Page 110 of Ruthless Reign

He didn’t wait for me to reply before he was back on his feet, extending a hand to me.

“I have to finish filling these before we go.”

Aodhán frowned at me and then his wicked green eyes flicked up to someone behind me. “Hey, Mitch, you about done on the phone? Mind finishing this up for the lady so I can teach her a thing or two about knife work?”

I sent Mitch a pained smile in apology at Aodhán’s presumptuous tone, but he was already dragging me to my feet and saying, “See, Mitch doesn’t mind.”

Mitch took my seat on the couch, starting to finish the task Kaleb assigned me. He made no secret of being entertained by the idea of watching me struggle with a blade. I gave him a look, and he chuckled.

I didn’t have to turn to know that Hardin and Kaleb were watching us as Aodhán pushed the coffee table out of the way and squared off against me with his switchblade.

They hadn’t let him have his gun back, but yesterday they finally gave him back this one weapon, and he seemed to be finding any excuse to draw it around the Saints. From the looks he got, I figured most of them thought he was doing it to be a dick, but I knew better.

It was conditioning.

He needed them to get used to seeing him with a weapon he didn’t intend to use against them. Start viewing him as a useful addition to the team instead of a threat living under their feet.

“Go on,” he taunted, an infectious grin pulling at his lips. “Attack me.”

“I’d rather not get stabbed today.”

He leaned in conspiratorially, clearly in better spirits than he had been these last few days since his dad rained down scorched saints on our heads. “I think if I were going to stab you, I would’ve done it already mo mhuirnín.”

I rolled my eyes at him, suppressing the shiver that rolled down my spine.

“Come on, give it all you got. I won’t bite.”

Yeah fucking right.

The sinful gleam in his verdant eyes begged to differ. So did the coy smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth.

I went for his knife hand with an amount of speed I was proud as fuck of, but he managed to wrap his opposite hand around my wrist before I got within a few inches. He used his hold on me to spin me back into him, knocking off my balance.

My back met his chest, and he held the blade to my throat.

“Drop it!”

Hardin’s voice boomed in the room as Aodhán pressed the flat edge of the blade against the top of my right breast, the honed steel lifting and lowering with each of my heavy breaths.

He removed it, raising it up in a little peaceful wave at Hardin, who had his gun raised.

Aodhán, to his credit, didn’t seem at all fazed that Hardin’s murder stick was aimed directly at his head. “Just a little lesson, mate. Not going to hurt her.”

Hardin’s gaze darkened.

“I’m good,” I told him, maybe a little too harshly. I didn’t need him to protect me right now. Not from Aodhán.

…and maybe I was still a little pissed off about this morning.

“Let’s go again.” I nudged Aodhán. “Ignore him.”

But Aodhán didn’t ignore Hardin, he waited, holding his gaze until Hardin finally lowered his weapon. “One scratch and I’ll take the blade and the offending hand.”

Aodhán made a so-so motion with his head, pursing his lips as he considered the threat. “Sounds fair.”

Fucking men.

I didn’t wait for Aodhán to be ready this time. I rushed him while his attention was still on Hardin.

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