CHAPTER 45
Evren
Angel - Massive Attack
Hours. I spent hours searching for her after watching her leave her loft with two friends through the camera.
I was eating, drinking a Nitro in my apartment, watching her pace around.
I don't know why she was pacing, I just liked watching her.
Then she texted someone, fifteen minutes later, two friends I'd never seen before showed up.
The damn camera doesn’t have a microphone.
So I couldn’t know where the fuck she went with those two women.
Were they going to a club to find another man? Is she was going to let a man fuck her before I even do it myself?
I won’t let it happen.
I search the whole damn Upper Layers.
Every place I thought she might run to was packed with rich people giving me dirty looks, like I’m the problem.
But I found nothing.
That camera is shit, everything is shit.
I came back to the garage already on edge, one of my guys took too long bringing me a Nitro and I punched him before he even reached me.
I'm pacing like a caged animal, I want to kill anyone who talks to me, anyone who looks at me or worse.
She is probably with some guy, flirting, smiling at him when I’m right here.
My comm buzzes on the desk, I ignore it.
I stalk into the mechanic bay, none of the members meet my eyes. They know better.
I stop in front of my Charger, it's fixed perfectly, by her under my orders with my men's guidance.
A dark rush of possessiveness coils in my chest, tangled with a simmering irritation that refuses to die.
She’s going to be the death of me.
I’ll kill any man trying to get under her pants, I will fucking cut his head off and fuck her in his blood.
My comm buzzes again.
And again.
The sound makes my eye twitch, it's fucking irritating.
I stalk back to my office, snatch the comm off the desk, and answer.
Varek's hologram flickers to life.
“What?” I snap, my voice flat with irritation.
“The shipment got hit, we got one.” A beat “The shipment is gone though.”
My blood runs cold.
My shipment got hit? By who? Who would fucking dare to?
I end the call without another word then I sprint for my Charger.
I slide into the driver's seat and slam the door shut.
The engine roars to life, I don't wait for it to warm up, I throw it into reverse.
The rear tires scream, rubber burning against the garage floor as smoke curls behind it.
One of my men rushes to throw the garage door open just as the Charger rockets beneath it.
I yank the handbrake and crank the wheel to full lock, the Charger whips into a perfect one-eighty, I drop the handbrake then I bury the accelerator.
The Charger smashes through the warehouse's wide doors.
I slam on the brakes just before I hit Neo, he jumps onto the hood with a grin, barely missing the front chassis.
“Damn, Boss.” Neo tilts his head. “You got here fast.”
I don't even bother killing the engine, I'm out of the car before he's finished speaking.
“Where is that fucker?”
Neo doesn't answer, he just jerks his chin toward the back of the warehouse, hops off my hood, and falls into step behind me.
When I arrive, there's a tiny man hanging upside down from the warehouse ceiling, a balaclava covering his face.
I walk over, tilting my head as I study him then my hand shoots out.
I grab the top of his head and tilt it upright, leaving him hanging horizontally, still unconscious.
I don't need to take the balaclava off—not yet. I want to have a little fun with the fucker first.
I let go with a look of disgust, the body sways as the chains clink together.
I turn to Varek.
“Varek.”
Varek steps forward and stops behind the hanging figure.
“When we arrived, he was alone,” he says. “We didn't waste time figuring out who he was or what was going on. Ren put him in a chokehold until he passed out, then we brought him here. But the shipment is missing.”
“Yeah, it wasn't on him,” Neo adds from atop one of the shipping crates. “He must've had a couple of little friends helping him out.”
I nod, thinking.
If the little bastard doesn't have my shipment on him, then he had someone helping him. Someone who got away before my men arrived.
The question is... Who? And where?
“Splash some water on that fucker. Or piss on him,” I pause. “Just wake him up.”
I don't care who does it.
Neo grins.
He grabs a bucket of ice-cold water sitting beneath one of the warehouse pipes, filling from the steady drip.
Then he dumps it over the man hanging upside down.
For a second, there's no reaction, then a sharp gasp cuts through the warehouse.
The gang laughs in anticipation.
“Wakey, wakey,” I whisper, leaning toward the hanging figure. “Feeling refreshed? Awake? Good.”
I kick his legs with my shin, sending him swinging.
He cries out.
It’s high pitched, but I don’t give a fuck right now.
“You have something that's mine.” I pause, my hands sliding casually into my pockets. “And I want it back. So, start talking.”
I grin, crookedly.
“Or I'll start cutting off your fingers. One by one.”
That little bastard looks at me with such profound hatred it actually amuses me. Really.
But he doesn't speak, doesn't even make a sound.
I sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
“Fine.” A beat. “If you want to play it that way...” I pause. “Ren.”
Ren steps forward, a pair of side cutters in hand. The kind we use to cut copper wires in our engines.
The man's eyes widen.
He twists violently, making his body swing even harder.
I roll my eyes and cross my arms, watching Ren step behind him. He slips one glove off, grabs a finger, and positions the side cutters.
Ready to cut.
“No!” he shouts in utter panic. “Please!”
