Page 50 of Ruthless Angel

“Get your fucking hands off her.” Desmond was suddenly there, pulling me against him. A protective arm went around my shoulders. Next to my ear, he whispered, “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you out of here.”

We were taken out through a side door that exited into the parking lot. As soon as we were out of the building, I burst into tears. They flowed down my face, pouring out several days of emotion that had been hidden away inside me.

“You’re safe now,” Desmond assured me. “Raina is at my house waiting for you.”

“What about the Angels?” I asked, sniffling as I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. “Daire, Cash, and Blaze.”

Desmond surveyed the parking lot and shrugged. “They’re here somewhere. They planned to look for the man who took you while I was inside. You’ll see them soon.”

He ushered me into a blacked out SUV. Before he drove away, he dug some tissue out of the console and handed it to me. I caught his hand before he pulled away.

“Thank you for doing this. You just saved my life.”

With a fatherly touch, he smoothed back my hair and smiled. “No worries, kiddo. You’re family. Raina and those boys of yours are the reason I’m here. They seem to really love you.”

I had no words. During the drive back to Desmond’s house where Raina waited, I stared out the window with silent tears streaking down my cheeks.

The Angels had put their conflict with the Gods aside and gone to them for help. They’d been looking for me. Just like I’d known they would. Maybe they really did love me.

Perhaps it was the emotional overload that held me in its grip, but maybe I loved them too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

DAIRE

It killed me that I couldn’t go inside with Desmond. We had no choice but to trust him to bring Clover back. I only hoped that she was here tonight. Finding Brady had been impossible since he took her. We’d come to the hotel where the auction was being held hoping we would find him there.

After watching the building for a while, we determined that the people being brought in for the auction were being taken in through the back entry in the staff parking lot. We sat in Cash’s SUV, watching those going in and out. The Gods were staked out in the main parking lot, just in case.

This was our fight though. I ached to get my hands on Brady Rollins. He had to slip up some time.

“Let’s grab someone going in and see if they know Brady. Maybe they’ll know where to find him.” Blaze’s hand was on the door, ready to take action.

He’d been more irritable that usual. Although we’d all been battling some inner demons since Clover was taken. Raina’s demons had been on full display. She’d warned me that if we didn’t find Clover, she would personally castrate all three of us. Then she’d punched me in the face, for good measure.

I figured that I’d be taking a lot of punches from Raina in the future. We would be getting our girl back. That meant Rainaand I were in each other’s lives whether we liked it or not. I didn’t argue that I deserved it. We both knew I did.

We waited until we saw a black sedan pull up in front of the back entry. Two men and a young girl got out. The girl couldn’t have been of legal age. Jesus Christ, these people were monsters.

Slipping from Cash’s vehicle, we moved between cars, staying unseen until we reached the men as they were about to enter the building. I grabbed one from behind, shoving my gun against the side of his head as I pressed him against the door.

Cash secured the other guy in a headlock, easily choking him out. The girl stared at us with wide eyes. She had no idea if we were her saviors or a new threat.

“Go,” Blaze said to her, giving her a gentle push. “Get out of here while you can.”

She didn’t need to be told again. She took off running, her shoes slapping on the asphalt as she ran. Not once did she look back.

“Where the fuck can I find Brady Rollins?” I snarled into my guy’s face. “Give me something or I put a bullet in your brain.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” he said, eyes wide in surprise. He made a move to grab a weapon from his pocket which Blaze intercepted, breaking his wrist.

I muffled his pained cry by shoving the barrel of my gun in his mouth. “Tell me where to find him. Is there a place where you sick fucks hang out after one of these events? Give me something to work with if you want to live.”

“I don’t know the guy,” he insisted when I moved my gun so he could speak. “There’s a lounge upstairs. Sometimes we hang out up there. That’s all I can tell you. I don’t know anything. Fuck, you just lost me a huge payday, dick.”

Eyes narrowed, I studied the piece of shit before me. He wasn’t nearly scared enough. Too bad. Whipping my knife from my pocket, I jammed it deep into the side of his neck. A bit messy but quieter than a gunshot.

I stepped back to avoid the inevitable blood splash. He grabbed at the gaping wound that bucketed blood all over his shirt and splattered his shoes. I watched without emotion as he fell to his knees and pitched over onto his face. Pathetic.

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