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“Nothing. It’s nothing,” I whispered, staring down at my hands. In the corner of my eye, an irritated line formed between his brows, but he didn’t push the topic further.
We drove past a couple blocks in silence, Ansel kept his head forward for most of it—stealing a couple of glances from me as he drove—until he turned to me, saying, “You’re afraid of me because I killed that orc? He was going to hurt you, Skye. AndI’mthe bad guy?” He shook his head slowly, laughing to himself.
“You didn’t have to kill him,” I mumbled under my breath, but loud enough for Ansel to hear.
He laughed again. The sound did nothing to relax me, only left me feeling worse. “Don’t kill him? So, let him go so he could alert the entire club we were there? The one thing we were trying to avoid?” He took a sharp left turn—on purpose, I thought—and if it weren’t for my seatbelt, I would have tumbled into his lap. I glared at my feet, rubbing the spot on my chest where the seatbelt had stretched a little too hard against my skin. “Listen, I know you’re new to all this, Skye, and you’re only used to working in your safe little office fixing computers, but there is something we use down here called common sense, and sometimes in a life and death situation, it’s the only thing that keeps us alive.”
I scoffed, his words pricking deep. At that moment, I wished I was back in the hallway with Bram. He was disgusting, but at least he didn’t insult my intelligence. “And when were you going to tell me Gregor was a family member? I know I don’t have much common sense, but I’m smart enough to know when I’m caught up in some fucked-up family feud.”
“Gregor is not my family,” Ansel growled, his knuckles turning white around the steering wheel. I was half-worried he would rip off the entire steering wheel and we would go careening into the cement divider. “He may share my blood, but I don’t claim him.” Ansel blew out a deep breath between his full lips; his shoulders relaxing slightly.
I crossed my arms across my chest and shifted my knees away from him, staring out the window at the empty buildings that passed. “I just want to remind you that I didn’t even want to do this in the first place. Liam coerced me.”
“Don’t worry, I’m dealing with him as soon as we get home.”
I don’t know how it was possible, but I sunk even lower into my seat like a naughty child picked up by their father after being suspended from school. There was some comfort knowing Liam was grounded too.
As soon as we returned to the warehouse, Ansel lumbered past me faster than someone should with his body fat to muscle ratio, his massive hands already curled into fists.
Demie was the first one I noticed, sitting on the edge of the couch, nervously bouncing his knee. And then my eyes found Liam, standing in the center of the room, his hands tucked behind his back as he waited for Ansel. Liam stood with his back straight and held his chin high—with the same air of a modern-day prince. He didn’t even flinch, not even as a furious orc rushed towards him.
“Boss, I can explain—” It was all Liam was able to get out before Ansel grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air like he weighed nothing.
Crack.The wet sound of Ansel’s fist connecting with Liam’s face echoed throughout the warehouse. Ansel released his shirt and Liam fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
“Get up,” Ansel growled. “I would say get up and face me like a man, but you’re not a man. A man doesn’t send in a helpless woman to fight his own battles.” Ansel’s entire body shook with rage, his hands balled into fists again.
Liam didn’t stand up. Not right away. He slowly pushed himself to a seated position. He lightly touched his face where the hit had landed with his fingers, wincing. There was already a bruise forming on his perfect features. “Yeah, well, at least I’m doing something,” he finally murmured, so quiet I barely caught what he said.
“If you don’t like how I run things here, then you’re welcome to leave. No one is making you stay, Liam.”
Liam shot him an icy glare. “You know I can’t do that,” he said, his tone colder than the color of his eyes. “Plus, the faerie is fine.” He slowly stood, brushing the dust off the front of his pants. “And the mission wasn’t a complete waste. We learned Gregor is starting to feel the effect of you taking out his soldiers one by one. So much so that his top men are going to be working the next drop.”
Ansel opened and closed his fist as he glared at Liam. “Do we know when or where that next drop will be?”
Liam hesitated, opening his mouth and closing it. “No,” he said, his gaze moving to the floor.
Ansel nodded once. Even from all the way over here, I could see the muscle ticking in his jaw. “So you put Skye in danger, for what? For a piece of information we could have guessed ourselves?”
When Liam didn’t answer, Ansel added, pointing a finger at Liam’s chest as he spoke, “I promised to keep her safe. If you ever put her in danger like that again, I will not hesitate to kill you. You understand me? She is innocent, and I won’t have her blood on my hands. Gods know it’s covered with enough blood as is. I don’t care if you’re family, I will kill you.” At that harrowing sentiment, Ansel brushed past Liam, heading towards the stairs.
He only made it two steps before Liam spoke up, “I don’t regret it.” Ansel stopped in his tracks but didn’t turn to face him. “If sacrificing her means saving you from your own recklessness—this pointless avenge the dead mission—then I’d do it again in a heartbeat. You’re my brother, Ansel, and I made an oath to protect you and serve your family, but since you won’t let Demie or me help you at all, then the least I can do is protect you from yourself.”
“Thanks, brother. But I am beyond saving. You and I both know that,” he said over his shoulder. The anger was still there but there was an edge of sadness underneath. My heart ached for Ansel, even though I didn’t fully understand why. Ansel disappeared upstairs without another word.
Not really wanting to be alone in a room with a pissed-off orc, but not wanting to be in the same vicinity with an elf who didn’t care if I lived or died, I decided my chances were better upstairs. Even seeing Ansel at his absolute worst, I felt the strange, yet strong urge to be near him. To comfort him. An urge I couldn't ignore.
Demie and Liam ignored me as I walked past, heading towards the stairs. Demie had already pulled out a bag of frozen vegetables and was holding it against Liam’s face.
“Hey,” Liam said to me, his voice coming out a little harsher than he probably intended. “I know it doesn’t mean much, but I am sorry. I’m sorry you’re tied up in all this bullshit.”
I stopped in my tracks to stare at him, a whirlwind of emotions currently fighting in my chest. Finally, I raised my shoulder and shrugged. It wasn’t the best response, but my other option wasn’t much better—Hey, no worries. I’m fine with the fact that you had no qualms about sending me into the club like some sexy sacrificial lamb to be molested or possibly much worse, just to protect Ansel. I get it. I’m disposable. All good here.
The door was closed when I reached the landing. I raised my hand to knock, but hesitated. This was my room too, for the time being, and I didn’t necessarily need Ansel’s permission to enter.
Ansel was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands drooped between his knees, as he stared at a far distant corner of the room. He didn’t even look up as I closed the door softly behind me, or when I sat down next to him on the mattress.
After a long minute of silence, I began to wonder if this was a bad idea. Even though we’ve been sharing a room the past few days, he was still a stranger to me. I was the last person who should be comforting him—
