Page 57 of Dragon Strife
“What I’m saying is, I’m neutral, a free agent, and I will take care of V while she’s here, but you two can’t stay.” The room falls silent at my words as Malik looks at me in shock, Diego with confusion, and V with cunning.
“You think for one second we would leave without her?” Malik stands to loom over the table as a menacing energy pours from him and hits me across the wide slab. “Did I damage your brain when I shot you in the face?”
“Wait!” V calls out as I begin to rise. “Malik, it’s not a bad idea. I need you and Diego at the March club. They need to know what’s happening and that they’re not abandoned. I trust Laith… to an extent.”
“Nice try, Slayer, but not happening,” Malik says drily as Diego nods, agreeing with Malik. The March’s medic looks ready to throw her over his shoulder and rush out of here.
“It’s an order,” she commands as her jaw tightens and her eyes narrow, and both men stare at her in stunned silence. “If you truly see me as your President, you won’t disregard that.”
As soon as Laith and Quinton reluctantly leave the room to give us some time alone, Malik has me thrown against the wall and crowds in front of me, his hands resting on the wall on either side of my face.
“Are you begging to be killed?” he snarls in my face. “And after Diego so graciously saved your fucking life?”
This is the Malik everyone else sees, the tough, take-no-shit attitude. I try to push him back, but he only crushes me further. “Malik,” I warn as I slap his chest with both hands. “Let me speak.”
“Back up, brother,” Diego cuts in, his voice hard with anger. “Let’s hear what her reasoning is.” I know he’s mad at me for what I’m trying to do, but we need Jaeger out of the way.
When Malik finally gives me a few inches to breathe, I say, “I need to hear everything he has to say, and then I’m exiling him. I can’t have you guys here making everyone uncomfortable, and I trust Laith. He’s never spoken out of line or been deceitful.”
“What do you know about my fucking brother?” Malik snaps. “He’s nothing like what he projects to this precious club. I promise you that.”
“I know that he’s never hurt me and I can feel how sincere he is, Malik. I know you two have history, but I can’t disregard what my gut is telling me.” I try to make him understand and implore him to trust me.
He stares at me, his dark eyes looking as if through me to my very soul. “Are you bringing him into the fold? Will it be the Charles brothers and Montez on your arms?”
I wait for his sting of jealousy, for his raving anger, but all I see in his eyes is curiosity. It shocks me, knowing how much hatred he has for Laith, and yet he’s genuinely curious. “Forgive me, Malik, but I’m not quite thinking of men and their dicks, nor how many I want inserted into me at any given time currently.”
Diego snorts and shoves Malik out of the way. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you here, but if you’re giving us an order as our President, we have no choice but to comply. I hope you’ve really thought this through, and here,”—he puts his hand in his pocket and takes out his phone handing it over to me—“we still haven’t bought you a new one. Take mine and call Malik’s phone if you need anything. Malik and I won’t be far.”
“You’ll have to refer to me as cookie dough Malik since we’ll be entertaining vanilla Laith now.” Malik leans in to kiss my forehead, the sentiment sweet and a bit foreign from him.
“Who says I’m entertaining him?” I retort as Diego kisses my cheek.
“How could you resist two of these faces?” Malik tosses me a wink and hauls open the door. “I’d fuck you silly as a goodbye, but I fear it’ll take the edge off your anger. You’ll need it to whip these bitches into shape,” he says loudly into the other room.
“Make sure you call me,” Diego murmurs as he leans in to kiss me on the lips. “No matter what time. You got that?”
“Yes.” My voice cracks on the word. It’s been months since I’ve had to face anything without the two of them, and suddenly I’m feeling small and vulnerable.
“You’re the strongest person I know, Genevieve Varga. Your father is here, and he thinks the same,” he reminds me and my chest swells with pride. He always knows exactly what to say.
As soon as I step out of the room, Laith is at my side. Malik gives him one last warning growl before he turns and strides for the door. Diego throws me one last smile and then he’s soon following, the both of them taking my heart with them.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Laith assures me.
I pat the gun at my hip and huff. “I won’t let anything happen to myself, Laith.”
“We need to check on Jaeger,” Quinton demands as he steps forward. “He needs water and food—”
“I wasn’t given such luxuries,” I retort. “Not even a bathroom break. He’s been in there a few hours, Quinton. He’ll survive, trust me. I survived a basement for days without anything but a dick in any chosen orifice.”
I know my words hit their mark when he winces and those big hazel eyes widen. “I’m sor—”
“Laith, will you come with me downstairs? I need to make sure no one follows and interrupts what I need to do,” I cut off Quinton’s apology. Words mean nothing to me since not many people in my life have followed through with their promises.
I said as much to Diego and Malik when they admitted to knowing facts about my kidnapping and my father’s health. It’s starting to make sense now, my father’s rash decisions and the urgency for the position he was bestowing on me, but some things still aren’t adding up. I know my father had secrets, most club Presidents do, but to strike a deal with Hell’s March in exchange for my safety feels a bit much, even though if everything had worked as planned, I would have a whole club at my back.
Wouldn’t I?
