Anathema (The Mill City #2)

PROLOGUE

Derek

AJ and I had a lot in common when it came to the qualities we looked for in a woman and what made them attractive.

He got everything he wanted with Chyler.

Sure, she wasn't the picture-perfect princess of a woman that most men found appealing, and that was where I would always agree with his tastes.

That’s why I couldn’t say no when he asked me for that one simple favor—to let him run away with and protect her.

He had gotten everything we had been searching for since college, and I was not about to take that away from him. What kind of man would I be to take away the one thing his best friend loved in life? I saw how his eyes lit up when he was around her; it was obvious.

Chyler was one in a million, and AJ was my best friend. I wouldn’t let anything come between that kind of relationship, even if it meant betraying the CIA .

I guess we were both a little more morally gray than we thought we were. Always playing the good guys, when deep down, we both knew we’d bend and break the rules to get what we wanted.

When we lived back in DC, I almost had something going for me until I received my transfer orders and decided it wouldn’t be worth my time to pursue any longer.

No woman was worth dragging across the country, at least no woman I had found, and now, I’m glad I waited because I found my ultimate chase—my end game.

This woman set my blood on fire whenever I was near her. I could claim it was love at first sight for those beautiful ice-blue eyes, but this was far from love.

I’m the kind of man who takes what they want and isn’t afraid of the chase, what it takes to make them— her —mine.

If anything, I get off on it. I love it when a woman plays hard to get.

The harder they play, the greater the reward.

Alexis Lochlan…

I’m obsessed with her, and she fucking hates me—it’s perfect.

I approached Marcus and Dean after leaving AJ with the keys to the SUV, hoping I didn’t regret this decision and that I could cover for him until this shit show was dead and buried. I had no fucking clue what I was going to do right now, no fucking plan.

Marcus and Dean had both women's wrists handcuffed behind their backs. Marcus was laughing as he held on to the taller of the two. She had long white blonde hair and glared daggers at me through her long lashes.

I stopped in front of her and crossed my arms over my chest.

“What’s so fucking funny, Marcus?” I asked, gesturing my chin to him. My tone was bored as I struggled to think of various reasons as to why I let AJ go. Reasons I would need if I were going to get these two on my side to cover for his sorry ass.

“What? You don’t remember the gorgeous waitress from our night at The Landing?” He smirked and licked his lips as he eye fucked her into next Tuesday.

I gave her a once over and tilted my head in thought before rolling my eyes at Marcus. I knew I recognized her from somewhere.

“So it is. Does the waitress have a name?” I glanced over to Marcus, and he shrugged without an answer. I then returned my eyes to her, and instead of answering, she spat at me with a throaty growl.

Marcus jerked her back by her wrists; she whimpered as the metal from the handcuffs bit into her skin with the movement, and he chuckled.

“I guess kitty’s got claws.” He teased, bringing his lips close to her ear to whisper something.

I pressed my lips into a hard line, trying to reframe from the urge to slap her across the face.

I didn’t hit women, not unless they struck first, and even then, I restrained myself from taking such a cheap shot .

Releasing a heavy sigh, I shook my head, moving over to Dean and the woman with short, dirty blonde hair with strands that lightly kissed her shoulders.

Her dark glare alone spoke volumes; she didn’t look as though she would be any easier to deal with. They were two sides of the same coin; the question was, which would be the most reasonable and which would be the worst to handle?

When my eyes wandered her body from head to toe, she turned her face away from me, and I reached out, gripping her chin firmly between my fingers, returning her gaze to meet mine.

Her beautiful ice-blue eyes took my breath away, and for a moment, I had forgotten why I was standing in front of her in the first place.

She was far from the image of the deranged murderer that we had been chasing. It was hard to believe someone who looked like her could be involved in anything of the sort.

Just as I was about to ask for her name, she narrowed her stone-cold eyes at me with a twisted grin. One that begged for me to challenge her. A second later, she kicked out Dean’s knee, causing him to collapse and bolted down the road.

“Fucking bitch!” Dean shouted as his knee slammed into the pavement, and he fell forward to catch himself.

I cursed and immediately took off after her. With her hands cuffed behind her back, she was significantly slower than she would have been with them free.

When I caught up to her side, I wrapped my hand around her arm and pulled her body towards me, turning her around and gripping both arms to keep her still.

She kicked out again, and I flipped her around, pulling her back into my chest to restrain her even further, one arm around her waist and the other across her chest.

“Easy there, sweetheart,” I murmured into her ear as she struggled in my grasp, both of us panting from the sudden sprint.

This woman was a fighter and not about to give in to anyone.

Good; I loved it when they fought against me. Her, even more.

“Let. Me. Go.” She gritted out through her teeth, and I could feel her hands that were pinned between us, attempting to grab me by the balls. I jerked my hips to the side, away from her reach, and tsked, spinning her once again to face me.

I raised my hand to grip her chin, pinning her gaze with mine.

“Don’t grab below the belt unless you plan on taking what’s there,” I taunted with a smirk.

She had me growing hard for her, my pulse racing, and my heart hammering in my chest. This was a high I had never experienced before, one that I wanted more of.

I wanted this woman for myself. I had to have her. The need to claim her was all-consuming.

“Gross, fuck you, perv.” She cringed, attempting to shake my hold of her chin.

I couldn’t help but laugh as she continued to fight.

“Care to tell me your name, pretty viper?” I questioned, releasing her from my grip. She took a step back, putting a little distance between us.

She wouldn’t get far if she decided to make another run for it, although I wouldn’t mind chasing her again. Come to think of it, there were many things I wouldn’t mind doing to her right now.

When she didn’t answer, I tried again—more forcefully.

“You can either tell me your name, or you and your friend over there can tell the Deputy Director of the CIA who you are instead.” I challenged, gesturing over my shoulder.

“Is that so? What would your ‘Deputy Director’ say when I tell him his asshole of an agent let Atlas drive away with Chyler.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“You honestly think he will listen to anything you have to say? You’ll be lucky if he lets you stand in his office for longer than five fucking minutes. Let’s go.” I grabbed her bicep and started dragging her back to the group.

“No. Wait.” She dug her heels into the pavement to stop me from dragging her any further. “Don’t take us in… Please.” She begged, looking up at me with a defeated sigh. “Alexis…” She whispered. I was confident she was playing me, going from savage to sweet within seconds.

I dragged the tip of my tongue along the back of my teeth as I gazed back into those beautiful eyes, and I just knew…

From that moment on, I knew this woman would consume me to no end.

I didn’t care who the fuck she was or what she did to get right here in front of me.

All I wanted was her—in every way.

Fuck.