CHAPTER SIX
DAIRE
Blaze was strangely quiet on the drive home. I snuck a few glances at him from the passenger seat, noting the stiffness to his shoulders and the tight way he gripped the steering wheel. He was way too hung up on this girl.
I kind of understood her appeal. She was a gorgeous little blonde with a tight body and wide blue eyes that conveyed her every emotion. Watching her blink at me with terror in those blue orbs had tested my restraint. I ached to make her beg.
As much as I wanted to test Clover in every way and make her scream, I didn’t have the attachment to her that Blaze seemed to have formed. Letting a woman get too close was dangerous. They had a way of getting into a man’s head and fucking them right up. I knew firsthand. I’d made the mistake of trusting a woman in the past. It had blown up in my face when I caught her in bed with her ex.
I didn’t want to see that happen to Blaze. I didn’t trust his interest in this girl. Of course it was too late to do anything about that now. She was ours. Our new toy.
Blaze pulled into the driveway of our shared rental house and turned off the engine. He glanced over at me. “I need a stiff drink.”
We entered the house that was far too white for my liking, flicking on the lights. The house was a blend of white and brown. The hardwood flooring that stretched throughout the house was a deep chestnut brown, a stark contrast to the white walls. Even the stairs were encased in white. But it was a rental so fuck it.
We passed the stairs and entered the kitchen. It was a large, sprawling space that bled into the attached living room. A kitchen like this was meant for cooking quality, healthy meals and feeding a thriving family. It was wasted on guys like us.
The gray stone island was littered with takeout containers, old coffee cups, and liquor bottles. The usual.
Blaze grabbed the bottle with the most liquor left inside. Instead of using a glass, he unscrewed the lid and downed the whiskey straight. Dude must be having some hard feelings. Too bad.
Feeling a little peckish, I dug through the fridge for leftovers. Finding the pizza I’d stashed in the back, I pulled it out and shoved the box onto what little clear space there was on the counter. Not bothering with the microwave, I pulled out a slice and ate it cold.
I eyed Blaze as I chewed. I knew him well. He could be a hard motherfucker when the situation called for it, but he also had a soft side. I wasn’t sure I liked how this Clover situation was affecting him. So her boyfriend gave her a shove. Who fucking cares? Apparently, Blaze did. Now she was everyone’s problem.
“Are you sure about this chick, Blaze?” I finally asked. “She might be more trouble than she’s worth. Does it really mean that much to you to play the hero and save her from Zane?”
Blaze lowered the whiskey bottle with a scoff. “I’m not playing the hero. I threatened to kill her if she talked about what happened tonight. Don’t give me that shit.”
“Then what’s your deal?” I pressed, needing to know where his head was at. “You’ve got a thing for this girl. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as she doesn’t get inside your head.”
Cash sat down at the small bistro table near the window. He flipped open his laptop and tapped a few keys, his gaze straying to us as he awaited Blaze’s response.
“What’s with all the questions?” Blaze shot me an annoyed glare. “Maybe I just want to fuck her. Maybe I’d take some pleasure in knocking out her shithead boyfriend too. What does it matter, Daire?”
Defensive as hell. I laughed around my mouthful of pizza. “Settle down, dude. No need to get testy. Just making sure this girl isn’t going to manipulate you into being her bitch.”
Cash laughed, leaning back on his chair. “Did you see that chick? She was quaking with fear and we didn’t do a damn thing. Yet. She won’t be making anyone her bitch.”
Blaze frowned before taking another swig of whiskey. “Can’t really blame her for being scared.”
“Personally, I love that she’s so meek and demure.” Returning to the fridge, I pulled out a bottle of Coke and took a large drink. “Nothing like Raina. Those two are total opposites in almost every way. Funny how they’re best friends.”
Cash stretched his legs out before him, lacing his hands behind his head. “Speaking of Raina, have either of you considered that she may not be too happy to hear about Clover’s involvement with us? It might get her and the Gods all fired up.”
The three of us exchanged a look. I stuffed the last bite of pizza into my mouth and brushed the crumbs off my fingers over the sink. “That’s if Clover even tells Raina. She didn’t tell her about Zane being an abusive dick, otherwise Raina would have had him killed by now.”
“Good point,” Blaze mused. He shoved a hand through his shaggy hair, pushing it out of his eyes. “Clover belongs to us now. Eventually, Raina will find out. No doubt she’ll be pissed.”
Cash pursed his lips in thought, cocking his head to one side. “Might not be such a bad thing to have Clover in our grasp. Maybe we can use her to find out more about the Gods and their shady activity. We’ve had issues with their mob guys before. I’d love the opportunity to fuck with their business.”
I rubbed the scar on my shoulder through my t-shirt. Gage had stabbed me with my own knife. Twice. Admittedly, I’d deserved it along with the beatdown he gave me. We’d been going back and forth with the Gods for some time now. Using Clover to get some insight on their activity might not be such a bad idea.
“Let’s do it,” I said. “When the time is right. First we have to make sure we can trust her and keep that stupid fuck Zane away from her.”
Cash clicked around on the laptop, leaning in to study something on the screen. “Some drunk jackass crashed his car into a restaurant patio and killed a small child. You’d think the law would actually do something about it but nope. He’s a free man.”
Sounded like a perfect target to me. I nodded, already imagining the beating we would give him. Hell, maybe we’d just kill him. I’d have to see what kind of mood I was in at the time.
“Get his info. We’ll deal with him.” Still hungry, I pulled a granola bar from the box in the pantry.
Blaze placed the empty liquor bottle back on the counter and turned to leave the room. “I’m going up to bed. Maybe one of you lazy fucks should clean the goddamn kitchen. I did it last time.”
I flipped a middle finger at his back as he went and chuckled. Once I heard him close his bedroom door, I turned to Cash. “Do you think making Clover our new toy is a good idea? She’s hot as fuck and probably has a nice, tight pussy, but I’m not loving how quick Blaze was to form this little obsession with her. He’s been watching her. Stalking her.”
Cash gave a lazy half shrug. “I think Blaze can handle himself. He saw something he wanted and he made it his. Can’t fault the guy for that. And he’s willing to share. I sure wouldn’t say no to that. Clover probably tastes like candy.”
He made a lascivious face and snickered. I rolled my eyes and crumpled the granola bar wrapper before tossing it in the garbage. He made a good point. We would all get our turn with Clover. Her shy innocence taunted my cock. The thought of tearing her apart with it made my blood run hot.
“Rock, paper, scissors to see who has to clean the kitchen?” Cash suggested.
I strolled over to where he sat and held out my hand. We counted to three and each made our choice. I chose rock. Bastard chose paper. Fuck me.