Page 36 of Dark Enemies

‘She’s my wife. I will sort her out.’ I put as little emotion as I could into my voice. Settled the ice into my veins so he thought me impassioned and angry at her rather than trying to protect her from him. He released his fingers from her face, the red marks remaining where his nails had dug into her. I wanted to hurt him so badly, but breathed through the rage.

I grasped Maeve by the hair, slipping my fingers in beneath her bun, grasping near her roots so that hauling her up to me looked a lot rougher than it felt. She yelped in surprise as I dragged her face up to mine and wrapped my other hand around her neck, pouring as much cold fury into my voice as I could muster. ‘I’m going to take you home and make you regret stepping out of line.’

I expected fear, and there was a tinge in her widened eyes, but then her pupils dilated and her mouth opened in the softest of gasps that sent shockwaves of lust right to my groin. Fuck. I didn’t think she was into the rougher stuff. Maeve was going to be the end of me.

‘She better have a fat fucking lip the next time I see her, or I’ll be giving her one myself.’

‘Come on, we need to get out of here before he changes his mind,’ I said, whispering into her ear as I turned her and released her hair. ‘Katie, I’ll drop you off on the way. Get Benny to bring the car round.’

I strong armed Maeve until we were out of Father’s eyeline and halfway to the front door before twisting her and pushing her against the wall.

‘Have you lost your fucking mind?’ I asked her. ‘Are you trying to get yourself killed?’

‘I will not take that shit from him.’ She trembled against me as she spoke, her body betraying her words.

‘You’ve got no choice. None of us do. You stood up to him. And he’ll make me pay.’ I let out a breath and stared down at her, her cheeks flushed as she stared back up at me.

‘Are you mad at me for what happened upstairs? Are we going to talk about it?’

I sighed and dragged a hand through my hair.

‘I’m not mad that you didn’t stop. I’m... frustrated.’

‘You left me on my own without a word. Here with him. I couldn’t sleep and I’ve been on edge ever since, well, since we left paradise. I won’t apologise for taking my pleasure in my own hands, nor for relieving stress in the only way I can here. I will do whatever I have to to survive this.’

‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have abandoned you here. I just... didn’t know what to do.’ I was close enough to see her pulse thundering in her throat as I stood pinning her between myself and the wall. Her tongue snaked over her lower lips as she held my gaze. Her pupils were still blown and I wanted nothing more that to take her mouth and steal a kiss. To taste her and feel her heat against me. ‘There are other ways to relieve the pressure. If you want to.’

‘Yeah? What are you suggesting?’ Her voice dropped as she blinked up at me through her long lashes.

I reached up and tilted her chin up a fraction, running a thumb over her soft, pink lips. Fuck it. I needed to kiss her. The world could take a flying fuck. I wanted her. I wanted her steel and her vulnerability, her joy and her tears. I wanted her on my lips, on my fingers, on my dick and in my bed.

I inched my face towards hers and took a breath, psyching myself up for a moment that could change everything.

‘Come on, you two.’ Katie’s voice shook me from the reverie as Maeve turned her head to the left. I watched as Katie reached between us and grabbed Maeve’s hand, dragging her out of my arms. ‘We need to go now. Father is apoplectic and you’ve got about a minute before he finds Maeve.’

I didn’t know whether to hug Katie for reminding us that Father was about to blow, or curse her from ruining the moment.

I followed them to the car and slid into the back, nodding at Benny, who held the door. As I slid into the seat, I tried to figure out where Maeve was in her head, but she averted her eyes and stared out of the window as Katie nattered on at her.

Maeve was going to be in my apartment, and I had no idea how to be around her without wanting to drag her on top of me.

I groaned and closed my eyes. What had I gotten myself into? I was doing a shit job of hating her.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

MAEVE

The further we drove from Harold’s house, the easier I could breathe. It was like a weight had been sitting on my chest for the past week that had been slowly suffocating me.

I had come too close to pushing Harold over the edge. It was stupid and rash, but I had just been so sick of him trying to crush my spirits even further. I wanted to watch his world burn so badly. He’d been close to punishing me with his fists, or his cock, and I could only thank my lucky stars that Cameron had intervened. After everything he’d told me about his father, and seeing the physical scars left etched across his back, it must have been difficult to stand up to him. He hadn’t meant what he’d said. Despite our differences, there was no way Cameron was the type of guy to beat up his wife. I’d seen the way he looked out for Katie, and although I wasn’t family in any way that mattered, he wouldn’t abuse me. He was capable of violence, of that I was sure, but to ensure power in his work, not to make a woman cower beneath him.

We’d dropped Katie off at a friend’s house to lie low until Harold simmered down. I let my eyes fall on Cameron on the other side of the plush car. His face was unreadable, like a wall that concealed his true feelings. But I’d seen otherwise. There was passion and fear, longing and anger, even happiness simmering below the surface. I’d felt his indecision as he’d held me in his fists, his deep eyes searching me for my reaction. My cheeks warmed at the memory of his fingers closing in around my hair. I couldn’t hide my arousal despite wanting to. As much as I didn’t want to face it, Cameron Thompson made me weak at the knees.

There had been a spark. I’d felt it. But I’d been so brazen in front of him and he’d brushed me off entirely. He could have come into the room and joined me when he caught me touching myself. It hadn’t been my intention, but with that intense glare of his, I’d have been loath to resist his touch.

I dragged my eyes back to the world outside as we approached the lights of Edinburgh. What was I doing? Maybe my brothers were right. What if I couldn’t handle it and was just thinking with my knickers rather than my head? Nothing but a lust-addled fool.

I had to face the fact I wasn’t a vital cog to getting the takedown of Harold moving into action; I was just a pawn to be manipulated. My sister Esther had had the right idea fleeing from the lot of them. She’d even found someone who loved her. I should have run while I had the chance.

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