Page 4 of Princes of Carnage

“You sure about that?” he asks, his voice low.

Nico smirks where he stands beside Atlas, looking infuriatingly calm. “It’s flattering that you think of us like that, but it wasn’t the Carnage who attacked your man.”

“Right.” I scoff. “But you just happened to be here while we’re investigating the attack. Try that line on someone else, you fucking asshole.”

I jerk against Nico’s hold on my wrists and try to twist away from Atlas, using my slenderness to my advantage. I get maybe an inch or so of leverage before I’m slammed right back against the wall.

“Uh uh. You’re not going anywhere just yet,” Nico says. “Not until we’re done having our little chat.”

Killian, the man who grabbed my hair, is standing behind his two friends, and he takes a half step closer as if getting ready to join them in restraining me if he needs to. He’s massive and menacing, easily one of the biggest guys I’ve ever seen. Unlike the other two, he doesn’t have any visible tattoos, but that doesn’t make him any less intimidating.

I curl my hands into fists, pissed as fuck that my stupid mistake put me in this position. Against one or even two of these men, I’d be able to hold my own. But the three of them are like each other’s shadows, always together, coordinating so smoothly that it’s like they share a goddamn brain. They have the upper hand against me right now, and all three of them know it.

“Get the fuck off me,” I hiss, shifting my attention back to Nico. “And then maybe we can talk.”

Nico’s lips lift upward at the corners into an almost-smile. “After the way you attacked me when I just came here to have a simple conversation with you? I don’t think so. I can’t trust that you’ll keep those claws in.”

He tightens his hold on my wrists a little as he speaks, arching one eyebrow.

Atlas, following Nico’s lead, presses me harder against the wall, shifting his weight so that one of his thighs slips between my legs. This has two effects. One is that it forces my legs wider, making me widen my stance to keep my balance. And the other is that the hard muscle of his thigh presses right against my clit.

An unexpected jolt of heat shoots through me, hitting me like a bolt of lightning with the suddenness of it. I stiffen, going up on my tiptoes a little to put more space between us as I fight to keep my expression neutral. My pulse quickens against my will, and I can feel my nipples go hard, but I don’t let my reaction show on my face.

That’s the last fucking thing I need right now.

“Why would I keep my claws in when you’re around?” I demand, glaring at Nico to distract myself from the way I can still feel Atlas’s thigh wedged between my legs. “You’d look so much better with an eye patch.”

His lips twitch again as if he’s trying to hide a smirk at my words.

“I’ll keep that in mind. And I guess it’s not surprising that you don’t trust me,” he adds, his voice turning thoughtful.

That’s a fucking understatement and a half. The Princes of Carnage have always been a thorn in my side. Their territory borders ours, and there have been conflicts and skirmishes between our gangs since back when my dad was leading Enigma.

“But the attack on your man wasn’t us,” Nico continues, shaking his head. “We’d take credit for it if it was.”

“Then what the fuck is all of this?” I snap, jerking my chin to encompass the empty warehouse around us and the three of them surrounding me. “If you wanted a meeting, you could have just told me.”

Nico purses his full lips, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “I wanted something more… informal. Without anyone else present. We need to talk. Leader to leader.”

My nostrils flare as I exhale in irritation. “This is what you call informal?”

He just shrugs again, and I have a sudden urge to headbutt him right between the eyes. If he were a little closer, I’d be tempted to do it, despite the fact that it would definitely escalate tensions between our gangs.

But the truth is, part of me is curious about what he has to say. He sought me out alone, which isn’t how he usually handles things, and there has to be a reason for that.

“You want to talk?” I adjust my stance a little, which has the unfortunate effect of grinding my clit against Atlas’s thigh again, but I ignore it. “Fine. Then talk. But make it quick. If my men find you three touching me like this, you’re dead.”

Nico tilts his head to one side, hesitating for a moment before speaking. I can’t tell if he’s doing it just to piss me off or because he’s trying to organize his thoughts, but he finally says, “You’re not the only one being attacked. We’ve been having the same issues you’re having. There’s someone going after our runners and disappearing with our money. And I can’t have that.”

Ah. That’s why he didn’t want to have this meeting in a more formal setting.

No one likes to admit a weakness to their enemies, which is probably why Nico decided to approach me when I was separated from my men. He wanted to keep it private.

“And what the fuck do you want me to do about it?” I scowl. “You know it wasn’t us.”

He nods, his dark brown hair glinting in the low light that filters in through the windows. “I know. I’ll admit that I suspected you and Enigma at first, but then I found out that your people had gotten jumped too. So I want to… team up. At least when it comes to sharing information. Whatever knowledge you have about whoever could be behind this, I want to know. Do you have any leads?”

He raises an eyebrow, and this time, I’m the one who makes him wait. I stare into his mesmerizing green and blue eyes for several long beats, considering my options.

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