CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CLOVER
“Let’s take a drive.” Daire tossed the Chinese leftovers in the fridge and pulled car keys from his pocket. “We can show Clover our spot by the river. It will be good for her to get some fresh air.”
“What if I don’t want any fresh air?” I glanced up from where I sat on the armchair in the living room, scrolling aimlessly on my phone.
Since Raina had left an hour ago, I’d done my best to avoid speaking to these jerk asses. All I wanted was to sit alone in my dorm room and process everything that had happened. I needed time. The Angels weren’t making it easy.
“Too bad. You obviously need some. It will do you good. Let’s go.” Daire beckoned me with a jerk of his head as he strode toward the front door.
With an exasperated sigh, I shoved off the chair and followed. “Is this some kind of trap? Are you going to toss my dead body into the river?”
“Not tonight. It’s actually a really nice spot. Perfect for a walk along the riverbank under the moonlight. You’ll love it.” The smile that Cash wore was almost friendly. He held the front door open, waiting for me to exit after Daire and Blaze before following.
I slid into the backseat with Blaze, doing my best to keep to my side of the car. Frustration had me clenching my teeth as we drove. Taking Raina up on her offer to get me out of here would have been the easy way out. For me. It would have only caused trouble between the Angels and the Gods. I didn’t want to be responsible for violence between the two groups.
I hadn’t asked to be their fuck doll. I didn’t deserve to be put in a position to choose between death and servitude. However, I didn’t expect Raina or anyone else to fight my battles for me. I had to take initiative to get myself out of this somehow.
“Did you grow up in the city?”
It took a moment for me to realize that Cash spoke to me. He turned in his seat to face me. Why was he trying so hard to be nice?
“Uh, yeah. My family moved here from Vancouver when I was seven. Been here ever since.” I fidgeted with my seatbelt. What was the point of friendly chitchat now after everything they’d done to me?
“Do you have any siblings?” Blaze asked, hands folded behind his head as he leaned back against the seat.
“One older brother,” I said. “He’s married and living on the other side of the country now.”
I’d always felt like more of an only child. The almost ten year age difference between my brother and me had made it hard to relate to him. I’d always secretly wanted a sister, which is why having Raina and Lyra in my life now was so special. They were the sisters I’d never had.
“What about you guys?” I asked, turning the line of questioning back on them. “I don’t know anything about any of you.”
Aside from what Blaze had told me about himself, I didn’t know much about the men who’d claimed me as their own. Kind of weird if you asked me.
“Older sister, younger brother.” Daire’s tone was bored, like it took effort for him to talk about himself. “Parents divorced when I was nine. I guess I’m the classic fucked up middle child.”
“That explains everything then, doesn’t it?” I quipped, smirking to myself.
Cash laughed, holding up an arm to block when Daire tried to punch him. “I have a sister. She’s a few years older than me. We’ve never really gotten along well. I guess spending my childhood doing all I could to torment her probably played a role in that.”
“I’m an only child. Make all the jokes you want. I’ve heard them all.” Holding out both hands in invitation, Blaze quirked a brow and smiled.
They could almost pass for normal in that moment. Just your everyday guys with families and backstories. Except they weren’t. They were like every other screwed up person who grew up to be a criminal.
Part of the river ran along the edge of the city. There was a park nearby with a treelined area that included a few walking paths. At this time of night it was almost empty. An older couple sat on a bench together near the water. Otherwise, the places was all ours.
As soon as I got out of the car, the freshness of the air greeted me. Okay, maybe Daire had been right. This was nice.
I expected them to sit in the park area or on one of the benches. Instead, they guided me into the trees. Surely they wouldn’t kill me with two people sitting nearby. Right? I wasn’t entirely sure about that.
Blaze slid an arm around my shoulders as we walked. Did he think I might bolt and run for it? The thought had crossed my mind. I’d abandoned it, suspecting that I couldn’t outrun all three of them.
“We have the best spot right over here,” he explained.
Tiny rocks crunched under foot as we followed a dirt path through the trees. The sound of the river flowing on the other side of the trees accompanied us as we walked. We didn’t go far before Daire turned off the path, shoving through the thick trees. My stomach flip flopped.
When we emerged from the trees into a small clearing next to the river, my jaw dropped in wonder. A rocky patch gave way to sand that stretched right to the river’s edge. The half-moon hung over the water, reflecting off the surface. The water flowed with ease, beckoning me closer.
“Careful, Angel,” Daire warned. “The current is stronger than it looks. We wouldn’t want you falling in now.”
