Page 43 of The Devils Melody
“I’ve got you, phoenix,” I murmur, low enough that only she can hear. Olive hears it anyway. I can feel her suspicious gaze drilling holes into the side of my head. Idon’t care how fucking close she is to Wren, if she gets in my way, I will remove her, so she better get used to this.
She leans down to our level on the couch and glares. “If you think saving her gives you some kinda pass, think again, asshole,” she snaps, stabbing a finger into my chest. She’s picking a fight she knows she’ll lose but doesn’t seem to care.
Kage lets out a rough laugh, not able to help himself. “Feisty,” he mutters, almost approving.
Olive stands up straight, snapping her gaze to him and cocks a brow. “You’ve got a problem with that, big guy?”
Kage’s grin sharpens. “Not even a little.”
Olive scoffs, she clearly doesn’t believe him, but the faintest smirk tugs at her mouth before she refocuses on Wren, muttering under her breath, “Men.”
The girl helping Wren shoots Olive a look like she’s wondering how many funerals she’s about to attend, then she quickly turns her focus back to Wren, dabbing carefully at the swelling already starting to bloom across her cheek.
“She needs ice,” the girl says, glancing up. “And water. Maybe a medic?—”
“No hospitals,” Kage snaps, a little too fast and sharp. Everyone in the booth stills. His jaw is locked tight, that wild blue gaze colder than ice. Kage hasn’t been able to go to a hospital since his accident when he was a kid. Luckily he had my father who understood and would take care of any medical issues he had. Once we were older and made our own money, hospitals were no longer needed. A quick phone call and we had the best of the best on standby.
Wren croaks it next, hoarse and broken. “No hospitals,” My heart fucking shatters.
“No hospitals,” I agree, smoothing her hair back. “We’ll take care of you, sweetheart. Promise.”
Kage jerks his chin towards the VIP bar tucked at the side of the room. “I’ll get ice.”
I nod, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Wren’s temple. It’s brief, but enough to make her eyes flutter open. She blinks up at me, her lips twitching as she tries to make sense of everything.
“You’re…kinda cute when you’re all…worried and shit, and you smellreallygood,” she slurs, her words thick from the alcohol. I can’t help the low chuckle that rumbles in my chest.
“Yeah?” I ask, a teasing glint in my eyes. “You’re not so bad yourself, little bird.”
She grins, still half lost in her drunken haze. “Good…cause I was thinking about keeping you.”
I shake my head, the corners of my lips tugging up in amusement. “We’ll see, sweetheart.”
14
Wren
THE SONGBIRD
Ican’t stop touching my face. Every time my fingertips brush the swelling, I get a sick feeling in my stomach. I got punched. Actually fucking punched. ByRichof all fucking people. Not that I can say I’m too surprised there. All the signs were there. Now I’m sprawled out on this velvet couch, a complete mess of a girl, ice pack in hand, pretending I’m not vibrating from the inside out. How I managed to make my way into Lennox’s lap is beyond me. For someone who’s been nothing short of cold towards me since we met, he’s actually being really sweet right now.
My girls are hovering, though. Olive’s pacing, already fully prepared to tear someone’s throat out with her teeth. Harper is kneeled beside me, her long fingers rubbing my arm as if she can pet the damage away. I wish it was that easy. She doesn’t know how much damage there really is beneath the surface.
“You should drink some water,” Harper murmurs, her voice soft but clipped. You can tell she’s trying not to cry.Her hand brushes my cheek, gentle. Too gentle. It makes my throat tighten.
“I’m fine,” I mutter, pushing her hand away, not even convincing myself.
Lennox is gazing down at me, his presence the only thing holding me together at this moment. He’s like a wall next to me, solid, hot…inescapable. His arm rests along the back of the couch, his fingers trailing lightly through my hair, lazy and familiar. It almost feels like he’s done this a thousand times with me before.
I should be panicking, pulling away and not letting him do what he’s doing to me after the way he treated me before, but I’m not. My cheek still throbs from being punched, the taste of blood bitter in my mouth, but none of that is what has my heart racing. It’s the heat from Lennox’s thigh under my head, the possessive way his fingertips curl into my hair, grounding me to him. Like Ibelonghere.
I do. God help me, I want to.
I’m too tired to fight it anymore. Too drunk, too high on adrenaline and tequila, and the way they look at me as if I’m something precious and theirs. Kage is across the room, grabbing ice, his shoulders tense like he’s one wrong breath away from fucking destroying something. Lennox hasn’t moved since the second he dropped me onto this couch and sat down. He’s guarding me with his whole damn body.
My mouth moves before my brain can catch up.
“You’re…kinda cute when you’re all…worried and shit,” I slur, my voice warm and fuzzy around the edges.
