Page 33 of Blood of Vengeance

Her green eyes flashed, her neck growing darker. Redder. I could practically smell the arousal on her skin, and I liked it. Craved that cherry scent like no other.

“Locklyn,” I singsonged when she didn’t answer, sliding my hand down. Using it to press her hips even harder against me while letting my fingers tease her cunt through her jean shorts. “Is that what you want? To be fucked by three or four wolf shifters right here in front of everyone?”

A thought that made my wolf want to jump through my skin and immediately go on the attack to keep the idea from coming to fruition. Not that I needed to worry about that.

Locklyn turned in my arms again, rising onto the balls of her feet to bring her mouth to my ear. A feat I had to crouch down to help her accomplish. But when we were lined up, when those plush pink lips opened and I felt them brush against my skin, when her words skimmed across my flesh on the warm air of her breath, she gave me the gift of the right answer.

“I’m more of a one-man type of woman.”

And no fucking way was anyone else going to be that man.

“Good.” I glanced back at the table for just a moment before smacking her ass to make sure I had her full attention. “Happy to put in my application to be that man whenever the opportunity arises.”

With that, I started us moving again, keeping her hand in mine and our bodies close. Making a path so she didn’t have to bump into any of the brothers along the way. She kept hold of both my hand and my arm as she followed me down the hallway and into the meeting room, practically clinging to me. Making me feel like the protective force I wanted her to see me as. The woman had me all riled up, but I liked it.

“You called?” I said as soon as we walked into the meeting room. Cutter looked up from where he had been sitting at the head of the table, neatening the papers he’d been reviewing as he scowled my way.

“About fucking time you got here.”

I pointed a thumb at Locklyn. “The short stack held me up.”

The way her mouth opened and her expression changed to one so affronted had me chuckling. “How is you being late my fault?”

“You’re the one who wanted to stop and watch the brothers fucking on the pool table.”

Her cheeks went tomato red, and she snapped her jaw closed. “You asshole.”

Cutter huffed a sarcastic sort of laugh. “They had better not break another pool table out there.”

“They’re sticking to the bad one so far.”

“Good.” He gave Locklyn what constituted a smile for him, the corners of his mouth twitching up just slightly. “Sorry about that. The boys needed to burn off some steam after today.”

She shrugged, still clinging to me but obviously much more relaxed than out in the actual bar. “It’s fine. This jackass didn’t prepare me for what I was about to see, is all.”

“If I had known you liked watching people fuck—” I jumped back and let out an exaggerated hiss when she smacked my arm, as if she had actually hurt me with the little tap. “Let’s not get abusive. Not my fault the old man here lets the brothers run wild in the club.”

“I’m not the one who has let those brothers do shit.” Cutter moved to settle back down at the table, waving toward the open seats. “Locklyn, you will learn that the shifters of the Desert Hellions are all assholes with too much testosterone running through their veins. There’s always some sort of drama out there, and usually it revolves around fucking or fighting.”

“Sounds like most bars.”

The old shifter huffed another laugh. “So then, you’re used to it. Good. Because you’re always welcome in the bar known as the Devil’s Lounge.”

“Is that what this place is called?” I asked, having had no idea of any official name.

Cutter shrugged. “Technically. We needed a business name to file the paperwork, and that’s what was chosen. I wasn’t with the club then, so I have no idea how they arrived at that.”

“My mom,” Locklyn said. She gave my hand a squeeze before letting go and stepping around the table, finding a seat along the wall to drop into. “Chiggy set this place up as a business to make it easier for the shifters to have legal records when needed—jobs, income, all that stuff. Once credit scores became a thing, hiding from the government became harder, you know? My mom and he had met in some sleazy lounge in Vegas where she’d been a waitress, so she said he should call it Devil’s Lounge. As a reminder of their past but with a hint of Hellions in it.”

Cutter glanced my way, looking as surprised as I felt. “That’s sort of…sweet.”

Locklyn snorted a sarcastic laugh. “My dad wasn’t sweet, but he cared for my mom. That’s one of the reasons he sent us packing.”

I settled in beside her, reaching under the table to rest my hand on her leg. Cassidy—the sole waitress for the club—walked in at that moment carrying a tray with drinks.

“For you,” she said, smiling at Cutter and handing him what I had to assume was his normal bourbon. “And I saw you come in, so I grabbed one of your waters.”

She set a glass down in front of me and turned her smile to Locklyn. “Hey, girl. I’m Cassidy. What can I get you?”

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