Page 21 of Hot Chocolate & Hitmen

My anger flaring as I remember the agony reflected in Grace’s eyes as she gazed at her little tray. At all the food she had made for this bastard just that morning, only for him to shit all over it. The betrayal. The insecure-fueled control he held over her. Taking away her job. Her passion. Not letting her do shit besidesservehim like a king!

Not letting her have a dog?!

Each thought in my head is punctuated by a slam of my fist.

I’ll get her anything she wants. She can be our nurse back at the hideout. There’s plenty of patients around there with our operation. I’ll get her a dog. I’ll get her ten of them if she wants. She’ll have whatever she wants, whenever she wants.

"That's enough," Teddy says, grabbing my shoulder as I rear back to land another punch. Jason groans, head lolling forward as blood drips from his split lip to the floor. Even through the red haze of violence, I yield to Teddy's command, even if my fingers are itching to do more.

Stepping back, I shake out my aching knuckles as Teddy presses the barrel of his gun under Jason's chin. The beaten man jerks with a garbled whimper, eyes rolling wildly between us as the smell of fresh urine fills the room.

Yuck.

"I want to be crystal fucking clear on something," Teddy murmurs, deathly calm. "You don't look at Grace. You don't think of Grace. As far as you're concerned, she no longer exists." His finger caresses the trigger meaningfully. "Give me a reason to end your miserable existence.Please."

Jason shakes his head frantically, fresh tears cutting tracks through the blood on his face.

Pathetic.

Teddy steps back with a noise of disgust, jerking his chin at Atlas. The big man wordlessly unwraps Jason from his ironically festive binds. Still sniveling, Jason staggers away from us before pausing on the threshold of the door, fear and hate warring on his face as he looks back at us.

"This isn't over," he grates out hoarsely. "I'll make you bastards pay for this."

I bark out a laugh as Jason makes it two steps outside before Atlas grabs him by the scruff and drags him back in, kicking and shouting curses. He deposits the struggling man on the floor at our feet none too gently.

"Forgot to mention," I say brightly as Jason glowers up at me through his swelling eye. "We're snowed in, genius. Going anywhere requires wings."

I nudge him with my boot, sprawling him onto his back with a pained grunt. Atlas looms over him, cracking knuckles in promise.

"Now, you be a good boy and stay out of the way." I squat down, patting Jason's tear-stained cheek. "We've got a hot little minx to charm, and your ugly mug will only kill the mood."

Jason tries lunging to his feet. "Don't you fucking touch her!"

Teddy snags the collar of his shirt and slams him back down effortlessly. "She's not your concern anymore. Though I assure you, Grace will be blissfully occupied for the duration of our...visit." His smile turns positively ravenous as he lets Jason jerk from his hold.

Scrambling to his feet, I step in his way as he turns to flee once more, and he almost falls back on his ass trying to avoid touching me. I cross my arms and look him straight in the eye before letting hatred and bloodlust play over my features. He pales, and I chuckle dryly.

"Run along, little man. And remember..." I tap two fingers to my brow in mock salute. "We'll be watching."

Jason departs with a final venomous glare, though the effect is lost because he’s limping and piss-stained, not even able to slam the door properly.

We share a look between us, victory and anticipation melding into a heady blend. Now to clean the cabin, set up the cameras and rid ourselves of any lingering evidence of the violence we inflicted.

We wouldn’t want to scare off our perfect angel after all.

Chapter Ten

Butterflies explode in my stomach the second I stir from blissful sleep, yanking me out of my cozy haze with all the grace of a reindeer who lost one antler mid-gallop. Flashes of last night hit me like a highlight reel on repeat–whispered words, roaming hands, and lips that should probably come with a warning label. Every sensation comes rushing back, from the strong arms that held me to the kind of toe-curling pleasure that should be illegal before breakfast.

I let out a breathless laugh, still half-convinced it was all a dream. I mean, seriously–me, letting three guys get that up close and personal after knowing them for what, a minute? Vulnerability, trust–it felt like diving headfirst into the deep end of an emotional pool I didn’t even know I had.

But honestly, any lingering embarrassment is swiftly overshadowed by a giddy swirl of anticipation. Are they thinking about me the way I’m thinking about them? Did they wake up this morning with goofy smiles plastered on their faces too, or am I flying solo on the heart-flutter train?

I stretch leisurely, arms reaching overhead, feeling my muscles loosen and the delicious ache of well-used limbs.Rolling over, I expect to find nothing but empty sheets beside me, but I’m wrong.

My breath hitches.

Still snuggled into the pillows like a sleepy mountain of grumpy is…Atlas. My pulse skips a beat as I scoot closer, drawn to his heat like a moth to a particularly attractive flame. I press my body against his broad back, fingers tracing lightly over his skin, my voice barely a whisper.

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