Ruthless Angel (Gods of Ravencrest University #5)

CHAPTER FOUR

CLOVER

“Do we really have to go?” I turned wide imploring eyes on Cash, hoping to sway him.

“Yes, you really have to go,” Daire answered for him. “You need to be able to protect yourself. We should get you working on some self-defense too.”

We’d left Raina’s place with my things hours ago. She’d promised that if we needed anything else, they would be there to back us up. Gage had muttered something about her repaying Daire for what he’d done to her but she’d brushed it off.

Her willingness to help meant the world to me. She was able to put aside the grudge she held for the Angels because of our friendship. I would never forget that.

Now we were back at the Angels’ house where Cash was insistent that we head to the shooting range so I could learn to shoot a gun. Daire wouldn’t be coming along. He was going to the gym to work out some of his frustration. The man was seriously tightly wound.

“I don’t want to use a gun,” I insisted. “They scare me. I’m not that kind of girl. Weapons and fighting.”

“You are now. Get changed into something comfortable. We leave in five minutes.” Cash waved a hand to get me moving.

I stomped up the stairs, grumbling beneath my breath. Learning to use a gun meant that I was accepting this world. This life of crime and danger that was so foreign to me. It would change everything I thought I knew.

Who was I kidding? My low key good girl life had been over since the night Blaze saw Zane shove me. Everything from there had been a domino effect from one crazy thing to another.

I changed into a pair of baggy sweatpants that were comfy and hid the bulge of the ankle monitor. After pulling my hair up into a clip, I joined Cash downstairs. We dropped Daire off at the gym before arriving at the shooting range.

Immediately I was nervous. Cash and I had our own little area separated from those next to us with a partition. We’d been given ear coverings to help muffle the noise. My heart raced when we were each given a handgun.

Cash went through the motions of showing me how to check if the handgun was loaded or not. Then he showed me how to load the magazine. After watching him do it a few times, he made me try. All right. This wasn’t so bad.

Once Cash felt comfortable with my ability to load the gun, unload it, and check the chamber, he showed me how to shoot. He aimed at a hanging picture of a zombie against the far wall. The first bullet hit the zombie in the face. The second bullet went into his chest.

“Now you try.” Cash nodded to the gun I held.

I swallowed hard. Nerves gripped me. It was all I could do not to squeeze my eyes shut. Taking a deep breath, I stared at the zombie’s face and pulled the trigger. The bullet missed the zombie completely, hitting the white space around him instead.

Even though I expected the recoil, I wasn’t prepared for how strong it was. Damn.

“Why can’t I just get really good at knife throwing?” I asked, pausing to wipe my sweaty hands on my pants. “I’m not sure this is for me.”

Cash chuckled and shook his head. “I guess you can do that too. You’re still not getting out of this. You need to know what to do if you have to use one of these.”

“I suck at it though.”

“You’ve only shot one bullet. Try again.”

“I don’t want to.”

Cash unloaded his weapon and set it down on the little shelf in front of us. Moving in behind me, he pressed close and put an arm on either side of mine.

“You can do this, Clover. Concentrate. Don’t see anything but your target. Focus on where you want the bullet to land.”

Cash’s large, firm body against me sent my thoughts down another path. I let out a nervous laugh. “That would be a lot easier if you weren’t so close.”

His sexy chuckle sent shivers racing down my spine. My entire body broke out in heat that went straight between my legs.

“Take your shot, beautiful. You can do this.”

I did my best to focus on the zombie’s head and nothing else. Cash didn’t make it easy. Especially when he ran a hand down my body to grasp my hip.

It took several shots before I finally hit the damn zombie in the head. I didn’t expect to feel so proud of my accomplishment. Although I didn’t think I would ever get used to having the weight and power of the gun in my hand.

When Cash finally agreed that we could take a break, we left the shooting range and swung by Starbucks for iced coffee. The last thing I needed was something else to make me jittery. Still, I sucked back the coffee like it was the only thing that would keep me going.

Before we got to the gym to pick up Daire, I gathered the courage to ask Cash the question that had been brewing in the back of my mind all day.

“Do you think we’re going to get Blaze back?”

Cash glanced over at me. His chest rose and fell in a heavy sigh. “The truth? I don’t know. Part of me is starting to think we might not see him alive again. I don’t want to believe that, but this kind of thing doesn’t usually end well.”

A small noise of shock and dismay left my lips. A sharp pain slashed through my chest. Hearing Cash confirm my worst fears hurt.

“I know that’s not what you want to hear,” Cash continued. “I’m sorry, Sunshine. Hopefully I’m wrong. We won’t give up on finding him. I promise.”

“Where do you think they would have taken him?” I winced as I sucked back enough iced coffee to give myself a brain freeze.

Cash tilted his head to one side, watching the traffic ahead while considering my question. “Not far. They want to make a trade. He’s close. I can guarantee that he’s still in the city.”

“Maybe if we can find Brady or one of his guys, we can follow them back to where they’re keeping Blaze. Do you guys have any leads on where they live or hang out?” It was a long shot. I did my best to be helpful.

“Yeah, we know a few places to look. Unfortunately, they’ll be expecting that. As much as I want to find Blaze, I don’t want to make a mistake and walk into a trap.” Cash hit the brakes and swore as a middle-aged man in a convertible cut us off.

Cash honked and flipped the guy a middle finger out the window. The man glared at Cash in his rearview mirror, deciding against making trouble. Too bad. I kind of wanted to see the jerk get his ass handed to him.

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Slumping in my seat, I slurped my drink and stared out the window.

When Daire got into the car, he was as irritable as he’d been when we dropped him off. “You couldn’t wait to go to Starbucks? Didn’t think I might want something too? You dicks.”

“Sounds like you worked off some of that attitude,” Cash remarked. “There’s another Starbucks on the next block. Do you want me to stop?”

I didn’t blame Daire for being in such a shitty mood. His best friend was being held hostage and tortured. Although it did make me wary. Daire was unpredictable on a good day. I really didn’t want to see him at his worst.

We stopped to grab Daire a Frappuccino and a cookie. He grudgingly accepted the items as Cash passed them into the back seat.

“How did Clover do at the shooting range?” Daire eyed me with skepticism.

“I sucked,” I said.

“She did okay for a first timer,” Cash added. “Needs to work on her confidence with a weapon though.”

I shrugged. “Sorry. I don’t like guns.”

“Will you like having strange men treat you like an object? Pass you around and sell you at a price to some sick fuck who will turn you into a slave?” Daire leaned forward in the back seat.

Frowning, I faced him and blurted, “Doesn’t sound all that different from my current reality.”

As soon as I spoke, I knew I’d gone too far. Daire’s face darkened with fury.

“Is that fucking so?” he snarled. “I can promise you that none of those twisted bastards will give a shit if you come or not. They’ll shoot you up with drugs to keep you compliant and use every hole you have until there’s nothing left of you. If you think we’re the same, then maybe we’ve been going too easy on you.”

Uh oh. Now I’d done it.

“That’s not what I meant, Daire. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” I held his gaze, hoping he accepted my apology as genuine.

The tense moment was interrupted by Daire’s text alert. All three of us stiffened.

Daire pulled out his phone and checked the message. He sighed and said, “We have forty-eight hours to trade Clover for Blaze. If we don’t come through, they’ll kill him.”