: Chapter 23

“Flush, bitches!” I laugh, laying the cards on the table. “Read them and weep.”

Tony groans, his big frame stuffed into the dining room chair where we are playing poker. He looks like a gorilla, but the man version. He’s actually very sweet though. An ex-SAS soldier who couldn’t fit back into civvy life. I’ve learned that a lot of the guys’ security hires are the same. All men with nowhere else to go, no other place to fit or call home. My guys gave them that and a pay slip.

“Fuck, how do you keep winning?” Sam snarls, as he throws down his cards. He’s skinnier than Tony, but also massive compared to me. His long, brown hair is tied back at the base of his skull.

“She has to be cheating,” Dem snarls. Now him? He’s an asshole. A rude fucking bastard who thinks women should be seen and not heard. It’s my great pleasure to prove him wrong. Even the others seem to hate him. Pope is still patrolling the apartment and keeping watch, but the others were just sitting there, so it was getting boring.

I searched Kenzo’s room until I found some cards and challenged them to a few rounds of poker while we waited for the guys. There is no way I’m sleeping until they are, so I might as well earn some money. I grab the notes and stuff them down my bra, smirking at Dem.

“You’re just a sore loser, especially to a woman.” I laugh, and his eyes narrow, nostrils flaring. He’s a good-looking son of a bitch, it’s a shame about his personality.

“Yeah, and how’s it feel to be a toy?” he snaps.

I arch my eyebrow at that, leaning back as I sip my beer. “I dunno, how does it feel? You act like a walking, talking dick, so you must be a dildo.”

Sam and Tony roar with laughter as I hide my smirk behind the rim of my bottle. The sun is almost rising behind us, so the guys should be back soon. I ought to put this all away before they return and get pissed at me for distracting their security.

“You fucking bitch, show me your cards,” he snarls, reaching over, but I clutch them and pull them to my chest out of principle. He grabs my wrist and twists it, making me gasp as he tries to get them.

Sam and Tony get to their feet, their eyes hard. “Let her go, man.”

“Not until she shows me, the cheating bitch,” Dem sneers.

We’re locked in a stare down when the door opens. Fuck. Our eyes slowly go to the doorway where the guys are now standing. Blood coats them from head to toe, mainly Diesel and Ryder. I even do a double take at the usual cold Viper. His sleeves are rolled back, exposing his blood-stained forearms, but under it, I spot tattoo sleeves which finish at his wrists. I was not expecting that. His jacket is thrown over his shoulder, his hair ruffled, and his perfect skin is almost completely coated in red.

They are all smiling, until their gazes land on Dem and me. Then their amusement bleeds away to pure fucking anger. Shit. I’m dead. “Hey, guys, have some fun? Did you bring me a present?” I ask, filling the silence as Tony and Sam step away. Their arms are behind their backs, their eyes once again empty as they stand before the window, leaving Dem behind, who’s still gripping me, showing me and the guys exactly how much they don’t like him. They don’t even try to get him away before the guys react. Shit, shit, shit. Ryder steps forward, those icy eyes freezing me in place.

He’s so beautiful and deadly, it almost hurts, and the anger, fuck. I want to bathe in it.

Diesel looks pissed. He circles the room to the left, and Kenzo goes to the right as Garrett slams the door and stands before it, his arms crossed and face snarling. Ryder drops his jacket on the floor and steps farther into the room, eyes on us. “What’s going on here?”

“Oh, you know, just playing some poker to pass the time, kicking your men’s asses.” I smirk, twisting my wrist until Dem lets go. Hiding it quickly under the table, I rub at it, knowing there will be red marks, but Ryder spots the move and strides across the room.

Dem jumps, falling from his chair to avoid him, but Ryder doesn’t notice. He crouches next to me, kicking the table away until he can gently grab my arm, and holds it up. For some reason, I can’t look away from the blood spattering his long, lean fingers as he slowly turns my wrist, glaring at the red marks marring my flesh.

“Dude, it’s fine, we were just messing around.” I try to tug my arm away, but he resists. His eyes roll up to me as he leans down and kisses the irritated skin.

“No one touches what’s ours. No one hurts you, love,” he murmurs, before getting to his feet, his mien transforming. His body turns hard, his face blanks, and only then do I realise just how much he had been showing me. He turns his head slowly to look at Dem, who holds his hands up, fear written across every line of his face.

