Page 158 of Beautifully Reckless

“I’ll deal with you later, Angel.” Ringo throws me a look filled with wicked promises. “Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t spank your arse raw.”

“Fucking hell.” Jared throws his hands up, spinning on the spot and doing a quick pace before spinning back to Ringo with a sharp finger in his direction. “I don’t want to hear shit like that or I’ll fucking cut off your hands.”

Ringo smirks.

I sigh.

And then the burner phone in Ringo’s hand starts ringing.

“Speak,” Ringo snaps, pausing to listen before letting out a scoff. “A little fucking warning next time. Your little assassin was about ready to slice JD’s neck open.”

My eyes flick to Dee who smirks proudly, and I have to wonder how I never noticed just how lethal she was back in school.

Maybe because you were so busy trying to avoid Daniel’s wrath for anything else to matter.

Ugh.

I hate that guy.

“Fine, I’ll head inside and put you on the big screen,” Ringo mutters into the phone, extending his free hand towards me.

Stepping in close, I lace my fingers with his, and the cheeky wink he throws me as he starts leading us into the barn sends butterflies dancing in my belly.

Sliding onto one of the bar stools, I watch as Ringo sets things up, and a moment later, the TV screen splits in two, a small bubble at the bottom showing the video feed of us.

The two men in suits who tried to force me into the SUV outside Leather and Lace fill one half of the screen, while the two women from Ayden’s dad’s apartment appear on the other.

Griffin and Devon, and Bec and Amanda.

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Amanda begins. “Our sources say that Daniel Stone and Donny Allen are roommates in a share house in the Eastern Suburbs near their university.”

I stiffen at hearing the first two names of my attackers, and it only gets worse as Amanda continues.

“Craig McRoe, Tim Beck and Michael Berry are still in Fox Pines, working different jobs with no intention of leaving any time soon. And lastly, Darnel Rivers has been picked up by aDarwin football club that paid to move him up to the Northern Territory.”

Jols must notice how ramrod straight I’ve gone, because she moves to my side and starts rubbing my back, offering a sliver of comfort.

“Having them split up works for us,” Ringo states, and Griffin nods.

“I agree. Hitting the weakest links first will cause the others greater distress. I recommend eliminating the three dickheads in Fox Pines first.”

“I like the way you think.” Ringo smiles at the screen, and Griffin grins, pretending to brush dust off his shoulders.

“The guy in Darwin can be handled by someone on our books if going up there is an issue,” Bec adds, and for a moment, I wonder if the person she’s referring to might be Dee. OrHush,as they like to call her.

Surely not?

Then again, Darnel wouldn’t even see her coming.

No one would.

This all feels so surreal. These people, most of whom I didn’t even know four weeks ago, are all fighting for me. They are literally discussing killing the arseholes who raped me.

The old me would have been mortified. But who I am now is itching to see my rapists dead.

I don’t know what that makes me, and I don’t know if I care.

“Any update on Ian Allen?” Ringo asks, and Amanda nods.

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