CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CLOVER
It didn’t take long for Havoc to find out what was going on. From there he went in search of Knight, running into Cash along the way. Soon all of the Gods and the Angels were gathered.
“This was Daire’s idea?” Blaze asked when he spotted Raina and Daire talking to the guy running the fight ring.
“Yep.” Unable to watch this sober, I finished off my drink. “He wants to give Raina a chance to hurt him right back. To settle this.”
“Damn,” Blaze laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day when Daire felt bad about anything. He’s obviously head over heels for you, Rainbow. He would never do this for anyone else.”
I had no words for that. Some people didn’t use words to show how they feel. They used actions. Daire’s actions were screaming loud and clear.
Once people realized a woman would be fighting a man next, the crowd around the fight zone grew. Even Briar and Lyra joined us.
Right before they entered the makeshift ring, Daire glanced back at me. Our eyes locked, something powerful and unspoken passing between us. Then he and Raina entered the ring.
My pulse pounded faster when the frat guy running things stood in the middle of the ring. Acting like an announcer on TV, he shouted both of their names. Going out of his way to make it easier for Raina to hurt him, Daire pulled his t-shirt off and tossed it to me. Several of the girls watching cheered in response. Yeah, he was hot as hell. I got it.
The frat bro in the ring announced the start of the fight, reminding them not to kill each other. Otherwise, anything goes. He left them to face off with each other.
A lump in my throat choked me. Sensing my discomfort, Cash pressed his full drink into my hand.
“Here,” he said. “I think you need this more than I do.”
Raina had tucked the knife if its sheath into her back pocket. She clenched both hands into fists. However, she seemed reluctant to make the first move. Several people shouted at her to take action. Her focus was on Daire, like she didn’t even hear them.
Daire seemed to realize that she’d been struck with nerves. Maybe it was the crowd watching or the fact that she’d never expected to get this opportunity. Taking matters into his own hands, Daire stepped forward and gave her a shove. Not enough to hurt her or throw her down, just enough to snap her into action.
His lips moved as he uttered a taunt the rest of us couldn’t hear. Whatever it was, it brought a fiery anger to Raina’s eyes. She shot forward, giving Daire a genuine shove that sent him back several feet.
He held up both hands, inviting her to keep going. Knowing it would get a reaction, he tapped his chin, encouraging her to throw a punch. She did.
Raina’s fist slammed into Daire’s jaw. He jerked back, stunned by the power of the blow. I held my breath as I watched. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. The shitty part was that I knew the only way for this wrong to be righted was for Daire to experience some pain and humiliation.
“Don’t worry about him, Sunshine,” Cash said, sliding an arm around me. “Daire is a crazy fuck. He can take a lot of abuse.”
I didn’t doubt that for a second. That didn’t mean I wanted to watch it happen. I had no choice. It wasn’t like I could leave and pretend this wasn’t happening.
Gage shouted his encouragement, telling Raina to slice Daire wide open. A shiver ran through me. Knight and Havoc watched quietly, both eager to see their wife unleash some brutality.
Needing to keep the action going both ways for the crowd, Daire gave Raina another push. This time it was a bit harder, making her trip and fall on her ass. He smiled down at her. I had to hand it to him. He knew how to piss people off.
Raina scrambled to her feet. She threw both hands, one after the other. Daire made a half-assed effort to block. She hit him in the nose, making it bleed. The crowd cheered.
They went back and forth, shoving and hitting. When Daire slapped Raina in the face, the crowd went nuts. They wanted her to beat his ass. He didn’t slap her all that hard. His goal seemed to be to keep her mad. To set her off so she would finally pull the knife.
The Gods seemed to know that too because they stayed put, watching instead of trying to intervene. The slap did the trick. Raina touched her cheek where Daire had hit her. Eyes wide in disbelief, she punched him again.
It didn’t stop there. Raina’s fists kept flying. She hit Daire so many times I lost count. The skin beneath his eye split open, blood dripping down his face. Again he said something to taunt her, to keep her going.
That’s when Raina kicked him in the balls. Daire dropped to his knees, his face contorted in pain. I gasped, my heartbeat frantic.
She pulled out the knife, pressing it to his throat. A collective gasp went up from the crowd. Some jerk shouted for her to slice him open. I’m sure that’s what the Gods were all thinking too.
Grabbing his hair, Raina jerked Daire’s head back. She hissed something low, for his ears only. He nodded. What I wouldn’t have given to know what was being said. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. As long as it helped Raina heal.
She dragged the blade over Daire’s throat, opening up a gash that dripped blood down his chest. Then she jabbed the tip of the knife into his sternum before slashing it over his torso.
“This is going too far.” Lyra sounded as worried as I felt. “Someone has to stop them.”
Now she knew what Raina was capable of. The same woman who had threatened to have Jet killed was carving up my lover and enjoying it.
Blood ran from the wounds, staining the ground in front of Daire. He made no attempt to fight back now, taking whatever Raina wanted to give him. She slashed him a few more times and dropped the knife.
She leaned in close, snarling one more thing before walking away. She left Daire there on his knees, bleeding and clutching his sore groin. The crowd erupted in cheers. I felt lightheaded, like I needed to sit down.
“Are you okay, Clover?” Blaze grabbed my arm when I became unsteady on my feet.
“Yeah, I think so. It’s a little intense.” I let him lead me over to a clear patch of yellowing grass.
We sat down together while Cash went to check on Daire’s injuries. Raina came straight to me, her face crumpling. Dropping to her knees next to me, she flung her arms around my neck.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, Clover. If it helps at all, I feel a lot better now.”
“Good. I’m glad.” I meant each word. Nodding to the Gods who lurked nearby, I added, “I hope it was good enough for them too.”
“It will have to be,” Raina said. “I’m the goddess.” She forced a tight smile. “You should go be with Daire.”
He and Cash had disappeared into the house. I still clutched his shirt in one hand. Holding tight to Blaze, I let him navigate our way through the busy yard.
So much for our night out. Hopefully, now the Gods would let this go, and we would have peace.