His eyes dart around the room, his chest heaving. “Look, man, we were just having some fun.”

“He called her bitch,” Tony adds helpfully.

“Ryder—” I try, getting to my feet, but then suddenly, someone is there and an arm slips around my waist, yanking me back into a chest.

“Little Bird, Little Bird, watch and learn what happens to those who cross us,” Diesel whispers into my ear, his hard cock pressing against my ass. “He’s a dead man walking. No one touches you, no one hurts you, no one insults you but us. You are ours,” he snarls, before nipping my ear in punishment.

I’m silent, unable to look away from Ryder, who stalks Dem around the room before cornering him against a wall. “Ryder, I’m sorry! I’m sorry, it won’t happen again!” Dem cries out, his voice warbling in fear. That misogynistic, strong asshole is withering under Ryder’s gaze. He takes him down with no words, just a look. It’s all he needs. He strikes fear in the heart of his enemies when he’s in his suit.

But now? Like this? With his enemies’ blood coating his body, his rage pouring from him—he’s downright terrifying…and a little bit of a turn-on.

Okay, a big turn-on.

Fucked up doesn’t even begin to describe me, but I gave up fighting that a long time ago. If watching a powerful man covered in blood scare the shit out of another man, while his brother holds me and whispers dirty nothings in my ear, makes me wet, so fucking what? Everyone has a kink, and the Vipers and everything they entail seems to be mine.

“You touched her?” Ryder questions, his voice quiet and deadly.

Dem freezes, his eyes wide, like an animal when faced with a predator, because that’s exactly what Ryder is. “I didn’t mean to,” he whispers.

Diesel chuckles in my ear, rubbing his cock along my ass. “He’s going to destroy him. You should have seen him earlier. It was like poetry in motion, Little Bird. So much blood, and the way he carved through flesh…” He shivers against me as he wraps his hand around my neck to stop me from moving. His thumb resting on my hammering pulse as he forces me to watch Ryder.

It’s silent, just their breathing is audible, and then suddenly, Ryder strikes. He grabs Dem, who is taller and wider than him, and slams him into the coffee table. The glass cracks but doesn’t shatter. Keeping a hand on his head, he grabs Dem’s hand and slams it next to him, away from his body. “Hammer,” Ryder demands.

A moment later, Garrett hands him one before going back to his post, but I can’t look away. I can’t speak. I watch with a sick satisfaction, a warmth spreading through me at what Ryder is doing. For me. It’s fucked up, but no one has ever cared before. Not enough to hurt someone because they hurt me, never mind touched me.

With no warning, he brings the hammer down on Dem’s hand. He screams and thrashes, but Ryder easily holds him. Dem’s fingers and hand are a broken, bloody pulp before Ryder grabs the other hand, smashes it down on the table, and does the same to that one. Standing up, Ryder releases the man, holding the bloody hammer loosely in one hand.

It’s then I realise I’m almost panting and rubbing myself back against Diesel, so I stop, and he chuckles in my ear. “You love it, Little Bird.”

“You called her bitch?” Ryder asks, dropping the hammer to the floor. “You dare insult our princess?”

Dem quiets his screaming, blood dripping from his busted lip where he must have bitten it. I glance over at Tony and Sam to see them smirking. They knew what would happen, they have seen the Vipers in action before. A scream jerks my head back around, and I turn in time to see Ryder cutting out Dem’s tongue.

I want to gag, but Diesel’s grasp on my throat stops me, and the warmth pooling in my belly makes me wonder if I really care. He was an asshole, that’s for sure, but does he really deserve this?

It’s not my choice.

Ryder tosses the tongue away as the man screams pathetically, his ruined hands coming up to try and grip his face as blood pours from it. “Will he die?” I query, and my voice is strangely calm.

“Maybe, wouldn’t that be fun? I bet it’s excruciating, don’t you?” Diesel whispers.

Ryder steps back, looking at the man in disgust. “Tony, Sam, take him away. I want guards outside the front door at all times while we’re in here, Pope. Whenever we leave, you sweep the place for bugs and explosives, same with the cars. I want someone monitoring CCTV at all times, no one comes and goes without a reason or a pass.”

