Page 63 of Ruined

I smirked.

"He knows better than to think he can keep me in line anyway," she added.

The door to the back of the car was open. Mina slipped out, looking as weary as the rest of us, but more beautiful than ever.

"Thank fuck," Reuben said softly.

She trotted over to him and threw her arms around him, before dragging me in for a hug. Gianni invited himself, until we were all embracing each other. Hard bodies pressed against hard bodies. The smell of guns and blood clung to all of us. Heady, but all too real.

"Speaking of spanking," I growled.

"Any time," Gianni said. "If that's your idea of kinky, I like it."

I should have expected him to respond like that. He'd always be himself. Irreverent and possibly crazy, but always charming and, if I was going to admit it to myself, compelling.

"Be careful what you wish for," I muttered.

"If that's on the cards, I'm there for it," he said. "I have a thing about pain. I'm happy to let Mina and Reuben watch."

"I don't want to interrupt the reunion, but we only have a few hours before our guest wakes up again," Clarissa said. "I assume you're going to want him tightly under wraps before then. Not that you can't deal with anything, but…"

"Yes," Reuben said, his voice strained. "Let's get him out of here and back home."

"Is it wrong if I say I don't mind seeing him chained?" Mina asked. "I wouldn't object to him being in a cage either. He didn't mind it happening to me." She scowled in the direction of the boot of the car. I presumed Leon was safely stashed inside.

Telling my cock to behave, I made a mental note never to piss her off. I had a feeling if she served up revenge, it would hurt like hell. She really was the perfect woman.

"Whatever you want, sweetheart," Gianni said. "We can make it happen. Even if you want him hung upside down by his balls. It'll be icky, but I volunteer to touch them."

"I don't think they'll be big enough for you to fasten anything to them," she said dryly. "I'll settle for him being restrained and scared."

"I like a woman who holds a grudge," Gianni said.

"She holds one with good reason," I said.

I made another note to myself. This time to do some searching online when we got home. I had an idea for something that would make her feel much better.

"Gianni, travel with the women," Reuben said. "Damon and I will be right behind you."

"I'll try not to run into the back of your car," I said. With the right amount of force, Leon Graves would be a dead man.

"Only if you want to pay to replace it," Clarissa said. "I don't take kindly to having people…" She paused to choose her words carefully. "Ramming their car into the back of mine."

Gianni grinned.

I rolled my eyes at him before turning back to Clarissa. "I'll try to restrain myself. For the sake of your vehicle."

"I appreciate that." She opened her door and climbed inside.

I waited until all three women, and Gianni, were in the car before nodding to Reuben and trotting down the street to get ours.

Mina

I managed a few hours of sleep, but couldn't linger in bed for long. Especially when I realised I was alone.

I pulled on a pair of track pants and a singlet, and headed downstairs.

That was where I found Reuben, sitting on the couch, facing the view. He held a cup of coffee in his hand. His eyes were glazed, lost in thought.