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He was sound asleep. Holding me with a tenderness he’d never once shown me. That was perhaps the most terrifying thing Gage had done all night.
CHAPTER NINE
GAGE
“What the hell happened to you? Did Raina do that?” Knight did a double take as I entered the kitchen.
He glanced up from his phone, his coffee mug held forgotten in one hand. He gave a slow head shake, his brow furrowing. Of course, that only got Havoc’s attention. The two of them sat at the kitchen table having their morning cup of caffeine.
Havoc had also been staring at his device. Not anymore. His head whipped up, nailing me with a scrutinizing stare. He took in my black eye and split, swollen lip.
“Jesus Christ, Gage. If Raina looks as bad as you do, I’m kicking the rest of your ass.” Havoc’s gaze followed me around the room as I fixed myself a coffee.
“Settle down, bro. Raina doesn’t need you to fight her battles. I mean, obviously.” I pointed at my bruised and swollen eye before pouring coffee into a mug.
Hell no, that woman didn’t need anyone to defend her. She wasn’t afraid to throw a punch or go for the balls. I loved it more than I’d ever admit to anyone. Raina was the first woman to see the dark parts of me and not run screaming. Instead, she’d stood her ground and fought back. Remembering the wild light in her hazel eyes was enough to make my cock swell.
“I hope you got it out of your system,” Knight said, glancing toward the stairs. “Next time you make her scream like that, I’m stepping in.”
I dumped two heaping spoons of sugar into my mug and stirred before adding a splash of cream. “Sure, join in. We can tag team her.”
Knight’s glare deepened. “You know that’s not what I meant. Watch your ass, Gage. Do you know how fucked we’d be if you get carried away and we end up with another body on our hands?”
“Aww, how nice of you to give a shit about me.” Raina strolled into the kitchen, her tone dripping sarcasm. “My mistake. You only care about saving your own asses.”
“No, Raina, I didn’t mean—” Knight tried to save face.
Raina didn’t give him the chance. “It’s cool. Don’t bother.”
She seemed to be in a real mood today. I doubted she was nearly as hungover as me. My head throbbed in each temple. My mouth felt dry. All I wanted to do was sleep. Partying when I had class the next day always made me feel like shit. I still did it though.
My gaze landed on Raina. She was covered in bruises. It was worse than I’d intended. Shit.
Twin bruises marked her wrists where I’d held them. Purple and blue blotches stained her neck as well. They drew the eye no doubt. Not even the black rose inked on the side of her neck distracted from the marks she bore. I was willing to bet she also had bruises between her thighs where my hips had slammed into her. Damn, I wanted to see. Knowing she wore the evidence of what I’d done to her made me a little crazy. In a good way.
“For fuck’s sake, Gage, look at her.” Havoc flung a hand in Raina’s direction. “Did you have to make it so visible? Christ.”
Raina started to go for a mug, stopping suddenly in front of the cupboard. Whirling on a foot, she said, “Never mind. I’ll get coffee on my way to class. I’m out of here.”
She didn’t wait around. She picked up her laptop bag from where she’d left it by the front door and walked out. I expected her to slam it but she closed it quietly. Subdued rage. Not smart. Eventually, she would blow.
“Good job, asshole,” Knight muttered with a scowl.
“Go with her,” Havoc barked.
I shook my head, drinking my coffee like I didn’t have a care in the world. “I’m not going to class today. I need to hunt down a decent used car. Besides, it looks like Raina could use the break from me.”
It really was better this way. If I went to class with her, I wouldn’t be able to keep from taunting and touching her. She probably would blow her top then. I wasn’t too keen on having that scenario play out in front of our classmates and instructor.
“I’ll check up on her between classes when I get the chance,” Knight offered. “I have a class around the corner from one of hers.”
“If I wasn’t all the way across the building, I’d keep an eye on her too. At least we can make sure she gets there safely.” Havoc pulled up the tracking app on his phone, watching Raina drive away on the map.
Havoc could judge me all he wanted, but the truth was that he was no better than me. He’d forced himself on Raina with orgasm after orgasm. He’d taunted her, tested her, and chased her through the woods. Knight had been right there with us when we’d chased her, when we’d snuck into her room, and when we’d gang fucked her while high out of our minds. I wasn’t about to concern myself with the opinions of two people standing on the same moral ground as me.
“Raina will be fine. Are one of you guys going to lend me a vehicle, or do I have to call for a ride?” I glanced between Knight and Havoc, waiting for someone to offer up some keys.
Havoc pulled keys from his pocket and tossed them across the counter to me. “Take it easy with my baby. I know how you drive.”