“Yes, sir,” they all reply, before grabbing Dem under each arm and starting to drag him away. They don’t look at me as they do, in fact, they avoid me completely. I know why now—because of Ryder and what he’ll do. It’s saddening, I liked them, and now I’m back to just having my Vipers to keep me company.

Not my, just Vipers, I remind myself as Diesel lets me go with a quick lick of my neck, which has me shivering and him chuckling darkly. Kenzo comes into view then, and he’s smirking at me and running his eyes down my body. “Did he touch you anywhere else, darling? I could kiss it better,” he offers, and the room goes quiet as they wait for my answer.

“You fucking wish,” I spit, crossing my arms as I glare at them. “So I’m not even allowed to play poker now?”

“Oh, you can play, darling, with me. I might even let you win…better yet, we can play strip poker,” Kenzo purrs, his tongue licking his bottom lip as he runs his heated eyes down my body.

I try to ignore the warmth that gathers between my thighs and look away, turning my glare on Ryder. “So that’s it? Someone touches me, and they get their hands broken?” I snort. “Going to hunt down all my exes too?”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Diesel whispers, making Garrett laugh, but I ignore them as I step closer to Ryder. Angry now.

“’Cause let me tell you, they touched me all over.” I grin, a dark one. “Going to kill them also? What about anyone who looks at me? You possessive fucking assholes, I’m not yours!” I almost yell.

He steps closer, his eyes cold and locked on me. “You are, you better start accepting it, love, but keep pushing me, I dare you.”

I swallow and tilt my chin back. He doesn’t scare me, not even after what he just did. Not because I know he won’t hurt me—he would if he needed to, if I became a threat, he wouldn’t hesitate—but because I know Ryder. I understand him, and everything he does is for his family. He’s angry, he’s cold, he’s calculating, and very smart…and very fucking dangerous.

“Why? Going to break my hands too?” I challenge, stepping closer. “No, just tie me up? Keep me at your mercy? ’Cause I gotta tell you, even that crazy fucker stands more of a chance than you.”

His eyebrow arches, and he goes silent. I know I’ve pushed him, but I can’t seem to stop.

“What? Nothing to say? Big bad Ryder lost for words? Or maybe you just don’t know how to act with a woman who has a brain, who you can’t buy off, who isn’t fucking scared of you,” I snarl.

“Oh shit,” I hear one of them say, but I don’t look away from him, staring him down.

“Leave us,” Ryder snaps, eyes on me as I stand there.

“Good luck, Little Bird.” Diesel laughs as they all leave.

“Fucking traitors,” I hiss, as I stare at Ryder with my hands on my hips.

“What? Going to punish me for having fun?” I inquire snottily.

“No, for letting them touch you, for distracting them,” he offers calmly, as he unbuttons his shirt one button at a time. My eyes watch his deft fingers as he exposes more and more of his golden, tattooed skin. It covers every inch of him.

“I—”

“They are here to protect you. If you distract them, they can’t do that,” he reasons, as the shirt falls open to expose his perfectly chiselled chest, making my mouth water. He’s built like a god, all perfect edges. “You let him touch you.”

“How the fuck do I stop someone from touching me?” I snap, but my voice is breathless.

“You will learn. Each time someone touches you, they die. Remember that. It doesn’t matter who they are, I will kill them, and you will know it’s because of you.”

“You cruel fucking bastard,” I snarl as he steps closer.

“Yes, I am, love. Better remember that.”

I stare, unable to help it. The same design as Kenzo’s tattoo is on Ryder, but it seems to start on his back and wraps around his side. The snake curves around his pec and ends above his heart. The tongue is out and so lifelike, I can imagine it flickering, those red eyes locked on me.

Ryder throws me off balance. I’m used to being the scariest one in the room, but he scares me because in this room, I’m nothing. All that money, all that power, I should hate him. But I don’t. Not even a little bit. He craves my complete control, but my surrender as well. Total surrender, but I’m so used to fighting, and when he peels back all those layers of stubbornness and hate, what will he find underneath? That terrifies me, that’s why I lash out. Why I push at them, poke and prod until we all explode.

“What? Is this when I’m supposed to fall to my knees and beg for forgiveness?” I laugh. “Not my style, go fuck yourself and your stupid fucking Vipers. I’m done with you all.”

It was the wrong thing to say.