Page 24 of Hateful Union

Raylee doesn't make a peep as the gunshots are fired around us. Footsteps sound behind me as the yells from my men hit me. They're running to their cars, getting ready to follow the arsehole on the motorbike.

"Baby," I whisper, my mouth inches from her ear. "Are you okay?"

She releases a pained moan. "Fuck." It's a painful hiss.

I lift her into my arms and wince as I see the blood and scrapes on her face. That was my fault when I pushed her to the ground. I gently touch her face, "I'm sorry."

She shakes her head, her eyes filled with pain. "Not your fault. You pushed me out of the way. Why?" The confusion in her face guts me. “Why the hell would you do that? You hate me.”

I scoff, "I do, and you hate me just as much. But that doesn't mean that I don't want you." My thumb traces her lips. "I crave you. You're like a fucking drug to me, Raylee. I can't stay away from you and yet, you infuriate me like no other."

I walk to my car, she's still in my arms, it feels right having her here. Like it's where she's meant to be.

She smiles, "Yeah, well you push my buttons more than my brothers do and that's a hard feat."

I chuckle, "What do you say, baby? Hmm, one night? Just one night to get this craving out of our system?"

She shrugs as she licks her lips, "As long as you stop calling me baby."

I grin. Fucking finally. I slam my lips down against hers. My dick hardens at the thought of being inside of her.

10

Raylee

Imust be fucking crazy—or in shock.. That’s the only explanation that I have. I shouldn’t be in this car, I definitely shouldn’t be going home with him. It’s a bad idea. A bloody huge mistake. But I can’t deny the attraction that I have for him.

Fire’s burning in my stomach. The anticipation and lust have built up since the moment I saw him and since then I’ve pushed it aside and pretended that I don’t want Malcolm Gallagher. The truth is, I want him more than I care to admit. I need to taste him more than my next breath. I hate that I want him.

“Are you doing okay?” he questions, his thick gravelly, Irish accent has my skin breaking out into goosebumps. How the hell does his voice have this effect on me? How does he manage to elicit this reaction from me?

I stare at him, my head tilted to the side as I study him. This new side to him, I can’t figure it out. Is he being nice to me in hopes that he can screw me? Doesn’t he realise that angry sex is just as good, if not better than lust-filled sex. Hell, mix the two together and it’ll be off the charts.

“Why do you care?” I ask, needing to get to the bottom of this. I don’t trust Malcolm, I sure as hell do not believe that he’s capable of turning off the hatred and acting like the concerned citizen.

His brows furrow, “I’m not a monster, Raylee.”

I scoff, is he for fucking real? “Really?” I drawl, wondering where the hell he gets his bloody high horse from.

“You really blame me for his death?” he questions, his voice monotone as though it doesn’t matter what my answer will be. He must take my silence for his answer. “If I had let you go, you would have died,” he says through clenched teeth. “Don’t you fucking understand that?”

My throat lodges as tears threaten to fall. “I know that. God, I’m not fucking stupid. But, he was Mayer.” His name comes out as a whisper. “What happened, should never have.” It should have been me. Mayer’s love for Gabby and I knew no bounds. He gave so much for us. Watching him die was the worst thing that could have happened to me.

“The alternative was never an option.”

I shake my head, “You don’t get it. You’ll never fucking understand.”

I’m only here today because of Mayer. I’m able to live in the now because of his selflessness. And that led him where? To him being killed to protect me, yet again.

“You’re right, I don’t fucking get it. How does someone like you end up being so close to a depraved arsehole like Mayer Banks.”

I grit my teeth. “You do not,” I hiss at him, “get to talk about him like that. Not now, not ever.”

He sighs heavily, this conversation getting us nowhere. “Look, just drop me off at the nearest convenience store. I’ll catch a ride home.”

His jaw ticks. “We’re going to fuck. This thing between us, it’s driving me crazy. It needs to end. The only way that’s going to happen is if we fuck.” His voice is thick with need.

I raise a brow, does he truly believe it’ll work like that? “You think once is going to be enough?”

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