Page 7 of Ruthless Angel

“What took so damn long?” Daire held out a hand, motioning for me to join him.

“I had to grab a shower and get changed.” I went to stand next to him, trying not to make eye contact. I was so damn obvious.

“You told her everything, didn’t you?” Daire slung a possessive arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him.

“I might have,” I admitted. “We need more people, Daire. That’s just a fact.”

Daire’s hand strayed down to clutch my sore ass. “You just can’t get enough, can you?”

“What’s going on?” Gage’s eyes narrowed as he glanced between Raina and me.

She nodded at Daire, indicating that he should speak. With an exasperated sigh, he said, “Someone grabbed Blaze last night.”

Cash joined in to help him explain who Brady was and why he was after them. When they’d finished, the three Gods exchanged a look.

“And you want our help?” A devilish grin spread across Havoc’s face. “Why should we help you? You’ve done nothing but interfere in our business. Let’s not forget what you did to Raina. Maybe you’re getting what you deserve.”

Daire stiffened next to me. “I told you they wouldn’t help. Let’s get out of here.”

Taking my hand, he started to pull me away. Raina raised both hands, stepping into the middle of everyone.

“All of you can shut the hell up,” she shouted, commanding attention. “This guy who took Blaze has his eye on Clover. I will not let him get his filthy hands on her.” Turning to Havoc, she said, “We have to help them. This isn’t about what happened in the past. This is about protecting my best friend. Please.”

Havoc eyed her, his jaw clenched. He didn’t want to do a damn thing to help the Angels. But he wouldn’t deny Raina anything.

“Fine. We’ll help.” He redirected his gaze to Daire. “What do you need us to do?”

Both Raina and I breathed sighs of relief. I hadn’t expected either group of guys to cooperate. Maybe they would prove themselves to be bigger than the issues that divided them.

“I’m not even sure where to start,” Daire said, looking like he’d rather be anywhere than here. “We tracked Blaze’s phone to an abandoned building across town. They’ve probably moved him by now. Might not hurt to take a look though.”

Havoc nodded and turned to go inside. “I’ll make a call. We’ll get some more people and go check it out.”

When Daire said nothing, Cash jumped in. “Thanks, Havoc. I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye but we appreciate this. Really.”

Havoc waved away his remark and disappeared into the house. The rest of us waited for him to rally some backup. The silence among us was tense. I hated that it was so hard for them to put their differences aside. It would sure be a lot easier for Raina and me if they did.

An hour later we were all on our way to the abandoned building. Raina and I rode in the back of a blacked out SUV while Knight and Cash rode up front. Gage, Havoc, and Daire had taken a separate vehicle. They would be leading a team of men inside the building while the rest of us waited outside where we could make a safe getaway if things went south.

“It will be okay, Clover.” Raina patted my arm, sensing my fear. “We’ll get Blaze back.”

“What if we can’t find him?” My voice was breathy and laced with worry. “What if they take him somewhere else and we can’t get to him in time?”

Sympathy shone in Raina’s hazel eyes. “They won’t kill him. Not as long as they want to use him as leverage. We’ll find him. Try to stay positive.”

I was doing my best. I kept seeing the image of Blaze on the video they’d sent. He’d been badly beaten, his head hanging in defeat. My heart hurt at the thought of them torturing him. Maybe I was suffering from some form of Stockholm Syndrome. Blaze had come to mean something to me. The thought of losing him made me crazy.

Cash turned in his seat to face me. “Brady can’t run forever. He’s a dead man, Sunshine. I promise you that.”

When I only gave him a tight smile, he reached over to caress my cheek. I leaned into his touch, savoring the warmth and comfort. It shouldn’t have felt so right. After everything he’d done to me with the others. Ignoring all of that, I let myself have this moment.

We parked down the block from the abandoned building. During the day it didn’t appear so ominous and deadly. Instead it seemed sad and forgotten. The entire neighborhood had that vibe.

I held my breath when Daire and the others went inside. They were heavily armed and in a large group. That didn’t mean they were safe. If Brady and his people were inside, there would be bloodshed. Someone would die.

I wanted to ask Raina how she remained so solid and calm in the face of danger. If we’d been alone, I’d have poured out my concerns. Having Cash and Knight present kept me from spilling my feelings.

We all waited in strained silence for some kind of an update. It felt like it took forever before the others emerged from the building. Daire shook his head. A simple but effective way of telling us that there had been no sign of Blaze inside.

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