Page 12 of Devil's Game

“And by disband, you mean . . .” Spade nearly bounced with excitement at the thought of bloodshed.

“They don’t know anything about our inner workings, so if they don’t join us, they can retire from their MC days,” I corrected, crossing my arms over my chest as I pinned him with a stern look.

“And if they don’t . . .”

He was like a fucking puppy, nipping at my heels with excitement, but instead of a treat, he was after murder. “Yes, Spade, if they back out on the deal they agreed to years ago, you can kill them.”

“Perfect.” His eyes glittered with anticipation.

My lips parted, about to tell him not to get ahead of himself, when thewhooshof a door opening cut me off. Spade spun on his heel, practically leaning over the bar as Giana walked out, her blood-stained clothes laying on her body haphazardly, seemingly torn in some places.

That fucking asshole.

Speaking of, Merrick’s lips twitched as he followed her out, some of the tension that had been rolling off him diminished now that he’d had our girl to himself. Spade and I both rushed to Giana’s side, my feet moving before I even knew it. Spade was faster, though, and he nearly tripped over himself to cut in front of me.

I cursed the selfish psycho under my breath as I closed the distance, and he swept her up into his arms. He swung her around, and she giggled before he settled her back down and clutched her hard to his chest. My fingers itched to drag him away from her, but I held myself back as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply.

“You smell like blood, sex, and sugar. Three of my favorite things,” he declared before letting her go. He gave me a pointed look as he stepped to the side, silently showing me just how well he could stick to our agreement.

Good.

I didn’t waste another second as I wrapped my arms around her, tightly pressing her into my chest. I needed to feel her heartbeat next to mine like I needed to breathe. Now that she was safe, I needed to reassure myself that she was really here with us. Giana nestled her head into my chest, and I glanced at Merrick over her head, conveying to him just how close I was to breaking, and he nodded.

“Let’s get you home, little devil. You need to sleep, and I need to feel you next to me.” I pulled away slightly as she glanced up at me, her amber eyes flickering between mine, reading me just as easily as I’d always been able to discern whatever thoughts were going through her head.

“I would love that.” She smiled up at me, and the sight of her took my breath away. I memorized her face like this: the blood splatter on her cheek, her bare face cleared of any trace of her makeup from last night, and her radiant smile. I committedevery detail to memory, vowing to sketch it later to immortalize her beauty for my next tattoo.

I sighed in contentment as I shifted my arm to the small of her back and led her out the front door, leaving all that had been pressing on my chest a few minutes ago in the bar. We could afford these few hours to sleep, to recharge, but after that, we would fight. Because I wasn’t ever letting another soul, other than my two closest friends, lay a finger on her.

Tonight, we would get reinforcements, and we would fight.

Chapter Four

Giana

Iglanced out thewindow, watching for any trace of a landmark, sign, or building as we drove to the outskirts of East Haven.

“It all still feels familiar, yet like it was a lifetime ago.” I smiled wistfully and leaned into Kellan’s touch as he ran his hand over my back in a soothing gesture.

Napping, cocooned between Merrick and Kellan, had been exactly what I’d needed. The only person who’d been missing was Spade, but he disappeared before I could invite him to join us.

“Not much has changed,” Merrick grumbled, watching me like he would decimate anything he found that upset me, like hecould turn back the clock and erase the changes from the past year.

I glanced at Spade, who’d surprisingly given up his seat beside me, letting Kellan take it instead as we rode in the back of the armored van. He grinned at me, but there was something else behind it, a distance that I itched to close between us. I needed to get a second alone with him to figure out what was going on, but right now, there was too much nervous energy vibrating through me at the thought of seeing my best friend.

Would she still like the person I’d become, the one I truly was at my core? I shook the thought away. I could worry about that later. For now, I had to focus on keeping her safe from Tommaso.

The sun had set an hour ago, just as we’d woken from our nap. Exhaustion weighed on my limbs, but I couldn’t stay in bed for a moment longer, not when Merrick got the text from Zane that they’d made it back to the fight club.

“Do you still fight at the club?” I asked, glancing between Merrick and Kellan. Thoughts of the last time I’d been there flitted through my mind, and my cheeks heated. Merrick had a way of controlling the ring, and I wondered if he still did—hell, I knew he had to, but I wanted to see him in action.

The sexual tension that vibrated between us was palpable as thoughts of what happened after his fight played through my mind. I shifted in my seat, needing some sort of friction against my heated core.

But it was Spade who answered, lifting some of the stifling heat that clung to my skin. “They haven’t fought there in a few months, but I usually go every other week.”

I couldn’t help but grin as he waggled his eyebrows, his chest puffing out slightly with pride. “I’ll have to watch.” With a groan, I clamped my lips shut, not wanting to let my imagination run wild just yet.

“You don’t want to see him fight,” Merrick grumbled, flashing Spade a warning look.

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