Ruthless Angel (Gods of Ravencrest University #5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CLOVER

“Are you sure you want to go? You can stay with me for as long as you need to.” Raina wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “We can even stay here at my dad’s house if you prefer.”

“Fuck that. She’s coming home with us. That’s where she belongs.” A subtle twitch in Daire’s jaw gave away how close to the edge he walked. He’d barely stopped touching me since he’d arrived.

Raina’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not really up to you, Daire. Back off and let Clover make her own decisions.”

Fatigue shone in Daire’s eyes. A certain exhaustion shared by Cash and Blaze. They looked like they hadn’t slept in days.

I wasn’t feeling so great myself. Whatever drugs Brady had used on me had left me shaky and queasy. All I wanted was to sink into a hot bath and sleep.

“It’s okay, Raina,” I said, trying to keep them from boiling over at each other. “I want to go with the guys. I need to. I’m sure you understand.”

Her gaze flicked to the Gods who’d shown up not long after the Angels. They sat around the table, talking quietly amongst themselves.

“Yeah, I do. I understand.” She pulled me into a tight hug that threatened to crush the breath from my lungs. “I want you to call me if you need to talk. Day or night. Any hour. Okay? And I’m coming to see you as soon as you’re up for it.”

I definitely needed to talk to my best friend about the hell I’d gone through. Later. I wasn’t ready for that yet.

“Got it. Any time. I promise.” I hugged her back, overwhelmed by the emotion that filled me. For a while there, I’d thought I might not see her again. Or my Angels. “Tell your dad that I’m forever grateful. I don’t know how I’ll ever show him how much I appreciate his help. He’s got one heck of a gift basket coming.”

I tried for a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. Desmond had dropped me off at the house and then gone back to the hotel. He wanted a closer look at those running the auction. His anger at the whole situation had been palpable. The mafia was involved in a lot of criminal activity. Not human trafficking though. Not Desmond. He wanted to make it stop.

“Dad was happy to help. He would do anything for you, girl.” Raina walked us to the door, hugging me again before letting me leave. “Take care of yourself, all right? Lots of self-care. Make these guys serve you like the goddess you are.” To the Angels she said, “I mean it. Take care of her. Don’t make me cut your dicks off and feed them to you.”

“Raina,” I admonished with a small laugh.

“No worries,” Blaze said, solemn and serious. “We’ll worship the very ground she walks on. I swear it.”

When we arrived back at the Angels’ house, I felt the hugest sense of relief. It almost felt like a dream. I kept expecting to wake up and find myself locked in that room with Brady lurking outside the door. The scent of my guys hit me as I walked through the door, reminding me that this was real. I was home.

“Do you need anything?” Blaze asked, looking uncertain. “What can we do?”

“I think I’m going to take a bath. It’s been a long week.” When his face fell, I added, “Some herbal tea would be nice.”

“Sure thing. Anything you want.” Like the golden retriever he could sometimes be, Blaze rushed into the kitchen.

Daire eyed me with this knowing expression. I was ready for it when he asked, “What happened to you, Angel? What did Brady do to you? Did he hurt you?”

With a hand on the stair railing, I sighed and shook my head. “Can we talk about this later? I need some time, Daire.”

Cash put a hand on Daire’s shoulder, steering him toward the kitchen. “Of course. Go have your bath. We’ll be right here if you need us.”

I understood their worry. However, I wasn’t ready to talk about my experience. It was too fresh. Too raw in my memory.

As I started to close the bathroom door, their voices carried up the stairs.

“Do you think he touched her?” Daire’s voice was thick with fury. “Would she tell us if he did?”

Blaze’s voice was softer. “I don’t know, man. Just relax. We all want to kill him. That will come later. Right now we have to be here for Clover.”

“She might be traumatized,” Cash pointed out. “Forcing her to relive whatever she went through will only make it worse. We have to back off. Give her space.”

Daire muttered something angry that I couldn’t make out. Closing the bathroom door, I shut them out. I was finally alone and safe. That’s all I needed at that moment.

It felt great to strip off the shitty blue dress Marilyn had forced me to wear. Never wanting to see it again, I shoved it into the trash can next to the toilet along with the shoes. I scrubbed off the makeup she’d put on me before turning on the bathtub tap.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror for a long time. The person looking back at me felt familiar and yet also a bit like a stranger. Things could have been so much worse. I wasn’t gone all that long. Nobody had made me their personal slave. That didn’t make my experience any less horrifying. It didn’t make it any less real.

The warmth of the bath water welcomed me. Releasing a grateful breath, I sank down so it covered everything but my head. Now that I was able to truly decompress, I expected a purge. A flood of tears to release everything I’d been holding inside.

