Page 36 of The Wildcard

“Open your door Raylene,” Angel said, nudging his chin in her room’s direction.Hell, she hadn’t even noticed they’d got here. Ray breathed out, so annoyed that even her haze was slipping away.

“No.” she said, thinking she was returning to herself when another wave crashed over her. Ray balked, and stumbled back suddenly, almost crying out in surprise.

“Okay, that’s it.Ya está,” Angel’s voice was a whisper in the thunder in her mind. But his actions cut through that entire state. His hands, so big, so warm, were suddenly around her shoulders and under her knees and Angel De Santos was lifting her in the air.

“What thefuck–” she started but Angel started walking to the other end of the hallway.

Her hands had wrapped around his neck on their own accord, and now she glared at him as he whistled and looked away from her.

“You were in the middle of a nervous breakdown,” he said, and a lopsided grin curved his lips, “Please continue.”

Jerk.

Ray’s heart was pounding in her chest. It was too much. Too much of him, and his stupid scent and his eyes and…

She shook her head and heard his light chuckle.

“Put me–” she began, but her words got muffled as he hauled her inside his room and shut the door behind him. He didn’t set her down just then, but stopped walking and looked down at her, his amber eyes insistent,

“You aren’t breathing.” He said and Ray’s brow perked up even as her head pounded painfully.

“Then how am I alive right now Sherlock?” she asked, and his lips quirked from one end.

“Don’t get smart with me Watson,” he started walking in the direction of his bed. Her heart was beating way too fast as he looked down at her, “You want me to put you down?”

She glared at him in response.

Angel shrugged and dropped her on his mattress. Ray’s breath rushed out of her lungs in a whoosh as she plopped down and let out a surprised sound. Her glare shot up to his amber eyes and she was about to curse out loud when she saw him go down on his knees before her. Ray froze just as he said,

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just getting you out of these damned heels.”

Ray hid her gasp very well. His hands touched her foot briefly, but she could feel the tingle climb all the way up her spine.What the hell was going on?She couldn’t help it, a small bubble of laughter rose up her throat and past her lips.

Angel’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

Then he grabbed her ankle and hauled her down to the floor.

Surprised, Ray almost screamed as she landed on her ass painfully. She groaned out loud, her hand touching her lower back in an attempt to rid herself of the painful jolt that ran down her spine. Angel chuckled before her making her glare up at him.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t shoot you right now?” she growled, and Angel’s amber eyes flashed with that familiar amusement,

“Well for one, you don’t have a gun–never mind,”

Ray quirked a brow as the metal hilt of her gun pressed against his chest. Angel frowned but didn’t move her gun away. Ray blinked when she felt his heartbeat thump against his chest and through her gun. Angel’s eyes rose to hers, a sigh leaving his lips.

“Well alright,” he said, “But I did save you out there. And now you’re pointing a gun at a defenseless man.”

She didn’t balk. Just blinked, “Am I supposed to believe you don’t have a gun on you right now?”

At first, his expression didn’t change. But then it did. A slow smile curved his lips as he reached behind his back. Ray didn’t flinch, but the faint click filled the air as she cocked her gun. Amusement danced in his eyes as he removed a similar pistol from his back and waved it in her direction,

“Alright. You get that point as well.” He said and cocked his gun as well, pointing it in her direction lazily, “But this is just for good measure.”

Ray didn’t smile.

“What do you want?” she asked instead, and his grin turned downright mischievous.This was so not good for her.

“Why do you think I want something?” he asked. Ray looked down at her gun, at the hidden piece of paper in her hands and how it was pressed between her palm and gun.It was crazy, now that she thought about it.

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