But that's not a man's voice, it's familiar.
Too familiar.
I throw a hand up immediately.
“Stop.” My eyes narrow.
Ren freezes without hesitation.
I don't ask questions, I grab the balaclava and rip it off.
The hair isn't short—long raven-black hair spills free. For a second, the fabric feels impossibly heavy.
That face.
Those lips.
That fire in eyes that aren't the ones I worship.
“Riven?” I whisper. My gaze sweeps over her.
I take a step back, my eyes go wide.
“Ren, get those fucking side cutters away from her hand!” I bark.
I'm not angry at him, I'm furious at the situation.
She stole from me, after two weeks, after telling me to get the fuck out, after I watched her with my hidden camera, after she disappeared into Kairo-9 with her friends.
She's here.
“You...” I swallow. “You impossible fucking troublemaker...”
A laugh bursts out of me so hard I nearly double over.
It's not funny, I don't find it funny. It's just so completely fucking unbelievable.
I straighten and wipe a tear from the corner of my eye.
The laughter dies the second I look at her.
“Fuck...” I drag a hand through my hair. “I kicked you.”
My jaw clenches.
Now I'm pissed at myself for not taking that damn balaclava off first.
She's absolutely capable of pulling a stunt like this.
I walk over to Riven, slide one hand to the base of her skull, and carefully lift her into a horizontal position so the blood can flow back properly.
My other hand slides and steadies her back.
I sigh, my grip tightening.
“I looked everywhere for you. I was losing my goddamn mind... and all this time, you were planning a robbery against my gang, against me.”
I shake my head, a crooked smile tugs at my lips.
“Yeah, so what?” she snaps. “How did you know I was out? Did you stalk me?”
I don't answer but by the way her eyes widen, I think she understands.
“So... you did it again.” I chuckle, rubbing my thumb over her cheek. “Touching what's mine. You can’t just live your life without fucking with me.”
My gaze bores into hers, those fake eyes. She's smart, she hid her mismatched eyes so no one would know it was her.
“So, what did you do?” I tilt my head. “Hire maids?”
Riven spits in my face.
I don't flinch.
I smile.
“They're my best friends,” she snarls. “Call them that again, and I'll make sure you never get another shipment.”
My smile only widens.
“Is that so?” My thumb brushes roughly over the pulse in her neck. “Your best friends? Fine. If you order it, she'll get it.”
I look at her.
She is magnificent and fucking infuriating. I’ll deal with her personally.
“Varek, untie her carefully. If you hurt her, I'm feeding you to the stray dogs.”
Varek obeys immediately.
Once both her feet are back on the floor, I keep one hand at the back of her neck and the other against her back, steadying her.
Once I’m sure she is not swaying, I walk over to Neo and Ren. Without a word, I backhand both of them.
Their heads snap sideways, blood trickles from Neo's nose and from Ren's cheek from the cuts my rings left.
I know I ordered the water and Ren cutting, but it was before I knew it was her.
And they still choked her and didn’t check who it was.
“You hurt her.” I glare at them.
I stalk over to Varek, grab his collar, and yank him down until he's on one knee, he doesn't resist.
Thank Gods he doesn't.
“Why didn't you check who was under the mask?”
“We had to secure the thief.”
I punch him hard.
His head barely moves, but a bruise immediately begins to bloom across his jaw.
“I don't give a fuck.” I glance at her.
Then I turn to the rest of my gang.
“Riven is off-limits. If any of you lays a hand on her... I'll make sure your neck snaps before you even have the chance to regret it.”
My fists clench until my nails pierce my palms.
Every one of them nods.
When I turn back, Riven is rubbing her ankles.
“Next time, little troublemaker...” I stop in front of her and tap the tip of her nose. “Hit the shipment a little harder if you wanted my attention that badly.”
She immediately recoils and punches me in the jaw.
I expected it.
And I have to admit, I missed it.
“In your fucking dreams!” She looks away from me.
But when she does, I notice the tips of her pierced ears turning red.
I scoff and brush my fingers lightly over one of them.
“Keep telling yourself that,” I whisper. “I watched you touching yourself. Was it because of me?”
Riven whirls around and punches me in the gut.
A soft oof escapes me, but I laugh.
“You are disgusting!”
That's more like it. The silence is gone, finally.
“Yes, I am.” I grab her upper arm. “But you aren't denying it either.”
Before she can speak, I spin her around until her back is against my chest.
I bend down and bury my nose in her hair, breathing in the scent of cold leather, faint smoke, metal, warm skin, and a lingering note of dark amber.
A shiver runs down my spine and goes straight to my cock, making it throbbing against the confines of my jeans.
Fuck.
I need to think about the shipment, my gang is standing right here, watching me.
But I missed her scent, I missed her punching me.
I straighten up and clear my throat.
I look down at her and watch the blush spread from the tips of her ears down her neck.
She's definitely flustered and I’ll take care of it later.
“Riven.” I step back, crossing my arms over my chest, my tone turning utterly serious. “My shipment. Tell me—show me—where it is. You're giving it back to me.”