Page 12 of Provocation
‘Jesus,’ Mav snarls under his breath, his arms tightening around me. ‘How did this happen? You were with her!’
I shiver at the fury in his voice. He’s very angry with Shade, I realize.
‘It wasn’t his fault,’ I say. ‘Please let me up.’
After a moment’s hesitation, Mav releases me and I turn to face the three of them. I wrap my arms around myself, conscious that I’m wearing nothing but panties.
‘John made him leave me with Marcus and his brother, Joe. I drank some Scotch in front of them. Joe told Marcus to go and then he said there were rules…for Banderville women, and if they aren’t followed, there’s punishments.’
I feel something soft being draped over me and see it’s Shade’s robe that I’ve been stealing every chance I get.
‘Go on,’ he says, cupping my face.
‘He pushed me over the back of the sofa and… I don’t know where he got the cane from. He just had it. He pushed my head into the pillows and hit me with it. Five or six times, I think.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Shade asks quietly.
‘I was going to. Later.’ I look away. ‘Probably.’
‘I mean, why didn’t you tell me at the house? When it happened?’
‘What would you have done? Beaten up Joe Banderville? Where would that leave you?’ I huff. ‘In John’s crosshairs, that’s where.’ I straighten and give him a steely look. ‘And we can’t afford that.’
‘I don’t understand something,’ Blake says from the door, his voice so devoid of emotion that I know from that alone that he’s super pissed. ‘Why the fuck is Joe Banderville touching Daisy in any way, shape, or form?’
Shade sighs. ‘Because, thanks to my father, Joe and Daisy are engaged.’
Mav stares at him. ‘They’re what?’
‘Getting married. In the Spring.’
‘The hell they are!’ Blake bounces off the wall where he’s leaning and stalks across the room, grabbing me by the back of the head and kissing me hard. His tongue demands entrance into my mouth, and when he doesn’t get it, he nips my lip, drawing a surprised cry from me.
‘You’re ours,’ he snarls, ‘and we’re not letting anyone else have you. That fucker is going to pay for hurting you.’
‘That’s good,’ I murmur, leaning against him with a sigh, some deep part of me loving how he’s acting. ‘Because I don’t intend on letting anyone else have me either, and I’m going to make sure he gets his comeuppance as well.’
Blake looks surprised, as if he hasn’t seen me properly before. He steps back.
‘Lay on the bed,’ he says.
‘But. Pizza!’ I practically wail. ‘The food at dinner was awful. I’m actuallyreallyhungry.’
‘No pizza,’ he says sternly. ‘Not until I’ve rubbed some arnica on those bruises, okay? Now, lose the robe and get on your bed.’
My eyes narrow. ‘I’ve had sort of a shitty night,’ I growl. ‘Pizza was going to turn it right around.’
‘Pizza after. Trust me, gorgeous?’
I frown at him. ‘Fine,’ I mutter, letting the robe drop and stepping over it. I lay on the bed with my feet up by the pillows on my front and prop my head up on my hands to look at them. Blake gives me a smile. I notice it quickly melts off his face when he turns away, though. I see him in the mirror, so I know. They’re all upset.
I look down at the covers. I don’t like it when they’re upset because of me.
Blake comes back a minute later with a tube of something in his hand. He flicks his head toward the door meaningfully. ‘We’ll be out in a minute, okay?’
Shade and Mav nod solemnly, their eyes lingering on me as they leave the room.
‘This will minimize the bruising,’ Blake says, squeezing some onto his fingers and approaching.
