Ruthless Angel (Gods of Ravencrest University #5)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CLOVER

“I’m going to be keeping an eye on you.” Daire pointed to the tracker locked around my ankle. “Don’t even think about leaving Raina’s house.”

“Yeah, yeah. You said this already.” Trying not to roll my eyes at him, I continued stuffing things into my bag.

After my request to go to a concert was so vehemently denied, I’d changed up my story and told the guys that Raina and I were having a movie night at her place. The Gods would be out dealing with some mob business which gave us the house to ourselves.

Daire hadn’t been a fan of us being there alone. I’d assured him that we would be fine. Nobody would even know we were alone. After being locked down with the Angels for so long, I was done taking no for an answer. I wanted some time with my friend, and I wouldn’t be denied.

Of course I did my best not to let on that Raina and I had every intention of going to that concert. I didn’t care if the guys tracked me. It’s not like they could get into the venue without tickets and find my exact seat.

Was I risking a hell of a punishment? Yep. Did I care? Not really.

I may have been claimed by the Angels. That didn’t mean I would be their slave. I’d been meek and submissive for long enough. Besides, the guys kind of liked it when I pushed back. They didn’t really want me to roll over and take everything they threw at me without argument or resistance. They wanted a challenge. I would give them one.

“We’re going to check out the places Brady is most likely to be. I’ll call you when we get back. Are you staying overnight?” Blaze leaned in to kiss me goodbye when I stood at the front door with my bag in hand.

“Probably. It will be late by the time we’re done our horror movie marathon anyway.” I shrugged, offering him a light smile. Part of me felt bad about lying. Not bad enough to stay home.

He pulled me close, grasping a handful of my ass as he kissed me again. Long and deep, his tender kiss goodbye quickly turned into a small makeout session. I pulled away before he got in my head and made me strip off my clothes. The honk of a horn outside alerted me to Raina’s arrival.

“We’ll be checking in on you,” Daire said, most likely because he loved the sound of his own voice. “Don’t have too much fun without us.”

He grudgingly gave me a kiss, lightly tugging my hair. I turned to Cash, eager for the hug he pulled me into. Sinking into his warmth, I savored the moment.

“Call us if you need anything or you want to come home. Have a good time. Tell Raina we said hi.” Cash paused, his lips pursed as he reconsidered his statement. “Maybe don’t tell her that last part.”

“No worries. I won’t. Be safe tonight. I’ll talk to you guys later.” With that, I headed out to where Raina’s SUV sat idling by the curb.

I did my best not to skip over to the vehicle. Excitement filled me. Going out tonight was exactly what I needed. One night of normal wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

“Hey, girl.” Raina’s gaze drifted over me as I climbed into the SUV. “I didn’t expect you to be so casually dressed.”

She scrutinized my yoga pants and tank top with a frown. I held up my bag.

“I’ll change on the way. I don’t want the guys to know we’re going to this concert. They were adamantly against it.” Putting my seatbelt on, I waited until we’d driven away from the house to start pulling out my makeup.

“They didn’t change their minds, huh?” Raina snickered. “I know what that’s like. Havoc wasn’t too thrilled with us going to another city, but he’ll have to deal with it.”

I flipped down the visor to use the mirror. “Daire is going to track me. He’s probably doing it already. I’m definitely playing with fire here.”

“But you like the burn, right?” Raina winked at me, a knowing look on her face. “Yeah, I get it.”

“Yeah, I do. I can’t help but wonder what that says about me.” Using a beauty blender, I carefully blended my foundation. The unsteadiness of the car ride would seriously put my skill to the test when it came time to do my eyeliner.

“It says that you’re a bit of a freak like the rest of us,” Raina cackled, nudging me with an elbow.

“Hey, don’t do that. You’re going to make me have clown face.” Laughter shook me. I dug around in my makeup bag for some powder, giving my face a light dusting before reaching for my favorite eyeshadow palette.

“Oh please, you’re not even using anything other than powder yet.” Easing to a stop at a red light, Raina bounced in her seat. “Are you psyched? I’ve been waiting to see this band for years. I’m so glad they’re coming.”

As we drove, I did my makeup and shimmied into another outfit while Raina gushed about the band we were seeing. Truth be told, I didn’t know their music that well. That didn’t matter to me. I needed to get out for a while. This concert gave me the chance to do something other than sit around the house listening to the Angels brood about Brady.

I felt more like myself again with rainbow eyeshadow and bright pink lips. It went well with my black and rainbow tutu skirt. A pink crop top and cute leather ankle boots completed my look. I wore fuzzy rainbow legwarmers to hide the ankle monitor I wore.

Running my hands through my shoulder length blonde hair, I gave it a gentle tousle. When we entered Fox Grove and drew closer to the venue, my eager anticipation grew.

