Page 42 of The Devils Melody
I struggle against him, chest heaving, fists still twitching to finish it. But Wren needs me more.
I’m not the one who loses control. That’s always been Kage. The wildfire, the chaos, the violence just barely kept on a leash. I’m supposed to be the calm and rational one.The one who knows when to stop. But not tonight. Not when she’s bleeding at my feet.
Richard slumps to the ground, bleeding and broken, gasping for air like the pathetic fuck he is. If he keeps this shit up, there will be nothing left to look at. I look down at him one last time, and spit.
“This isn't over, you motherfucker,” I say. “Not by a long shot.” Then I turn back to Wren. Because nothing else in this whole goddamn world matters more than her.
I drop back to my knees, gathering her into my arms as carefully as I can. She whimpers when I lift her, but she doesn’t pull away; just clutches onto my shirt with small fists and breathes me in.
My heart feels like it’s splitting open in my chest. I don’t know what the fuck this woman is doing to me, but I can feel this pull between us. It’s a live wire humming under my skin, something I’ve only felt when I’ve been with Kage. Something I don’t have the words for yet. She’s sunk her claws so deep without even trying, and I’m never getting them out.
The world around us is already starting to move again. Music thuds back to life, the bass rattling my bones. Lights flash and voices start to rise. It’s like none of them give a single fuck that she just got punched in the face by a man. Drunk fucking bastards.
I hold her tighter and shoulder my way through the crowd, Kage following right behind me. Security swarms in from the side doors, finally doing their fucking jobs. When we pass the bouncers, one of them hesitates, about to step in, but Kage is already on him, voice full of malice.
“Get him the fuck out of here,” Kage orders, jerking his chin towards Dick’s crumpled body. “and make sure he doesn’t walk back in unless he has a death wish.”
Judging by the state of his face, I would say he does.
The bouncer nods fast, not daring to question him. Everyone here knows who owns this place, and what happens when you cross them. Kage falls back into step behind me without another word, his presence a dark, steady weight at my back. He’s just as lethal as I am right now, that rage still simmering under his skin just waiting to be released.
The VIP section sits above the main floor, roped off and guarded. The second security sees us coming, they move without hesitation. No one stops us. No one even thinks about it. I nudge the curtain aside with my shoulder and step up into the private booth, shielding her as best as I can from the noise and stares from the crowd around us. It’s still loud and chaotic, but in here, it feels just a little more peaceful. The world can’t touch her in this space if I don’t let it.
I lower her gently onto the plush velvet couch, careful not to jostle her too much. My hands linger longer than they should, not quite ready to let her go. She blinks up at me, dazed and hurting, and fuck does it gut me.
A small group of girls, who I recognize being with Wren earlier, comes rushing in behind us, breathless and wide eyed. One of them, a petite blonde with wild, beachy waves and glitter dusted across her cheekbones, storms straight towards Wren like a missile. She’s wearing a tiny black skirt and a silver crop top that showcases her bedazzled belly button piercing. Her heels clacking against the floor as she squares up to me without a hint of fear.
She plants herself between Wren and I, practically shoving her body into mine daring me to try something.
“Who the fuck are you?” she snaps, eyes blazing intome. I just stare at her and blink, chest still heaving with the aftermath of everything that’s happened.
She waves a hand aggressively in front of my face. “HELLO?” she barks, and I think she’s about two seconds away from swinging on me. I almost,almost, crack a smile. Small, but feral.
Off to the side, I hear Kage huff a low laugh, rough and dark with amusement. “Good fucking luck with that one,” he mutters under his breath.
I finally answer her in a low, steady growl. “Someone who just saved her.”
The blonde’s mouth opens ready to argue with me, but then she glances down at Wren. She can see the way Wren’s hand is curled tightly around my leg as if I’m the only thing keeping her from falling apart, and her expression softens. She cuts her sharp gaze towards Kage and glares at him, ready to take him on next if she has to. Kage just puts his hands up in mock surrender and smirks, completely unbothered. He’s already decided she’s funny as hell. I guess she can stay for now.
Another girl, taller with dark hair, drops to her knees beside Wren, rummaging frantically through her small purse and pulling out a wad of tissues and a tiny first aid kit.Did she come here ready for a warzone or something?
How the fuck did all that shit fit in that small ass purse?
The blonde hovers for a second, still tense, then mutters under her breath, “I’m Olive. I’m her best friend.”
The way she says it, it’s a warning as much as it’s an introduction and it makes something inside me ease. She’s got claws. Wren needs people like that in her corner.
I nod once, acknowledging her without words. Olive doesn’t relax though. If anything, her glare sharpens, like she’s daring me to give her a reason to swing.
Kage steps up beside me, towering over both girls. He’s just a silent fucking wall. He crosses his arms loosely over his chest, casual as hell, but makes no effort to cover that there’s something deadly simmering beneath his surface. Olive catches it immediately, smart girl, but she still doesn’t back down. I don’t know why this girl seems familiar. Why do I get the feeling that I’ve seen her somewhere?
The darker haired girl that’s kneeling down by Wren finally manages to get the first aid kit opened. Took her long enough. It’s probably those long ass nails every girl insists on wearing. Her hands are shaking just enough to piss me off all over again. This girl is going to end up hurting her if she doesn’t calm the fuck down. Wiping away the blood smeared on Wren’s cheekbone, she murmurs soft reassurances that Wren barely seems to comprehend.
Grabbing Wren’s hand, I gently try to remove her death grip from my leg. She immediately starts clawing at me, trying to grab hold of my leg in a panic. It’s such a small act, but it’s enough to bust my heart wide open for her. I’ve never had anyone but Kage need me the way she seems to need me right now.
“Hey, hey, it’s alright. I’m not going anywhere. I just want to sit next to you, is that okay?” She doesn’t say anything, just lets go of my leg, lifting her head just enough for me to slide in next to her, and that’s enough for me.
Wren whimpers and turns her face into my side, hiding from the world, and every single fucking muscle in my body locks up. I drop a hand to her hair, running my fingers through it in slow strokes, trying like hell to steady her breathing. Fuck, mine too.