I drew closer to the water’s edge, ignoring his warning. I didn’t need him to tell me how the river worked. Crouching down, I ran my fingers through the water, savoring the cold sensation.
Daire sidled up close to me. “Are you a good swimmer?”
I frowned, not liking the way he’d asked. “Good enough. Planning to throw me in?”
He inclined his head to one side, like he considered it. “No. You’ll float right past that couple. Maybe another time.”
His wicked grin implied he was joking. I wasn’t sure Daire ever really joked about anything.
“What’s your story, Daire?” I asked, taking a bold approach. “What got you into this vigilante lifestyle? What made you so brutal?”
He stared out over the water so long I thought he refused to answer. With a shrug, I sat down on the sand, sifting it through my fingers. While Blaze and Cash skipped small rocks across the water, Daire sat next to me.
“Like I said, I was the messed up middle child.” He drew my gaze his way. “I’ve always had violent urges. I remember busting my brother’s nose open when I was only seven. He didn’t do anything to provoke it. He was playing a video game. I smashed him in the face with a vase. It only got worse from there.”
“Oh?” I ran my finger through the sand, drawing random designs.
“After my parents’ divorce, I got worse. A lot worse. I shoved a hockey stick through some kid’s bike spokes. He flew over the handle bars and kissed the pavement. Broke a lot of teeth.” Daire paused, a wan smile crossing his face as he remembered. “Anyway, I knew that I’d go to jail for the rest of my life if I didn’t find a way to channel my violent urges in a safer way. My uncle got drunk at a family barbecue and hit my aunt one night, so I beat the shit out of him. Almost killed him. God, that felt fucking good.”
I studied Daire in my peripheral view. I’d never known anyone who enjoyed hurting people so much. Not even Raina who did it out of necessity rather than desire. Under other circumstances, Daire might have been a serial killer. I guess in his own way he was.
Not knowing how to respond, I asked, “Was your aunt okay?”
“Yeah, but I’m not invited to family gatherings anymore. Haven’t seen either of my folks in the past three years.” Smile vanishing, Daire’s expression grew hard and cold. “Guess that’s how it is when you’re the black sheep.”
My heart softened the slightest bit toward him. He’d never admit that there’d been a trace of pain in his voice. I stared at Cash and Blaze where they stood by the water. I didn’t want Daire to see the sympathy in my eyes. I doubted it would be well received.
Blaze laughed at something Cash had said and gave him a shove. When Cash almost fell into the water, he grabbed Blaze and pretended to throw him in. They were laughing and joking together, sharing a lighthearted moment that caught my attention.
Since I got wrapped up with these guys, I hadn’t witnessed any type of carefree behavior. They were always so intense. So stiff. I was reminded that they were human too. Although maybe just barely.
A cold splash of water hit me, making me shriek. Cash held his hands cupped, ready to scoop more water.
“Don’t you dare,” I admonished with an unbidden giggle. “It’s so cold.”
Cash scooped another handful of water and rushed toward me. Springing to my feet, I darted away to avoid the splash. Water dripped through his fingers as he chased me.
I ran in a circle around Daire who threatened anyone that got him wet. When Cash got too close, I slapped his cupped hands, sending the water he held flying. Most of it landed on Daire. Oops.
I didn’t hang around to experience his wrath. I ran for the trees instead. In seconds, all three of them were right behind me.
I shoved between the tightly packed trees. The three guys crashed through as they followed. Not wanting to be caught in the thick of the trees, I circled back to the path that would lead me back to the car. When they emerged from the trees after several minutes of looking for me, they found me leaning against the blacked out Audi.
“You little minx.” Blaze wagged a scolding finger. He pulled me into his arms and swung me around, making me squeal. “I should spank your cute ass for that, but I have something more fun in mind.”
“Save it for when we get back to the house,” Cash advised. “The last time I tried to fuck out here, a cop looking for a teen party caught me. That bastard gave me a ticket.”
We piled back into the car. Daire revved the engine a few times before putting the car in gear. A visit to the river had been nice. My head felt clearer, and my mood had lightened. Although it was no magic cure for the experience I’d recently had, it helped me feel connected to the world again.
We were almost back to the house when the conversation about an upcoming party took a turn.
“The Gods will probably be there too,” Blaze said, doing that hot little toss of his head that moved his hair out of his eyes.
Daire eyed me through the rearview mirror. “Speaking of the Gods, maybe there’s something you can help us with, Angel.”
I didn’t like the sound of that. Swallowing hard, I asked, “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
“We want you to find out from Raina when their next big cash or drug drop is happening. We’re going to sabotage it.”