Fatal, p.4
Fatal, page 4
Raina groaned, the sound going right to Adam’s dick. He swallowed an answering groan and cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’ve ever had butterscotch cookies.”
“You’re missing out. When all of this is over, I’ll make some for you.” Just that quickly, the joy in her face faded. “If I’m still alive.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Adam growled, knowing the words were lies as they slid from his mouth.
Raina flashed him a smile that said she knew the same. Street had already gotten to her when she was under his protection. He’d already proven he was more capable and dangerous than any of them realized. That he would stop at nothing to reclaim Raina as his, no matter what she or anyone else said about the matter.
“I never apologized for not protecting you when he—”
Raina shook her head. “No. Stop. You can’t blame yourself for that.”
“It was my fault. He got the drop on me. I was the first line of defense, and he knocked me out without me even putting up a fight.”
“There was nothing you could have done to stop him. We’re all alive. That’s the important part.”
“Thanks to Mackenzie, not me.”
Raina shook her head. “It doesn’t matter who stopped Damon. He was stopped. And he’s going to pay for what he did.”
Adam winced. He tried not to, but he did. And Raina caught it.
“Oh, God,” she breathed. “He’s not going to jail, is he?”
Adam shook his head. “All charges were dropped.”
“Oh, my God, I’m going to die.”
4
Darkness filled the edges of Raina’s vision. A clatter barely reached her ears. Her legs gave out, and she sank to the floor, the jolt of landing shocking her out of her trance.
“All charges?” she whispered.
Adam was right there, his face filling her vision. “Three things, Raina?”
“Fuck three things,” she snapped. Tears poured freely from her eyes. “He’s going to kill me. If I’m lucky, that’s all he’ll do. He wants to punish me.”
Adam sighed heavily. Irritated.
Well, fuck him, too. Raina didn’t have time to worry about his emotions. The man half of Niagara County was looking for was only looking for her. He didn’t care who he had to kill to get to her, he was going to find her. And take what he wanted from her.
A pound of flesh would be easy. Nothing was easy with Damon. He was going to take it all. And he was going to leave his mark on her.
Raina struggled to draw a breath, wishing death would come for her instead of waiting for Damon to deliver it. The things he whispered in her ear two weeks ago when he found her said it all.
You’re mine.
I’ll make you pay.
You will bleed.
The memory of his hot breath on her cheek and his fist in her hair made the room spin. If she wasn’t already on the floor, she would have fallen.
They all thought she was brave for wanting to go back to him. For wanting to sacrifice herself. Her secret shame was she just wanted it to be over. She wanted the people she cared about to be safe, but she wanted death to come. To know Damon couldn’t hurt her again.
“He can’t get close here.”
“You said that before,” Raina snarled. She wasn’t being fair to Adam. Damon was smarter than any of them knew. He had been evading police and murdering people for decades. And he had connections deeper than the Niagara Gorge. He would get away with anything. He had.
“I’m sorry,” Adam whispered.
The pain and regret in his voice finally sank in. He didn’t say anything else, just sat there with her on the floor while the water boiled on the stove above their heads. The oven was warm behind her back, a reminder they were in the middle of cooking dinner when the latest bomb was dropped on her.
Raina angrily swiped the tears from her cheeks and let out a frustrated breath. She had two choices. Give in or fight. When she walked out on Damon for good, she chose to fight. To live her life and to stay away from him.
At that time, she had no idea how dangerous he was. She didn’t know the things he’d done or what he was capable of. Raina knew he would try to get her back, but she’d never imagined he would go to the lengths he had to reclaim her as his.
But it didn’t change. She still refused to be his. She refused to be with anyone who saw her as property. Who thought a woman only had one place. Who thought he could punish her for not following his orders.
Raina was terrified. That fear dragged her deep at times. The moments of hope were few and far between anymore, but she had to be stronger. She had to pick herself up and stop letting fear rule her life. That was what Damon wanted. He knew fear was powerful. He used it.
No more.
Raina pushed herself off the floor and grabbed the box of pasta on the counter. She tore it open and dumped it into the rapidly boiling water, giving it a stir before tossing the box into the recycling bin.
Adam rose to his feet smoothly, as though it didn’t take any effort. He stepped back just enough to put space between them, but he didn’t go far.
They didn’t speak for several long moments. Raina let the rhythmic process of cooking soothe her until tears no longer welled in her eyes. She focused on the task, refusing to admit even to herself that the focus helped. She wouldn’t tell Adam.
He stayed right there. His solid presence comforting her as much as it bugged her. She hated that she couldn’t be on her own. That she was still in protective custody. That all charges against Damon had been dropped, but she wasn’t free.
She wouldn’t ever be free. Not as long as he was alive.
“I hate him. I wish he was dead,” she admitted softly.
Adam stepped closer. He rested his hand on the counter next to her. “Me, too,” he said so softly she wasn’t sure she actually heard him.
Raina looked up at him. Adam was so close she could see the dark blue ring around the inner circle of his eyes. If she lifted onto her toes, she could press her lips to his and have Damon no longer be the last man she kissed.