Nothing happened. I couldn’t cry. Couldn’t scream. Nothing. I laid there in the water waiting for something to break free. It didn’t come.

When the water started to cool, I went through the motions of washing. I told myself that I was cleansing away the ick that clung to me since Brady took me. I was clean now. Free.

I emerged from the bathroom after a solid hour. Entering Blaze’s bedroom, I breathed in his scent, sucking it deep in my lungs. God it felt good to be surrounded by his things. His energy. I felt safe in his room.

Going to his dresser, I helped myself to one of his large t-shirts. I paired it up with some clean underwear and a pair of pajama shorts. Not ready to go downstairs, I sat on the end of the bed and stared out the window at the night sky above the neighbor’s house.

It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps on the stairs. I glanced over as Daire entered the bedroom. Knowing better than to turn on the big overhead light, he moved to the bedside table and turned on the lamp instead.

“I brought your tea.” He placed a steaming mug on the table.

“Thank you.” I offered him a small smile. He seemed stiff and awkward. Like he didn’t know what to do or say.

“Is it all right if I stay?” He glanced at me in small bursts, as if he was afraid to make eye contact.

I patted the bed next to me. “Of course.”

Daire sat down, keeping some space between us. He seemed to expect me to be fragile. Like I would crumble to dust if he touched me. He’d never shown such consideration before. It confirmed what I’d suspected. He wasn’t all bad.

We sat there in comfortable silence for what felt like a long time. I sipped the tea, focusing on the aroma and taste, trying to anchor myself in the present. Needing a stronger connection, I reached for Daire’s hand.

He watched as I slid my fingers between his. He gave my hand the gentlest squeeze. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” I said, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Relax, Daire. You’re so stiff. I’m okay. Really.”

He gave a little half shrug. “Sorry. I don’t want to upset you.”

“Since when?” I joked, nudging him with my shoulder against his arm.

A tight smile pulled at his lips. “Enjoy it while you can. I can’t guarantee it will last long. There’s something about driving you crazy that I can’t get enough of.”

I rolled my eyes, setting my mug down on the table. “Will you lie down with me? I could use a cuddle.”

Daire was the least cuddly of the Angels. That’s why I needed it to be him right now. I wanted to feel close to all three of my guys. In that moment, it had to be Daire.

“Are you sure?” He cast a suspicious glance at the bed. “I don’t want to do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

He was dying to know if Brady had forced himself on me. I saw it in his haunted green eyes. Although I didn’t want to relive my time away from them, they needed to know what happened.

“I’m sure.” Pulling back the blanket, I climbed into the bed, motioning for Daire to join me.

It had to be incredibly late by this point. Well past midnight. Maybe later. I stifled a yawn as I got settled, arranging a pillow beneath my head.

Daire hesitated a moment before getting in beside me. He still wore his jeans and t-shirt.

“Clothes off, please,” I said, tugging on his jeans. “I need some skin on skin contact.”

“You’re the boss, Little Unicorn.” After shedding his clothes, Daire laid down next to me. He waited until I snuggled in against him to wrap his arms around me.

The tension seeped from Daire’s body as he held me. With every passing minute, he felt more at ease. I hated that this experience hadn’t only shaped me but them as well.

Pressing my face to the curve of his neck, I whispered, “Brady drugged me every night so I couldn’t try to run. I got away one day and made it outside. He forced me to…” I paused as my voice faltered. “He forced his dick in my mouth.”

Daire’s body stiffened all over again. The rage that flowed through him was tangible. Almost strong enough to taste.

“He smacked me around a little,” I continued, needing to get it all out. “Nothing too bad. He didn’t want me bruised for the buyers. He was over the top with glee that he was getting you guys back by selling me off. Really proud of himself.”

Daire clutched me tighter, pressing our bodies together. He shook with barely contained anger. “He’s a fucking dead man, Clover. I swear it. He won’t get away with what he did to you.”

I nodded, believing he meant every word. “Can you get the others to come up here?”

Daire grabbed his phone from the table and texted the other two rather than shouting down at them. They appeared immediately.

I patted the bed on my other side. “Will you guys join us? I could use a cuddle puddle right now.”

They were all too happy to honor my request. Blaze got in on my other side while Cash settled himself so he laid on top of the blanket with his head on my thighs. Being surrounded by them helped to reinforce the fact that I was safe now. I was in the presence of my Angels. They would do anything for me.

Blaze spooned me while I faced Daire. Reaching down, I let my fingers glide through Cash’s silky soft mohawk. Now I could rest.