Page 72 of Loyalties & Longings

Prod. Prod. Prod.

Blaze throws the cattle prod back on the trolley with reckless abandon before picking up a set of steel pliers. Even from here, Ican see the anger and hatred burning behind his eyes. I’m more than shocked he hasn’t killed Massimo yet—the thought has me wonderingwhyhe hasn’t.

He moves fast now with heavy yet determined steps. Storming back to stand in front of Massimo, his voice is a low, vicious growl when he speaks again.

“Instead, I’m going to rip off one of your fingernails for every time I witnessed you touch her.” He snaps the pliers in front of Massimo’s face with a maniacal grin akin to The Joker’s plastered on his own face. And damn, if my panties aren’t damp now.

Clamping the pliers down on the edge of one of Massimo’s nails, Blaze growls. “For that time at my welcome-home dinner.”

He pulls the nail from the nailbed excruciatingly slow before bringing it up so he can inspect the nail covered in blood and bits of flesh, ignoring Massimo while he thrashes his head about screaming in agony behind the material stuffed in his mouth.

“For the time at the club we took her to.” He pulls this one swiftly.

“When you said your goodbyes at the bar last night.” He yanks out another nail and drops it to the concrete.

“Let’s not forget what I caught you about to do. Hmm, for that, I think I need to pull at least three.” He starts on Massimo’s other hand.

My stomach rolls at Blaze’s words, but he said ‘About to do.’That must mean he didn’t. I almost start crying from both anger and relief but decide I need to be in the shed now because while he might not have donethat, hedidhurt me.

I rise and move around the outside of the building.

I push the door open with a loud bang. Lucifer raises his head in alert at my entrance, and his mouth opens, tongue hanging out as his tail thumps against his mat when he sees me. He’s always so happy to see me, but being on the mat means he’s beengiven a command, so I turn to face the men.

Blaze has turned and is facing me, his face now so much more relaxed than it was moments ago when I was spying on him. He’s covered in splatters of blood and holding up the pliers with one of Massimo’s nails still clamped in them.

Smiling, he says nonchalantly, “Siren, you’re just in time for the fun. I was in the middle of doing some denailing. You know, because he likes to touch what’s not his.”

Swinging the door closed with my foot, I bolt to Blaze, eating the distance between us in seconds. I glare at Massimo from around Blaze’s bulky body before I grab the back of Blaze’s head and bring it down to mine so I can fuse my lips to his.

He brings his hand to my lower back, holding me close to him. As he deepens the kiss, his hand travels to my ass and squeezes.

When I pull away for air, I feel the steely ridge in his pants. Absentmindedly, my lips curl back between my teeth.

“I was just about done unless you want a turn?” he questions.

“Actually, I would,” I reply confidently.

“I thought you might. I added something to the trolley for you,” he says, leading me over to the metal cart. He lifts a piece of cloth from it to reveal a gun.

Mygun.

Tears prick at my eyes, and I swallow a lump in my throat as I pick up my gun. I look up at Blaze and place my free hand on his chest. Although I can’t form the words around my jumbled thoughts and emotions to thank him, his mouth pulls up on one side into a smile, and he nods his head once, a silent acknowledgment.

“I never said anything to Dad, nor did I do anything wrong to you!” I spit out. Feeling the anger gaining purchase as the dominant emotion, I take infuriated steps toward Massimo.

“I never once gave you the impression that I wanted anything more than you being someone whose presence I had to deal withbecause you were Dad’s best friend.” I pace in front of him. I notice out of the corner of my eye that Blaze has moved over to stand in the corner by Lucifer.

“You lied, you stole, you became a traitor to your lifelong friend. And that’s not even the half of it.” My face turns hot with anger, and I’m now standing in front of him.

“You didn’t rape me with that thing,” I wave the gun carelessly at his crotch, not giving a damn about safety in my anger. His body stiffens, his complexion turning sickly pale.

“But you did it with your gun!” I shout with a shaky voice. I hear Blaze step out of the shadows behind me at the revelation.

He doesn’t do anything. He knows I can handle this and is more of a strong force, assuring me that he’s there if I need him. I feel his anger pouring out of him at the information. The heat of his rage flows into me, morphing with mine.

“So let me introduce you to my gun,” I say dryly, lining up the sights with his crotch. He manages to spit out the rag that fills his mouth just in time to plead with me.

“No. No. No. Lakey, please. Anything but that.” The pathetic traitor cries.

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