Page 9 of Tainted Saints

Blaine refuses to let go of my hand, our arms slightly stretched between us.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” he tells me, no question, just a simple statement of fact. I don’t want to argue, so I just nod and then allow him to pull me along towards the desk where we have to sign something, for our belongings, I think. Well, minus the things I stole, I guess.

I pull up short when I see that Bobby wasn’t the only one waiting. There are two other men here, and I have to wonder what the hell they feed the guys in America for them to come out looking like they just walked off the cover of Hot Guys USA.

The one on the left is looking at us with open amusement, the grin on his face infectious and I feel my lips wanting to slide upwards in a smile of my own. His eyes are the colour of a forest at night, his skin a golden, sunkissed tan and he’s got honey-blond hair that’s longer on top, which is slicked back from his face and cut short on the sides.

“You gonna introduce us to your pretty lil’ friend, Big Daddy?” he drawls, his thick, Southern accent turning me into a legit puddle of goo on the tiles. What is it about a Southern drawl? And don’t get me started on the way he calls Blaine daddy. The guy speaking is staring at me, his gaze taking me in from head to toe, and rather than find it uncomfortable, I like the heat that makes his green eyes sparkle like dark peridot jewels.

“Aspen Buckingham,” I tell him, holding out my hand. He gives me a smoulder that would rival Flynn Rider’s, and it fucking works too, all my nerve endings tingling. Taking my hand, practically setting me alight with his touch, he brings my knuckles up to his full lips and places a soft kiss on the back of them.

Blaine makes a deep sound next to me, and that just makes the new guy huff out a laugh.

“Sharin’ is carin’, Big Daddy,” he teases, and my cheeks burn at the implication. “Well, ain’t you just pretty as a peach.” His gaze burns as he takes me in, filling with a heat that makes my core tingle. He keeps hold of my hand, and it’s as though my heartbeat is a war drum for all to hear.

“Forest, leave Blaine’s toy alone,” someone sneers, and I snatch my hand back. Those words should not make me feel a shiver of pleasure, especially when I catch the dark gaze of the third man. There’s something familiar about his eyes, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve met him before, even if I’m sure I’d remember a face as fucking beautiful as his.

He has a strong jaw with just a hint of stubble, and his square chin gives him a look of superiority, an air of fuck you that his creased brow and slight lift of his luscious lips confirms. Ink decorates his jawline, and a single hoop with a cross dangles from one ear like some kind of rogue pirate. His hair is a deep, rich brown, longer on the top and styled back as if it doesn’t dare look messy for fear of the wrath of its owner.

“Cool it, Landon,” Blaine rumbles back, a hint of a snarl in his tone, and it warms something inside me to have someone jump to my defence so quickly. Landon’s eyes widen ever so slightly, then with a small shake of his head, he dismisses me.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says, but it has the ring of an order to it.

“Come,mi princesa linda,” Blaine encourages, tugging me towards the desk and only letting go of my hand when I need to sign the papers. They hand me my bag back afterwards, and I place the strap on my shoulder.

“Hopefully we won’t see you again, Miss. Buckingham,” the older officer says, and my face burns, shame stealing my ability to speak so I just nod and look at my feet.

“Don’t let them get to you, Little Lady,” Forest whispers from close behind me, and I suck in my lips at the way his breath tickles my neck. The urge to lean back hits me so strongly that I sway, but I manage to tamp it down, not wanting to appear any more foolish than I do already. Strong hands grasp my waist, holding me close to his body. “You doin’ okay, sugar?”

“Um, y–yes, thank you, Forest,” I reply, feeling his hands tighten a fraction even over mine and Blaine’s jackets.

“Let’s get you to the car,mi tesoro,” Blaine mumbles, and I nod again like one of those dogs people put in the back of their cars, breathing out a sigh when his hand slides back into mine, our fingers intertwining once more.

Forest lets go but then takes my free hand, shrugging with a smile when I give him a puzzled look. Poor Bobby looks from Blaine to Forest either side of me, blinking as if he can’t work out what’s happening.You and me both, sunshine.

Though, it doesn’t take him long to pull himself together, rushing over to the cracked glass door and holding it open for us to pass through. Somehow we manage, even with both guys refusing to let me go, but I don’t complain. I know this security blanket can’t last, and I’ll be heading towards my punishment soon enough. I can stay here in this false safety just a little longer.

The sound of footsteps behind me lets me know that Landon is following us as Bobby leads us down the few steps and across the parking lot to where the Bentley sits. Forest gives a low whistle from beside me as we stand before the vehicle.

“A beautiful ride for a beautiful girl,” he states, and my cheeks blaze even as a cool wind bites into me.

Bobby turns and reaches into his jacket pocket, both guys stiffening, letting go of my hands and stepping in as if to block me from him. Unaware as he’s looking down, Bobby grabs a thick wad of dollar bills, and I want the world to open up and swallow me whole.

“This is to ensure you didn’t see her, she was never here, understood?” he tells them in a voice that’s hard and brokers no argument, even as his hand trembles. He’s frightened of them, or at least cautious, and it makes me wonder why.

Silence fills the air around us, the tension surrounding us thick. I tug at my hands, but again, they will not release their grips.

“We don’t need your dirty money,” Blaine spits out, and I flinch at the venom in his tone. His hand squeezes mine briefly, as if in apology, but he doesn’t look away from Bobby.

“There’s a lot of money here,amigo. Enough to help out that dog pound his aunt and uncle own.” Bobby nods his head towards Forest, and my bows dip even as my heart aches.

I knew Blaine wasn’t from the same background as me, his lack of an actual winter coat and his thin T-shirt were only a couple of signs. Plus, people in my circles didn’t get scars like that on their faces, scars that look like they were on the wrong side of a knife.

“We’ll do fine without it,” Forest growls, and this time I squeeze his hand. Bobby goes to say something else but I can feel the tension around and behind me telling me that I need to intervene before things get heated.

“They won’t say anything,” I tell Bobby, who looks at me with a slightly softer expression. He’s had a soft spot for me since we moved here, looking out for me as though he were family and not just staff. “Will you, Blaine? Forest?” I look at each in turn, begging them with my eyes to let it go.

Blaine huffs before turning his gaze back to me, his free hand reaching out and stroking my cheek. “Of course fucking not,mi tesoro.” Bobby’s eyes widen at that, and I vow to ask him later if he knows what it means.

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