he unscrewed the lid and downed the whiskey straight. Dude must be having some hard feelings. Too bad.

Feeling a little peckish, I dug through the fridge for leftovers. Finding the pizza I’d stashed in the back, I pulled it out and shoved the box onto what little clear space there was on the counter. Not bothering with the microwave, I pulled out a slice and ate it cold.

I eyed Blaze as I chewed. I knew him well. He could be a hard motherfucker when the situation called for it, but he also had a soft side. I wasn’t sure I liked how this Clover situation was affecting him. So her boyfriend gave her a shove. Who fucking cares? Apparently, Blaze did. Now she was everyone’s problem.