“Unfortunately, we have this nasty habit of helping strays.” She said and his gaze snapped to hers, his amber eyes flaring. She raised her chin and stared him down, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms,
“I’m just here to make sure they don’t bite.”
Angel was going to pounce. Her words, minced with such mirth and deadly mocking made him lose his cool.
It had been a long time since he’d lost his composure like this, long since he’d let anyone entice such emotions from him. But this girl. She ripped those walls with her bare nails andkilledhim.
“That’s enough.” Maya’s amused voice slipped through their conversation. Her taut and calm tone had both him and Raylene snapping away from their matched glares. Maya looked at them through her lashes, smiling as she turned to gaze at her husband in amusement,
“This is quite brilliant I suppose.” She continued and turned to her son. Angel saw Kyle smile back and felt his blood calm in response as Kyle’s eyes rose to his. Those green eyes probed and mocked, but there was an undertone of hatred burning through both their gazes. It didn’t matter though. They’d won this round.
“We’re off to a great start.” He replied sarcastically and grabbed the napkin from beside his plate, “Let’s leave it all aside for now, and dine.”
Maya laughed at her son’s words and raised her wine glass in response. Everyone except Raylene and Angel followed her actions. But she didn’t seem to mind for she sang loudly,
“To our bright futures!”
Clang.
Angel was still thinking of ways to ruin her when Raylene Walker picked up her glass and stared straight at him.
“To the alliance.” She mouthed and tipped the glass back with a soft smirk. Angel grit his teeth but he didn’t dare show any other reaction. Not even as he followed her movement.
And drank without looking away.
5
“What thehellis hisproblem?” Raylene growled to herself as she slammed her doors shut behind her. She ripped the blazer off her shoulders angrily, “Qualified? Fuckingqualified? I’ll show him qualified–”
Raylene groaned and threw her blazer across the room, raising her hands to her hair. She gripped the strands and ran her hands through them wretchedly, her eyes wide as she replayed their conversation again and again in her mind. No matter how she played it, it started and ended with his need to provoke her uselessly. And her reacting like a damnedidiot.
If she continued like this, she was going to lose her job. And then, she was going to lose her life. Her hands rested on the necklace on her throat, her eyes narrowing into a glare that aimed nowhere.
“I just have to control myself.” She murmured to herself and shut her eyes as she ripped the choker off her neck and flung it across the room, “Just breathe when he’s around and you won’t kill him.”
“You can’t breathe when I’m around?”
Raylene moved so fast that the wind hustled around her in awhoosh. She grabbed the knife tucked in the pocket of her trousers, turned, and threw. Her other hand was already holding the gun she’d tucked in the waistband of her pants and was pointing in the intruder’s direction.
Thunk!
The intruder had ducked away from her knife, and she was about to shoot when she saw those amber eyes glint.
He moved as fast as she had, his movement blurred as he whipped out his gun and aimed it at her forehead.
Raylene scoffed as he shut her door with his foot and took a step forward. She raised her chin and snarled,
“Iwillshoot, you know.”
He didn’t balk. Just strode in her direction until his gun was pressing to her forehead and hers pressed to his heart. Angel’s hair was a complete mess, and his eyes were dangerous as he glared down at her,
“As will I.”
Ray’s eyes flashed, “I’m faster.”
“Let’s find out.”
Click.
