Page 62 of Vengeance & Sin

My eyes are drawn back to them like magnets. Jade’s no longer facing him. Instead, her back pressed against his front, eyes closed, her head leaning back against his shoulder, and her arm reaching up to wrap around him. Her lips are pulled up, but she looks blissed out as she moves against him.

Kratos may not be dancing, but every once in a while, he sways one way or the other. Even with him almost still, they have the biggest impact on anyone with eyes. Even people dancing around them have stopped to notice them, not that either of them seems to be aware of that. One of his hands snakes its way under her shirt that’s been hiked up by her movement. He rests it flat against her bare skin before his other hand comes up to hold her hip as if he’s holding her in place.

Zander hops off the counter as he continues to watch them. I put my arm out to block his way on instinct. I’m not sure if it’s Kratos or the people around them watching who have his panties in a bunch, but either way, it’s best to let Kratos handle it. He doesn’t fight against me, but he does let out a huff of a breath, and that’s all I need to know that he’s not happy.

Honestly, I’m not either, though I assume it’s for different reasons.

Where I’m sure Zander is jealous, I’m more concerned about the attention this will put on Jade. She’s been turning heads since she walked in the door, between her looks and how she holds herself, added to the fact that she walked in with us. And now she’s getting special attention from Kratos in a very public place that puts her in the spotlight on multiple fronts.

Girls would kill to get even a moment of Kratos's undivided attention. We weren’t joking when we told Jade that he doesn’t entertain women.

“What the fuck are they doing?” Zander asks without looking away from them. I’m sure his line of thought is similar to my own.

“It looks like she’s sunk her claws into him as well, though what else did we expect?” Spencer's voice cuts through my thoughts, and I see that he’s abandoned his hiding spot to stand on the other side of Zander, looking out into the crowd just as we are.

Zander turns on Spencer quickly, getting into his space. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” His voice is low, and I can hear the threat of violence dripping from each word.

Spencer's face takes on a taunting smile as he turns away from the show and looks back at Zander. “Let’s not pretend like she hasn’t been playing you like a fiddle. You don’t get to be the best in her lifestyle without being able to draw attention.” The cruel sneer in his voice is something I haven’t heard in a long time, but regardless, his words ring with truth.

I can see the moment Zander decides he’s had enough. I reach out and snag his bicep before he can lunge.

“Enough. This is not how we handle things.” I tell them in a hushed voice as I look around the room to see who’s paying attention.

I’m almost grateful that they are pulling everyone's attention for the first time tonight. The last thing we need is anyone to see us fighting amongst ourselves, but with them out on the dance floor, it appears as if nobody is giving us a second glance. As odd as that may be, it’s not unwelcome, especially not right now.

Zander shakes my hand off of him but remains where he is. His chest pressed up against Spencer's as he heaves deep breaths in and out to get himself under control. After a moment, he shoves Spencer back before leaning against the island where he previously sat, his eyes turning back to Jade and Kratos.

Spencer doesn't react to Zander's outburst, he looks more than proud of himself, though, and I have to fight the urge to punch him myself. He may not like Jade, but I know he will take her safety seriously since it’s something Froggie wants. Too bad his head is too far up his ass right now to see that this will all have a negative impact on our ability to do so easily.

With the situation handled for the moment, I also lean back against the island, turning my attention back to them in the crowd. When my eyes land on them, I feel my heart pick up speed again.

I tell myself it’s just anxiety over the situation, maybe if I keep telling myself that it will be true.

“What are they whispering about?” Zander asks out loud though I don’t think he actually expects an answer. None of us have any hope of hearing them from this far away. The only indication I have that they are even talking is based on their stances.

Kratos’s head is dipped low so that his mouth is next to her ear as she continues to move against him.

I can see Zander adjust himself from the corner of my eye. It should be ridiculous considering the fact that they are hardly moving. Hell, half the crowd is being more sexual and showy in their attempts to damn near fuck the person they’re with. But for some reason, Jade and Kratos’s display is intoxicating, and I have to fight my own urge to adjust as well.

As we watch, Kratos leans forward, his hand from her hip runs down the length of her leg, stopping at the top of her boot before he pulls it back up, running along the no doubt soft exposed skin just below her knee, all the way up to her ass before it disappearing behind her back. Something in his hand reflects the lights that pulse all around us, but before I can see what it is, it’s gone.

I lean over to ask Zander if he saw what it was, but before I can get the words out of my mouth, Kratos makes a move that stops me dead.

He spins Jade around quickly, so they are once again face to face, chest to chest. His hand fists in the hair above her neck, pulling her head back, so her face is angled up to look at him as he stares down at her.

Something in my chest tightens as I watch him manhandle her, I hear Zander pull in a sharp breath and I know he feels it too. Jade may very well be in danger right now, but Kratos is Froggies number one, if this is what he chooses to do we don’t have a right to step in.

In the back of my mind I know she’ll be fine, why would Froggie have us watch her just to have Kratos harm her? But even with logic on my side, I have to fight off the urge to rush forward. Maybe this is her punishment for wandering off? Maybe he knows something we don’t?

They stand so that both of their profiles are visible to us. Kratos’s face is a mask of calm, but even from this far away, I can see that his posture has stiffened, and his eyes are no doubt dark as he watches her. Jade’s face is blank for a moment before it breaks into a wide smile that is almost unsettling, rivaling even Zander’s unhinged smile and that’s something I didn’t even think was possible.

They continue to watch each other for a moment before Kratos says something to her. From this angle, I can’t read his lips, but whatever it is must have pushed Jade over the edge. She lets out a laugh that’s loud enough to be heard over the swell of music and people around us. Her laugh holds zero humor, though. Instead, it's dark and depraved, matching the look on her face. For the first time since we met her, I can see the darkness that she holds inside, the effect that years of life that have been nothing but hell have had on her.

Even as we watch Kratos’s hand tighten in her hair, she doesn’t flinch or try to pull away. In fact, she does the opposite.

She lunges forward, the pull to her hair has to be intense but it’s almost as if it has zero effect on her as she pushes forward, her smile still in place.

Her lips are on Kratos’s before I can blink, and I feel my eyes widen in shock, knowing before it’s even over that this will be Kratos’s last straw. He may have been willing to humor her on the floor, but he won’t stand for her pushing herself on him. We’ve all seen how he reacts to being treated like a piece of meat in the clubs, it never ends well for the girls, and over the years, most have been smart enough to get the hint. We should have stressed that more to her when she started showing interest at the club last week.

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