Page 3 of Bound by Adoration

The vibe was starting to boil over with each ticking second. “Can we please move out of the doorway instead of standing here giving everyone a free show?” Raid turned us, and Liam was by the door as I yelled, “And shut the damn door.”

Liam shut the door with a not too subtle crash as Raid pulled me to the couch where my food sat. Picking it up with my non-captive hand, I sat next to him, not that he gave me a choice in the matter. Well, I did have a choice, but no way in fuck I was playing my cards right now.

I pulled my hand. “I want to eat.” Truthfully, I felt as though I was going to puke having these two in the same room, and food was the furthest thing from my mind, but it would give me a hot minute to figure out the room.

Raid looked me up and down. “No, you fuckin’ don’t.”

How did he know that? But I wouldn’t back down. This was a test. A test of strength, and one I wasn’t going to give in to even though I did put the plate down on the couch.

“Raid, let go.” Even with all the order in my tone, he raised his brow and didn’t release his grip. He had no idea how strong my will could be. “Do I have to hit you in the nuts? Because I’m willing to sacrifice them.”

To this he laughed. Yes, laughed, deep in his belly. In this tangled up mess of shit, he was laughing. Hitting him in the nuts sounded better and better.

Had I entered an alternate universe? That was it. I’d finally fallen down the rabbit hole, and soon the Mad Hatter would offer me some tea.

Anger bubbled. It was always the easiest emotion to grasp on to and run with. Better than anything else. Everyone knew anger. Had felt it over and over in their lives. Afterall, I’d held onto mine for years now.

Liam walked to us and fell into the gray chair across from the couch, his attention on Raid and me, and his laser vision on our hands clasped. The intensity of his attention, the underlying glare, this story between them had to be good. The more tense these two became, the more I knew my whole world was fucked.

I needed control of this situation, and placating myself with food wasn’t a damn option.

“How do you two know each other?” I asked again. “And don’t put this on me right now. I want to know, so cut the shit and answer me.”

Shocking, Raid loosened his grip on my hand. He was still touching me, but not holding me as if I’d go up in a puff of smoke. Progress. I’d take it. Small wins and all.

“We went to high school together,” Liam responded casually. Too casual for the current situation. His tone didn’t fit the vibe for that matter either.

They shared a stare. Not like two men sizing each other up. This was different.

I knew Liam.

I knew Raid.

Something here was off, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. And whatever that “something” was—was important.

Liam gave me a small smirk. I felt a flush creep through my veins. That cocky smirk that would have me dropping my panties before sat mere feet away, teasing me again.

No. Stop. Stop it now. Damn man could do it with a look. Some things didn’t change. It had been so long since I’d seen him; now, having him this close, I was in trouble in more ways than one.

“Liam, you’re from Sumner?” I asked, dumbfounded. When searching the map, I chose this place because it was obscure. A blip on the radar of life. Somewhere to stay hidden yet have some kind of a life. Apparently not that obscure if Liam was able to knock on my door.

His light brown hair was cut short on the sides, but he left it a little bit longer on the top. The light scruff of a beard and mustache covered the bottom of his face, and his green eyes entrapped me. Frustration with myself bubbled hot.

No way in hell should I be checking this man out, but here we were.

“Yeah. Now, why areyouhere, Cami?”

“Yeah, Cami?” Raid said right after Liam. The way Cami rolled off Raid’s tongue didn’t feel right. Sour. Wrong. Whether I was willing to admit it or not, I was Raid’s Nyx. Cami was a girl I once knew, a shadow of a past I wanted to leave behind. Cami was dead. Never to be resurrected again. Or so I thought.

“Um … I live here.” The sass was a bit OTT, but to hell with it.

“Cute. We need to talk,” Liam said, not even looking at Raid as he emphasized, “Alone.”

“Over my dead fuckin’ body. I ain’t goin’ anywhere,” Raid fired back as the electricity between them grew, and I feared it would snap. We were in a way too small of space for that to happen.

“You are going,” Liam shot back, his gaze going to Raid. “I need to talk to Cami, and it has nothin’ to do with you.”

“Motherfucker, you forget who you’re talkin’ to?” Raid’s words cut like a whip.

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