I kept expecting my phone to go off with a text from Daire losing his mind. So far I hadn’t heard from any of the Angels. Hopefully they were too busy with their search for Brady to check the tracker on my leg. The damn thing was driving me crazy.

Once we parked and headed inside, our eagerness turned into full blown excitement. The energy of those gathered around us was palpable. Everyone was here for a good time.

Our seats were on the floor near the area sectioned off for a mosh pit. I wasn’t really a mosh pit kind of girl. A little too aggressive for me. Raina’s eyes popped when she saw it. No doubt she’d be all over that kind of fun.

The opening band played, working hard to get the crowd fired up. People around us were drinking, smoking pot, and getting unruly. We had great seats that allowed us an almost perfect view of the stage. This night was going to be a blast.

During the break between bands, we went to buy drinks and peruse the merch table. Raina bought a t-shirt that she stuffed in her bag before we returned to our seats. The lights dimmed and the crowd went wild. My body quivered from the rush of being out with so many people geared up for a great time. I’d really needed this night out.

The band started with a crash of drums and the scream of a guitar. The audience erupted into cheers. I watched, captivated as the band launched into one of their hit songs.

Raina leaned in close and shouted, “Damn that bass player is hot. I would eat him up in a heartbeat.”

My laughter was swallowed by the screams of the crowd. I rolled my eyes in response. This girl had three dicks on a regular basis and still managed to drool over a hot rockstar. She had more staying power than I did.

She proved it when she went to join those in the mosh pit, promising she wouldn’t be long. I stayed at the seats, not wanting to get jostled and elbowed by the drunks throwing their bodies around. Sipping my incredibly expensive drink, I danced in place at my seat, having the best time.

Halfway through the concert, the vibration of my phone drew my attention. I pulled it out of the waistband of my skirt, afraid to check the screen. There was an incoming call from Daire. Shit.

I couldn’t answer a call with so much noise surrounding me anyway. Letting it go to voicemail, I started typing him a text instead. I’d barely started when a text came in from Blaze warning me that Daire knew where I was, and he was pissed.

Of course he was. Controlling maniac.

My screen lit up with a voicemail alert. I didn’t need to hear it to know what Daire had to say. Knowing that he would lose his mind if I didn’t get back to him, I left my seat and weaved my way through the crowd in an effort to get to the bathroom. It should be quiet enough for me to return his call.

The restroom was filled with women of all ages primping in the mirrors and having drunken conversations. Women had some of the best conversations in the bathroom while drunk. It was like its own little party.

Cramming myself into the quietest corner I could find, I called Daire back. My pulse pounded in my ears as it rang.

“You are in so much fucking trouble,” he snarled into the phone. “You really want to test us, don’t you, Clover? Have you lost your damn mind? We told you this was no time to leave town, and you did it anyway. What do you have to say for yourself?”

I winced, listening to his spiel. “I need to live my life, Daire. It’s one night out with Raina. You’re overreacting. I know that you think you own me but this shit is getting ridiculous. I can’t sit at home with you guys all the time. I already had to drop out of summer classes. Can’t I have one night for myself?”

“No, you can’t. Get your ass back here right now. You do not want me to come there looking for you. You can’t even imagine the ways I’m going to punish you for this.” Daire’s voice sounded strained with anger and something else. Something that almost passed for worry.

Daire was worried about me? Or was he merely worried about his possession disobeying him? The loss of control over me didn’t work for him.

“Why would I want to come back if you’re going to punish me?” I countered. “I’m a person, Daire. Treat me like one or let me go.”

“Fuck no, you’re not going anywhere. Try it and we’ll be all over you. I’m looking at your ankle monitor on a map right now. I’ll be watching every move you make until your ass is back here. Do not try me right now, Clover. I’m warning you.”

There was something in his voice that told me this was a bad time to challenge Daire. He was tightly wound. He had been for weeks now. Eventually, something would make him snap. Did I want that to be me?

“The show will be over soon. We’ll come back right after, okay? I promise.” Taking a deep breath, I added, “You need to calm down. I’m not coming back if you’re going to do something crazy.”

There was a pause on the other end before Daire spoke in a low, deadly tone. “You haven’t seen crazy yet, but you will.”

He ended the call before I could reply. Not that I knew what to say to that. My good time had just come to a crashing halt.

Trying to compose myself, I checked my appearance in the mirror and took a few deep breaths. I left the restroom to return to my seat. There were so many people around that I didn’t notice the two men lurking near the washroom. Not until they pressed close on either side of me.

One of them smirked, drawing my focus. “I knew they’d fuck up at some point. I’ve been waiting for this.”

At the same time, the other man poked me with something in the side of my neck. I whipped around to find him slipping a syringe into his pocket. What the hell?

“What the…who the hell…?” My head spun as my vision blurred. I lost my balance and started to fall.

The last thing I remember was someone catching me right before I hit the floor. Then I was out.