Page 21 of Deadly Ruck
"You really think we can?" Dallas asked.
"What kind of question is that?" I asked, more harshly than I intended. "Of course we can, and we will. We've been through a lot and we survived, we can get through this."
My heart was still heavy, but it started to feel stony as well. Like it was locking away deep inside my chest to protect me from any further pain. Placed inside a lead box no one could open.
Good, I needed to be harder than steel. I couldn't let anyone in anymore. I wouldn't let anyone break me.
Let them fucking try.
"You're right," he said. "We've got this." He didn't sound as certain as I would have liked him to, but he'd also dragged himself together. I hoped like hell he could stay together. If he fell apart, I might as well. And I wasn't sure if I had enough strength for both of us.
What was I saying? If he fell apart, I'd have no choice but to toughen up even more. And I would. Because that was what badass mafia princesses did. We raised hell and we took names. We destroyed our enemies and left them in pieces, broken on the floor. We tore them to shreds and feasted on the scraps.
When I was finished, Daze and Mina would be looking up to me. Hell, maybe I'd be the one to take Reuben Brantley's place. If he couldn't keep the Crimson Vipers in line, maybe Dusk Bay needed someone who could.
Doctor Chelsea Miller was done being a fucking doormat for assholes. This was what they wanted me to become, they coulddeal with the consequences. I didn't care if I left the world in ruins behind me.
The people who killed my men were going to pay and they were going to pay dearly.
Chapter Nine
Chelsea
I wokea few hours later with Dallas' hand between my legs.
He was only grazing his fingers lightly up and down the inside of my thigh and over the gusset of my panties, but it was enough to get me going. Even with us being where we currently were. Even with me being uncertain he was actually awake.
Still, I parted my legs wider to give him better access. When he hooked his finger into the side of my panties and pulled them aside, I decided he must be awake after all.
Was it crazy to be turned on in this place? Probably. Did I give a shit? A small one. We were locked in here and Jones' minions could walk in at any moment. Jones himself could. Three of my guys were dead and at least one was dubiously trustworthy.
Yet, this was my life and I wasn't going to let anyone stop stop me from living it. Badass women did what they wanted, when they wanted. Right?
Of course we did.
I peeked out over the covers to see Atlas sitting against the wall near the door. His head was down, chin to his chest. He seemed to be asleep. On the other side of Dallas, so was Jay. Ithought about waking him, so the three of us could deal with Atlas while he slept, but even as I pondered, Atlas stirred.
The fact he was locked in here with us at all suggested Jones didn't trust him either. What did that mean? I decided to let myself go for a few minutes and think about it later. That was an issue for post-orgasm me.
"You're so wet," Dallas whispered. His fingers went still. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be…"
"Don't stop," I told him. "I need this right now and so do you. I want this."
"Are you sure?" He moved his fingers again, running up and down my seam and dipping into my damp entrance.
"Completely," I said firmly. As stress relievers went, sex was one of the best, if notthebest. Otis Skinner banged on about water therapy, but I preferred, well, bang therapy. Maybe I should have become a sex therapist instead of practising sports medicine. If I was an expert on anything, it was fucking.
"I love you," he whispered. "If I was going to get stuck in a beige house like this, locked in with anyone, I'm glad it's you."
"Why do I get the impression you're more offended by beige then you are being locked in?" I teased gently.
"Just trying to… lighten the mood," he said.
For a moment there, I was sure he was going to say he was trying to channel Frost. If anyone was going to crack jokes right now, it would be… Would have been, him. We needed humour right now. Humour and orgasms.
"The decor is boring," I said finally. "For someone like Jones, I would have expected bright orange everywhere."
Dallas snorted and slipped a finger inside me. "I guess even evil assholes have their limit."
