Page 86 of Fated In Ruin
I couldn’t still my racing heart, couldn’t stop clenching my hands, a million words dancing on my tongue as I faced him. I wanted to scream at him, kiss him and offer myself to him, all at the same goddamned time.
But there were at least five pairs of eyes on us.
In what had to be the most awkward exit ever, I led the way down the hall, Malachi right behind me, Angel bringing up the rear, and once again, every eye followed us until nerves got the better of me and I chose the nearest room. “Here we go, this should work,” I said brightly, only to open the door to reveal…a coat closet.
Seriously, fuck my life.
“The next one is a sitting room,” Malachi murmured. “I know, because I’ve been here, a time or two.”
“Show off,” I muttered, while Angel made a harumphing sound of agreement behind us.
The next room was, indeed, a sitting room, paneled in dark wood with a handful of chairs, and floor to ceiling windows that let in lots of light. Light that revealed every single one of Malachi’s gruesome injuries. The second I closed the door, my heart leapt into my throat. “What did Ravok do to you?”
“This?” Malachi arched a brow, then winced. “This is courtesy of your family, mostly Dante, who has some serious anger management issues, which he should really work on, but I fear he’s beyond counseling.”
“Sit down before you fall down,” I ordered, steering him to the nearest chair. “How did you manage to get here? And with Virgil? I figured he was a thrall, like the others.”
“Is that his name?” Angel mused, crossing her arms over her baby bump. “I recognized him, but it’s been so long.” She sighed. “Mom never let me anywhere near Dante’s boys, they were evil little monsters.”
“Virgil was okay. He always had my back when we were younger and protected me from his father’s fists, whenever he could.”
“Virgil was my ticket out of the compound, and now I’m glad I didn’t kill him after all, hearing all that.” He stared up at me unblinking, unapologetic, and somehow, that made me feel better. An apologetic Malachi just didn’t feel right.
I wanted to sigh. Even beat to shit, he was still gorgeous, his stance still regal, the set of his perfectly honed shoulders arrogantly straight. His scent drifted over me, reminding me of the last time we did this, and how that ended up.
With me under him, actually. And on top. And…
“Wrist or throat?” I asked, brushing my sweaty palms down my thighs, trying to act businesslike. “Wrist.” I decided, suddenly remembering Angel was in the room and I’d been far too big an exhibitionist for one day. Or ever.
“Wrist it is,” Malachi agreed, his eyes suddenly bright as he studied my face. “You’re still healing.”
“Falling out of the sky will do that to you.” Angel’s tone was half snark, half furious little sister and Malachi’s expression shifted.
“You…fell out of the sky?” He repeated. “I thought…”
“She’s been a vampire for a whole two months. She doesn’t know how to dematerialize yet, asshole. Something you, of all people, should have known.”
“I hit the bushes, not the ground,” I muttered, as if either of them were listening.
“I didn’t…” he swallowed hard, his expression turning stricken. “You could have died. I didn’t think that through.”
“Obviously not.” My sister snorted.
“Angel, you’re not helping. Malachi, you made a decision that saved my life, and I didn’t die, so let’s move on.”
“I can’t feed from you.”
“Were you telling the truth about the ward? Can he get through Fiona’s magic?”
“Yes. Within a few minutes, maybe faster, if he brings Aria with him.”
I shoved my wrist in his bruised-up face. “Then you can and you will. We don’t have time to take Angel or anyone else to safety, so Ravok cannot get inside these wards.”
“I can take care of myself,” Angel said stiffly. “Don’t pin this on me because you can’t wait for his magic lips to be on you again.”
“Oh, fuck you. That was rude,” I scolded, blushing because her accusation was a little bit true. “And yes, you can take care of yourself, but your baby can’t. I’m not exposing you or the baby or Bex or anyone else inside this building to Ravok’s brutality.”
And while we didn’t have time to go into a history lesson right now, Malachi knew as well as I, Angel was the perfect leverage.
