Chapter 3 #3
A noise sounded behind me, but I didn’t bother turning to look because I was very aware who else had shown up. It’d be a cold day in hell that our entire team didn’t come to work, especially when Arabella was helping out.
“Damian?” she asked again. I realized everyone was staring at me, and I’d yet to put her down.
With a look towards Amun, I gently placed her down on the ground but kept my tail wrapped around her, wanting to put her behind me.
Not that Blackwell would let Amun get close to her, but I still didn’t like the possibility.
“Should we move to the conference room? I want to brief them on the mission tonight, and you need to talk to Amun before we show him the dorms.” Arabella was now talking directly to her father, so she didn’t see Saint until he was standing right next to me, his fingers brushing through her hair and bringing it to his nose.
Our Director offered him a dry look over his daughter’s head, but the nightmare looked unrepentant.
He was respectful of Director McCroy, but if Saint wanted to do something or act a certain way, there wasn’t much that could stop him.
To be fair, the immortal bastard had somewhat earned that right, even if it was just in a seniority sense.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Director McCroy offered, back to his analytical self as his slight disapproval at Saint’s actions disappeared. “Amun, how about you come this way and we will meet them—”
“Not without her,” Amun snarled as I muttered a grievance under my breath.
Saint froze, looking over at the legend terror, his smile growing in a way that even made me uncomfortable. Anything that Saint had interest in was already dead, or soon to be... well, besides Arabella.
“Saint, not now, man.” Zain sighed, walking around my other side, offering a small yawn.
I didn’t buy it, but I appreciated his non-combative attitude and effort to get Saint to chill out.
Violence was fun, but violence with Saint wasn’t violence, it was just death, and I knew Arabella could actually end up upset because of that.
For whatever reason, she wanted this mummy bastard around. Presumably intact.
Saint paid him no mind, crossing towards Amun as the nightmare offered him a speculative and dismissive glance.
A mistake for sure. Razar, on the other hand, crossed the room towards Arabella.
He stood in front of us, checking her over as she went up on her toes to peek around him.
I knew she was trying to keep an eye on Saint and his interaction with Amun, a tinge of concern shading her calculating gaze, which was absolutely the correct reaction here.
“The Director said you need to go with him. I suggest you do that.” Saint’s voice was amused and almost somewhat friendly. I could feel his energy surrounding the two of them, and as if recognizing the possible danger he was in, Amun stiffened his resolve and offered a low snarl.
“I go where she goes,” Amun repeated. Arabella let out a soft hum and a sigh before tapping on my tail. I grunted, unwrapping it from her delicate frame despite my instincts, and she crossed towards the two of them.
Saint flashed a dangerous smile, offering a laugh that even had me on edge. “No, you fucking don’t. If you touch her again—”
Arabella smoothed a hand over his chest, causing his words to cut off as his gaze snapped down to hers. She offered him a warm smile that I was jealous of before looking back at Amun, as if Saint hadn’t been about to threaten his life.
“We are going to be within feet of one another, actually. You will be able to see me through my father’s office window, but he does need to talk to you. Is that okay? I want you to be part of the team, Amun, but in order for that to happen, you have to promise to play nice.”
Saint was holding her hand and watching her almost reverently instead of looking at Amun, who examined her expression before offering a sharp nod.
Arabella gave a bright smile and broke through both of them, walking back towards the exit of the containment room without another word.
My eyes followed the sway of her hips and ass as she flashed Zain a smile in passing.
I shook my head, wondering how the woman did it.
Everything she did was with such ease and confidence, I found myself nearly envious.
She also had left us to our destructive tendencies, trusting us to listen to her and not keep fighting, which we would, of course, do.
Cy and Razar began following her immediately as McCroy shook his head, looking amused as he and Zain followed the group out of the room.
I stayed with Blackwell as Amun and Saint continued to stare at one another, the tension lightened but not gone, making me know it was possible for a fight to still break out.
No one wanted that—their magic was far more similar than different, and it would spell trouble for all of us.
Anyone else and I would be fucking thrilled, especially with Arabella out of harm’s way, but not Saint.
“Come on, Saint.” I tucked my hands into my pants pockets. “I want to see what Arabella came up with last night.”
He seemed to relax slightly at her name, not saying another word as he turned his back to Amun in a show of disrespect.
I offered Amun a speculative glance as Blackwell motioned for him to follow with a head nod.
I considered not saying anything, but as we made our way towards the exit chamber, I figured I might as well offer him some warning.
“You don’t want to start anything with him,” I explained lazily.
Amun looked over my expression, a knowing glint to his gaze making me realize he was smarter than he was currently acting. “The reaper?”
My lips pulled up into an amused smile. Saint wasn’t really a reaper. I mean, he was… he was the reaper, but that didn’t really fucking matter. I nodded as he seemed to mull that over, his temper seeming to sink underneath the surface a bit.
“Why?”
I let out a sigh. “Because he won’t hesitate to kill you.”
“I can’t die,” he mused.
“Saint can kill you.”
Saint could kill anyone.
Amun frowned as I shrugged. “Take my advice or don’t, but remember what I said. Saint has killed people for far less regarding Arabella.”
After all, that was what Death did—killed.