Page 13 of Lethal

Raven

It may have taken some time for Grayson and Jasper to convince me to relax, but once I decided to give in, I committed to it. So when Cole’s text comes through, I’m sitting beside the pool enjoying the L.A. sunshine. Palm leaves sway in the breeze, and a frozen margarita cools my hand, complete with an umbrella on top. Not to mention the view I have…

Jasper and Grayson are shirtless, enjoying the sun, their muscles on full display. One could say it’s close to paradise. I’m simply not one of those people. My version of paradise is being surrounded by my four men, weapon in hand, covered in blood. That being said, I’m still enjoying the time to relax, doing nothing at all.

Raven: I’ve decided to add a rule to the list. The twelfth rule of killing: Never leave your Raven behind.

Ravenmaster: Don’t worry, Luv. That’s a rule I can abide by from here on out.

“What’s going on, sun drop?” Grayson asks, noticing my reaction to the text message.

There’s a click as I push the button on my phone and the screen goes dark. “Cole came to his senses. He’s coming home.”

“About damn time,” Jasper growls. He stands from the pool, water streaming over his muscles as he runs a hand over his head. “Guess we better get to work on cleaning our fingerprints from the house.”

We’ve been careful to only touch certain places without gloves, but there are still a few areas that will need to be wiped clean. Drains to be stripped of DNA left behind, floors to be swept, sheets to wash. “He sent the text a few hours ago. I didn’t realize I had a message.”

“Sounds like they could get here any minute now. Grayson, care to help me out?” He walks toward me and leans over the lounge chair I’m laying on. Water drips on me, shocking me with the temperature difference, but my objections are silenced when he bumps my hat, his lips pressing against mine. “Give him hell, Little Bird.”

The two of them walk away, leaving me here to wait for Cole. As much as I hate him for running out on us, I’ve really appreciated the time to get closer to Jasper. We needed it. I lean back and tug the brim of the floppy hat I’m wearing farther over my forehead from where Jasper knocked it out of place. Sunburn and I don’t get along, but a girl has to get her vitamin D every now and again from somewhere other than dick.

I take another sip of my margarita, courtesy of Jasper. He’s done everything he could over the past few days to ensure I relaxed, saying it’s what I needed right now. The stubborn man wouldn’t let me argue with him. I’m now convinced he gets off on taking care of me.

A crunch sounds from somewhere behind me, making me smile. I’m not sure which of my men it is, but I know it’s one of them. I set my margarita down and pick up my phone from the table next to me. Subtly, I turn on my camera and flip it into selfie mode, then gradually tilt it until I can see behind me.

Vander slowly sneaks toward me, a knife in his hand glinting in the sunlight. I push the button to take a photo and relax once more, letting him have his fun. I don’t have to wait long until the cold press of his knife kisses my neck. It rests there like a violent threat, but I know he won’t cut me, not now, at least.

“I’m disappointed, Reginetta,“ he coos in my ear. “You should always be on guard. Have I taught you nothing?”

My smile grows, and I reach to take off the sunglasses I’m wearing to see him better. “You got made, Vander. I think you’re losing your touch.”

He scoffs. “Nice try, but I don’t believe you.”

I turn my head to catch a better view of him. His dark eyes trace over me, taking in my skimpy swimsuit as he inspects every inch. I can only imagine he’s making sure I’ve remained unharmed in his absence. “It’s true. I’m shocked you don’t believe me.”

Vander moves around my lounger, keeping the blade against my neck. He straddles me, resting his forearm above my head where I’m in a half sitting position. He has me pinned in place, no way to escape, nowhere to go. But this is how I like it.

“I missed you, Reginetta. Did you miss me?“ His voice rolls over me. The sound is music to my ears after not having seen him in days. It suddenly occurs to me it’s the longest we’ve been apart in five years.

“Maybe.” I wrap my legs around his hips, drawing him closer.

“I kept your psychopath safe. Sorry I wasn’t able to stop him from leaving.” I grasp his shirt in my fists and tug him flush against me, wanting to taste his lips. It’s been too long. My movement makes the blade bite into my neck, drawing blood before he lightens the pressure. His eyes drop to the injury and brighten with lust when he sees the red drop.

“Thanks for bringing him back to me. He is here, right?” Vander’s focus remains on my neck, and yet he draws the knife away. The blade point scratches against my skin as it trails along my neck, over my clavicle, and between my breasts. It catches the sunlight and reflects it onto his face before his shadow covers it.

“He is,” Vander confirms, licking his lips. “But I think I’d like my reward now. For both keeping his stupidity in line and for catching you off guard.”

“Actually—“ My objection cuts off when his knife cuts through the string between my tits, keeping the bathing suit top in place. The fabric falls to the sides, exposing me to him against my will, as the knife continues to travel south.

A cheesy grin appears right before I smack an arm over the objects of his desire, making it disappear as quickly as it showed up. “Reginetta, no need to be rude.“ His eyes sharpen with a dominant need to control, making them darken even more.

“You don’t get rewarded for something that didn’t happen!” I hold up my phone, which slipped next to me, showing the picture I took on the screen. The smile splitting his face might be the biggest one I’ve ever seen on him. And if I’m not mistaken, there’s something akin to pride shining in his gaze.

The look catches me off guard, and I can’t help but suck in a sharp breath, staring at him in all his masculine beauty. He flips us so I’m on top before I can even expect it. The knife clatters as it falls, and my hat flies off, flopping to the ground, allowing my hair to fall around my face. Vander threads his fingers through it, holding it out of my way. “Seems we both deserve a reward, then.”

“Is that right?” My tits extend toward his face since my hands automatically reach to support my weight. They catch his eye briefly, but he focuses on my lips instead. We both want the same thing, so I stop my teasing, opting to close the space between us.

The softness of his lips is inviting, and I fall into them like he’s been gone for a month instead of three days. His hands leave my face and glide along my bare back until he cups my ass. The heat of the sun has nothing on us, and I’m quickly grinding against him while our tongues dance.

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