“I hate that he ever touched you. That he ever caused you pain,” Adam continued. “I want to kill him for it. To let you feel safe again.”
“You can’t say that,” Raina whispered. She’d gotten a crash course from Francesca and Stacey when she escaped Damon and stayed at Shelter in the Storm. If Raina said she wanted to kill Damon, and he ended up dead, she’d be the primary suspect. She learned to only admit that truth in private, when there were no witnesses.
“I don’t care. I’d happily go to jail if it meant you never had to feel this way again.”
Raina licked her suddenly parched lips.
Adam’s gaze dropped to her mouth. He moved just barely closer to her.
Raina sucked in a breath. In the weeks they’d lived together, Adam had never given her the impression he thought of her as anything other than a nuisance. But the heat in his gaze said he was feeling a whole lot of other things that Raina never expected.
“Adam?”
His hand lifted slowly, giving her plenty of time to pull back if she wanted, but she didn’t want to move. She wanted his touch. To have a man who wasn’t looking to hurt her put his hands on her.
He cupped her jaw, and Raina released a shaky breath. His other hand came up, the two capturing her head.
Damon held her like that more than once. But his touch never made Raina feel safe and protected. Cared for and desired.
“Raina,” he breathed. He lowered his head toward her, his gaze locked on her, silently asking for permission she was more than happy to grant.
A door opened down the hall, movement that reminded them they weren’t alone.
Raina froze, unsure what Adam was going to do. Unsure what she wanted him to do.
Adam closed his eyes and took a step back. His fingertips trailed along her jaw, his touch fading with each second until Raina wanted to cry at the loss.
His Adam’s apple bobbed with his audible swallow, then he turned away from her, cutting off the connection Raina ached to feel again.
She focused on dinner and making it good. She drained the pasta, then twisted the lid off the jar of sauce and emptied it into a microwave-safe bowl to heat it up. When the sauce was hot, she took the meatballs out of the oven and tossed all of it together in a large serving bowl she found in an upper cabinet.
“Did you make her do all the work?” Lorelei asked in a mocking tone.
Raina looked over her shoulder at Lorelei and smiled. “I needed the distraction.”
Lorelei’s gaze flickered to Adam, and he nodded. His eyes drifted to Raina, but she turned away before she could get caught in his orbit again.
She was toxic. Marked for death. Getting involved with any man was the worst idea on the planet, but getting involved with the man who was tasked with keeping her safe was just plain stupid. He wasn’t going to sleep with his partner, so Raina was the only option. That’s why he looked like he was going to kiss her. Not because he wanted her, but because she was there.
Raina set the bowl on the counter and put three bowls and forks next to it. She excused herself to use the bathroom, needing a minute away from Adam.
She locked herself in the bathroom and added one more thing to the list of reasons she hated Damon Street.
Raina was going to die without knowing what it felt like to be with a man who was truly, honestly good. And it was all Damon’s fault.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Lorelei hissed. “I told you to make dinner, and you made her do it?”
Adam shook his head as he stared after Raina. He wanted to go after her, but he knew that was the wrong choice. He should have kept his hands to his fucking self instead of touching her. He knew better.
“Adam,” Lorelei snapped.
He looked at his partner and knew she saw more than he wanted her to see.
Her head tilted to the side, and her eyes went soft. “I care about her, too. She’s been dealt a shit hand, and she doesn’t deserve all of this.”
Adam shook his head. “No, she doesn’t. It’s not fair, and it’s not right.”
“I agree, but we’re doing our best. I’m guessing you told her about all the charges being dropped against Street?”
Adam nodded. “She said something about everything would be fine once he went to jail, and she must have seen it in my face.”
Lorelei snorted. “For an experienced agent, your poker face sucks.”
Adam rolled his eyes. He’d never had an issue keeping his expressions neutral before he met Raina. For some reason, she changed everything.
“It’s better she knows, though. We were going to have to tell her. Having it out in the open is good.”
“Nothing about this situation is good,” Adam growled.
Lorelei sighed. “All too true.” She picked at her nail, a sure sign there was something else she wanted to say.
Adam waited patiently for his partner to look up at him.
Lorelei chuckled. “I hate when you do that.”
“And I hate when you don’t just spit it out.”
Lorelei scowled at him playfully, like a sibling. Adam was pretty sure his sister, Holly, had given him the same look the last time they were together. “Do you think we’re going to be able to stay with Raina?”
“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t we?”
Lorelei glanced toward the bathroom to make sure Raina wasn’t there, and Adam’s heart skipped. Lorelei was serious.
“If there’s no case, no charges, nothing we can bring Street in for, Raina is no longer a witness,” Lorelei whispered.
Adam leaned back against the edge of the counter, letting it hold him up as his world was swept out from under him.
Lorelei was right. Adam hadn’t thought about it, but it was true. Even though they all knew there was a case and that Raina needed protection, their bosses might deny it and Raina could end up on her own.
“We can’t let that happen,” Adam snapped. “We have to protect her.”
