Page 92 of Tainted Saints

He gets up, turning his back on the older man, and sauntering back over to us, his ebony eyes on mine. I look past him to see the Ambassador stumble to his feet, unsteadily hurrying away, weaving around the path that disappears into the dark woodland.

“We’re letting him go?” I ask, my chest tight with the idea that the man who has been my tormentor might walk away with just suffering for a week. My jaw tightens, a sudden rage making my hands ball into fists at my sides.

“Of course we’re not letting him go, Duchess,” Lan tells me with an arrogant smirk, stepping right into my personal space. He’s so close that I have to tip my head back just to keep looking him in the eyes. He dips his head, bypassing my lips like I think he’s heading to, and instead presses his to my ear. “But giving a man hope makes it all the more delicious when you rip it away.”

A flash of heat tightens my core at his words, at the dark promise in them that shouldn’t be so hot, but looks like my kitty kat is all for some protective alpha crazy. I flinch when a scream sounds in the night, the sound like that of a wounded animal.

“Looks like he didn’t watch out for bear traps.” Forest chuckles darkly, and after placing a soft kiss on my cheek, Lan steps away, the pulse in his neck throbbing as a wicked smile curves his lips upwards.

“Time to put this dog out of his misery,” he declares, spinning on his heel and heading in the direction that the cries are coming from.

“Still want to come along,mi amorsita?” Blaine asks me as Forest swaggers after Lan.

I take a deep inhale, Blaine’s arm a comfort that I appreciate more than I could say.

“I need to see this to the end, to see that he will no longer haunt my life,” I tell him, sliding a glance up at his beautiful face. There’s no judgement there, only concern in his lowered brows and set jaw.

“Let’s go then, but you stay with me okay?” I nod, a glint of satisfaction making his chocolate eyes sparkle. “Good girl,” he rumbles, darting down and kissing my lips. He keeps it quick but still manages to leave me breathless, chuckling as we head after the others, Reg and the other Saint following us behind.

We come across Lan and Forest not far from where the cabin is, the Ambassador writhing around on the floor and his leg at an awkward angle, the teeth of a bear trap digging into his ankle.

“Please,” he begs, snot dripping out of his nose and tears falling from his eyes as he looks up at Lan. “Please, you can have whatever you want. Just let me go.”

Lan sniggers, a dark kind of sound that has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. “I already have exactly what I want. There is nothing else you can give me aside from your death, old man.”

The Ambassador gives a small whine, his breathing sawing out of his chest as Lan pulls out a gun, aiming it at his head.

“Lan,” I say, my voice clear as I step out of Blaine’s hold. Lan’s gaze swings to me, his aim never wavering.

“Yes, Duchess?”

“May I?” I ask, gesturing to the gun. His eyebrow twitches, then that devilish smile is back on his lips.

“Of course, angel,” he says, taking a step back and opening his arms. “But I’m going to hold you as you take his life.”

“No fair, Daddy,” Forest grumbles, and a shocked giggle escapes my lips when he adjusts himself in his jeans. “Why do you get to be pressed up against her while she kills him?”

“Because, Pup, I’m the leader,” Lan retorts, and I roll my eyes at their antics, advancing towards Lan, my heart racing. He moves behind me when I reach him, caging me in his hard body as he places the gun in my hands, his own pulling me in so that not a breath of air is between us. “Now, Duchess, you’re going to shoot him right between the eyes like a good girl, aren’t you?”

He flexes his hips, his hard length digging into the top of my arse, distracting me for a moment. I’m reminded of the time back at Maria’s, when I shot that can off his head and then he fucked me raw with the barrel of the gun pressed to his temple.

“Yes, sir,” I breathe out, focusing on the old man before me. My pulse pounds loud in my ears, a mixture of lust and excitement thrumming through my veins and leaving me a little lightheaded.

“You don’t have the courage to shoot me,” the Ambassador snarls, sweat beading his skin. “You were always weak, Aspen. A scared little mouse that needed correction and even then you were a failure.”

I release a long, measured exhale, his vile words washing over me like water. They don’t touch me, not anymore. Not since I found the Saints who made me believe I was worth more than I’d ever been shown.

The shot rings out, loud in the quiet of the night, and I watch his wide eyes, the light in them dying as the space between them drips red.

“Good fucking girl,” Lan breathes in my ear, rubbing his face along the side of mine and placing teasing kisses on my cheek. “Fuck, you are so perfect, you know that, angel?”

“Bullseye, sugar!” Forest crows, taking the gun from me and cupping my face in his warm palms. “Do you know how hard that made Daddy?”

He takes my lips in a fevered kiss, and I return it, groaning into his mouth as his tongue massages mine. Shoots of pleasure flash over me, and although a small part of me wonders if this is okay, if I shouldn’t be more upset about just killing a man, a larger part screams in victory.

Forest pulls back, both of our chests heaving, my cheeks tingling as I stare into his forest-green eyes.

“It’s over,” I whisper, the fact that I am finally free hitting me like a punch. My knees wobble and Lan catches me, holding me even tighter as I lean on him.