Something to Die For by Kaye Blue

Nineteen

Lucas

I didn’t stopto think, didn’t consider the eyes that would be watching, didn’t do anything but give into the impulse that I had so far managed to ignore.

The first brush of my lips against hers was almost indescribable.

Like I had been holding my breath and finally got to release it, like my first sip of water after being stranded in the desert.

Like finally I was human again.

I brushed my lips against hers again, the desire to kiss her harder, to devour her, so strong I almost couldn’t deny it. Somehow, I managed to hold on to my restraint and then reached up and cupped her cheek, a moan breaking free from my chest when my fingers grazed her smooth skin.

I tried to think of something to compare it to, the finest silk, but even that seemed wrong.

I had never touched anything as soft, delicate, feminine as her.

I tightened my grip on her jaw, only loosening it when I realized I didn’t want to leave a bruise.

But I tempted fate and my control, deepened the kiss, stroked my tongue across the seam of her lips, then pushed in, the first taste of her, the heat of her mouth drawing another moan.

I was steel solid in an instant, and it was only that familiar tingle of the base of my spine that told me I was on the verge of coming that made me break away.

The doctor—I couldn’t think of her as Angel now, not when I was so close to the edge—her lips puffy, so delectable-looking I had to turn away unless I wanted to start kissing her again.

I didn’t say anything, just grabbed her hand and started to walk.

She didn’t say anything either, which was probably for the best.

I had no answers, and right now we had other issues to deal with.

I dropped her hand as we approached the crowd that had assembled around Merlin.

He told me he had sixty on the compound, but based on the corpses I’d seen, that number had been cut by two-thirds and he was down to twenty or less.

“You figure out what happened?” I asked.

“Yeah, those sons of bitches thought now be a good time to make a move on us,” he said, kicking at one of the corpses on the ground, a member of a rival group.

I didn’t point out to him that he should have anticipated that.

“But we handled it and were mounting up to get them back. We aren’t taking this shit from nobody.”

“Good luck,” I said, not bothering to point out that they had depleted a fair share of their ammo and that an attack now would be stupid as fuck.

It wasn’t my problem, and I wasn’t going to let Merlin make it my problem.

“You got a vehicle I can borrow?”

“You not coming with?” Merlin said.

“No. Got somewhere to be,” I replied.

Merlin lifted his brow, then puffed up his chest.

“You mean the great Lucas Crowe is walking away from a fight?”

I knew he was doing, knew that he needed to save face among his men since he had basically gotten caught with his dick in his hands. But I wasn’t going to be the scapegoat for that and wouldn’t allow myself to get sucked into his bullshit.

“We made our deal, Merlin. I held up my end. Are you going to hold up yours?”

I had put the ball back in his court and made it pretty much impossible for him to do anything but relent.

Me, Merlin, his men, were scum, lower than low, but our word meant something.

For Merlin to go back on his now would cost him the little respect he had left. And without that, his days were more numbered than they already were.

“There’s a truck over there, half a tank of gas. Can’t spare a weapon, though,” he said.

He was being a petty bitch, but the gun wouldn’t do me any good without ammo, and I didn’t doubt I would find others.

I handed it to him without a word and walked toward the truck that Merlin had indicated.

Angel followed, not looking back, which was heartening.

I reminded myself that she was tough and knew she wouldn’t do anything that might draw more attention, advice I should have taken myself.

We made it to the truck, and I found the keys in the visor. I cranked it up and drove out of the compound. I still wasn’t sure what was happening in the world, but as I watched Merlin and his remaining men load into trucks, getting ready for war, it hit me that whatever happened now, Merlin and his crew wouldn’t be around for it.