Lorelei nodded. “I agree, but I’m not sure how we’re going to do that. I have about a month of vacation I can use, but I’m not sure if it’ll be enough. We might need to get your cousin involved with this and have F-BOMB watch her.”
“Fuck.”
Lorelei was quiet while Adam worked through the problem in his mind. Liam and his team would definitely help, but they had cases they were working on. Plus, Raina would likely fight it. She already said she felt like a burden. She would never risk her friends or living with one of them again, so she would end up on her own if F-BOMB didn’t take her in.
Adam didn’t know if that was a real option. They were helping out, and they said they were willing to do whatever they needed to do, but they also had a business to run.
“We might have to wait and see, but you could get out ahead of it and take her—”
“No,” Adam growled. “I already told you that’s not an option. She’s safer here. We all are. Together.”
“Yeah, but—”
“No, Lore. I… I already let her down once. I already fucked up once. I need to know Raina is safe. Being here with F-BOMB watching the house and you and I in here together is the best option.”
Lorelei nodded slowly. “Okay. I won’t ask you again.”
“Thank you.”
The bathroom door opened, and Adam’s gaze was drawn to Raina as she approached. His gut twisted at the thought of anything else happening to her. He would not take that chance. Her safety was the most important thing.
There was one thing Damon Street hated, and currently, that one thing was barking orders at him as if Damon was Trevor’s pet.
“You fucked up. You are staying here. You are not to go after Raina or anyone else. You’re going to let all of this blow over.”
Damon palmed his cock through his pants. “I’ll give you something to blow.”
“Do you think this is a fucking joke?” Trevor asked. He got up in Damon’s face.
Damon shoved Trevor, sending Trevor stumbling backward.
Trevor nearly lost his balance and landed on his ass, but he caught himself on the edge of a chair and snarled at Damon once more.
Damon barely held back his smirk. “Why the fuck am I talking to you instead of the boss?”
“Because the boss is fucking pissed! Do you know the risk you took? Not to mention the threats you made against the Company. Did you really think you’d be welcomed back with open arms?”
“I was promised a job.”
“You were promised freedom. I still think that was too generous.”
“Yeah, well, lucky for me you don’t call the fucking shots.”
“I do where you’re concerned. You answer to me. I’m your go-between. You don’t get to talk to the boss. Not anytime soon.”
“What?” Damon bellowed. That was not what he signed on for. He’d done everything that had been asked of him. For decades. He was a loyal soldier. Moving anything and everything the Company needed him to move and eliminating any threats against them.
And he was repaid by putting a punk-ass bitch between him and the boss? Fuck no. That was not the agreement he made when he called from fucking jail.
Trevor smirked. “You need to prove your value. To prove that you can follow orders.”
“I’ve been proving that since you were in fucking diapers.”
“And you fucked up. Did you think all would be forgiven? You were given chances. You were told to leave that bitch alone. Instead, you forgot that there’s plenty more pussy. You got stuck on that one and refused to pull your head out of your dick. Now, you’re starting over.”
“The boss can tell me that to my face.”
Trevor laughed loudly. He shook his head and clutched his gut.
Damon waited patiently. If he timed it right, he could deliver a blow that knocked Trevor on his ass for good.
Damon leaned back, readying himself, but Trevor saw it coming and sucker-punched Damon, catching him square in the nose.
Damon howled as blood trickled down his face.
“I said you don’t get to see the boss. You need to do as you’re fucking told.” Trevor got up in Damon’s face, ignoring the blood to hold them nose-to-nose. “You’re fucking basic. You’re nothing. You don’t get a goddamn say in any-fucking-thing that goes on around here. You’re going to do what you’re told and keep your fucking head down. And if you don’t, I’ll happily cut it the fuck off for you.”
“Fuck you,” Damon snarled, the insult losing effectiveness when Damon choked on the blood pooling in his throat.
Trevor chuckled and tossed Damon away. Damon tripped and fell, sprawling across the floor.
“Stay away from your whore. Stay away from everyone involved in the shitstorm you created. The boss doesn’t have time to clean up anymore of your fucking messes. Neither do I.”
“You’re going to be the next mess.”
Trevor clocked Damon as he started to get up. The blow sent Damon back to the floor. His head spun and vomit rose in his throat. He choked it back, but he was too dizzy to get up again.
“Clean up this fucking mess. You’re fucking pathetic. One day, I’m going to kill you. Until then, fuck off, old man.”
Damon watched Trevor go, carefully avoiding the blood staining the floor.
Damon was not going to be the one dead. Trevor would never see him coming. Until it was too late.
5
Raina slammed her book closed and huffed out a breath. She growled and tossed it to the coffee table.
“You okay?” Lorelei asked from the kitchen.
“No. I’m not okay. I’m bored. I know I shouldn’t complain about that, but I’m bored. Can I go outside?”
Lorelei laughed. “You know there’s five feet of snow outside, right?”
Raina glanced at the covered windows that blocked the outside world from her view and shrugged. “I’ll be able to breathe. That’ll be to my shoulders, maybe a little higher.” She twisted her hair up, letting it fall when she couldn’t come up with a tie for it.
