The windows of the compound were boarded up, but she knew it was past morning.
Shit.
It was probably cowardly, but she wanted to get out of there before Chaos woke. It was for the best, really, she needed to assert her independence in this fucked-up relationship from the start.
She needed to make it clear that she did what she wanted when she wanted, mated or not. She’d seen how possessive his mated brothers were, and that wouldn’t fly with her.
But man, Chaos was right there, hot and hard, pressed up against her, holding her to him like he knew she planned to escape. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but neither one of them had been in their right minds last night, and getting enough of each other had been an impossibility.
Her skin heated all over again.
And then he’d told her about his inner demon, that mating with her had calmed it. His admission had reached into her chest and squeezed her stony heart.
She couldn’t imagine what that had been like for him, how finally having control of that part of himself would feel. He’d been fighting his entire life, not just against the demons in this city, but against the one inside him.
The male already had her twisted in knots, had her second-guessing too much about her own life. Learning more about him would just complicate things.
Her feelings for Chaos had turned from hating his guts to grudging respect, and she was still trying to get her head around that. They’d mated, were working together, but that didn’t mean she was suddenly his biggest fan. The guy was arrogant, he pissed her off more than not—he also hit every one of her hot buttons.
The husky, filthy commands he’d whispered to her last night filtered through her mind and she shivered. Okay, almost every word pissed her off, the rest turned her the hell on.
So. Damn. Messy.
But one of the main reasons she needed to get out of there ASAP, was she wanted him again. Even with how sore her body was from her injuries, and after all the screwing they’d done, she wanted more. Her cheeks heated. God, she'd begged him to fuck her, repeatedly, and she knew he'd never let her forget it.
She wriggled, but the big bastard surrounded her, one massive arm slung around her waist, its dead weight pinning her to the bed in a way that, alarmingly, was not unpleasant. He smelled fantastic, too. Panic over her wayward thoughts, accompanied by an overwhelming urge to snuggle closer, almost had her lashing out and shoving him away. She did not freaking snuggle.
I need to get the hell out of here.
He made a grunting sound and rolled forward a little. All that smooth bare skin, pressing heavier against her back, radiating masses of bone-melting heat, the kind she wanted to rub up against.
Get out of the bed. Now.
Grace attempted to lift his arm, but he grunted again and dragged her closer. Wincing when her stitches pulled, she squirmed around onto her belly and, ass in the air, crawled backward, wriggling out from under his arm.
Free.
Finally.
Unfortunately, she made the mistake of looking back at him. He was sprawled on his stomach now, the sheet so low she couldn’t help but admire the top of his very fine, muscled ass. Disturbingly, it was taking way more effort than it should to resist crawling back into that bed, rolling that big, muscular body so he was on his back, and taking advantage of what she knew would be some seriously impressive morning wood.
Scowling, she turned away and went to his dresser. Since her clothes were destroyed, she riffled through his drawers. His T-shirts were all the same, black. Everything was perfectly folded and in its place. She got the feeling that was how he liked his life here at the compound, orderly, especially since all other aspects were so fucked up.
That was probably why he'd agreed to her sex-only condition before they sealed the deal. A mate would mess with his organized, regimented life, and we couldn't have that.
And that suited her just fine. She grabbed a shirt and found a pair of his workout shorts. Gray, instead of black. Amazing. More like the store had been out of black that day. The guy didn't have clothes, he had a uniform.
She quickly dressed. The shirt was a tent on her, and she had to bunched up the extra material of the shorts at her waist and tie it with her hair tie. She finished off her stunning ensemble with her combat boots. The only piece of clothing that had survived her visit from the doc were her panties, but right then she had no idea where they were, so she was going commando.
“Where’re you going?”
She straightened at the sound of Chaos’s sleep-roughened voice and turned to face him. “I need to leave.”
Chaos had rolled to his back, one arm bent behind his head, a hand on his abs, and was watching her. There was no missing the huge erection tenting the sheet.
He gave her a head-to-toe and smiled. “Nice outfit.”
That smile did things to her, things she didn't need to be feeling, not then, not ever. “Right, well, I have to take off."
“You're still recovering. Get back in bed."
He flicked the corner of the sheet back for her, like he expected her to follow his every command without question. Which was exactly why she wasn’t staying.
“I’ve been in bed long enough. I feel fine.” Plus, if she got back in there with him, she didn't think she'd have the strength to ever get out again.
“You haven't exactly been resting.” A sleepy, sexy grin tugged at his lips.
She made herself ignore it. “I’m rested."
"You're not. Get back in."
She ignored him, and put her necklace back on, grabbed her phone and wallet off the bedside table, and shoved them in one of the giant shorts pockets.
The bicep behind his head bunched, and he rubbed the other hand over his chest, lower, over the swirling scar on his ribs, his angels brand. “Stay.”
She watched, mouth dry, as he dragged his hand over his rigid abs, never taking his eyes off her, and slid it under the covers. She couldn't exactly see what he was doing, but it was pretty damn obvious that he'd wrapped that big mitt around his dick and was now stroking himself, slow and easy.
She took a step back.
"Grace."
Do not give in. If she did that now, it would be a slippery slope. He’d think he was the boss of her. That he only had to click his fingers and she’d obey. Or in this case, wave his gorgeous dick and she’d jump on it.
Resisting was the right thing to do. Still it took every bit of self-control not to peel off her clothes and get back into bed with him. “No.”
His gaze darkened. “Get back in bed, Grace."
She took another step back. “Not happening.” She motioned to the bed and his delicious nakedness. “I know this will be hard for you to understand, but fighting and fucking isn’t the only thing I do. I also have a job. You know, so I can eat.”
His gaze went dark and menacing. “You don’t need to earn money. Not anymore. I’ll give you all the money you need, give you whatever you want.”
Anger shot through her, hard and fast. “I don’t want your money. What we agreed to, what we have, essentially boils down to fuck buddies. I’m not the little woman, Chaos. I don’t need or want you to take care of me. I make my own money, have my own place, fight my own battles. The only difference between our relationship now and twenty-four hours ago, is that from time to time, we’ll fuck. That’s it.”
His expression went from soft and sexy to hard and pissed off. “That's not what we agreed to.”
"You promised me you wouldn’t ask for more.”
“And I haven’t. I offered more.” His voice was so low, he sounded more animal than man, and frankly, kind of terrifying.
“Well, I don’t want it.”
He flicked the sheet back all the way and climbed out of bed. Her pussy clenched. He stood in front of her, muscles straining, abs tight, all solid, barely restrained power. His hand was still on his heavy cock and he stroked it slowly, gaze fixed on her. “You want me, Grace. You want me inside you aga
in. You can’t hide it from me.”
She did, and that was the problem. Her body wanted to obey him, more than willing to overlook the risks. Her body wanted to follow his harsh, low commands and didn't get why her brain was trying to convince it to behave differently.
Which was her cue to get the hell gone.
“I guess I’ll be in touch.” Then she turned to leave.
“Let me get dressed and I'll go with you." He moved to his drawers and yanked one open, scowling at her when he saw what a mess she'd made of his clothes.
"That won't be necessary. I’ll call a cab."
He crossed his arms over his massive chest, giving her another display of flexing, rippling muscle. “I had your car brought here.”
“Why?”
His body relaxed and he shrugged, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Yeah, that just pissed her off more. "What the hell are you grinning about?"
"Irritability. It's another side effect of my blood."
Was he serious? "Go to Hell."
"Not a great idea."
“Why?”
"I'll die."
That sucked the wind out of her. "Right, well, I'd forgotten that."
"I hadn't."
He was still grinning like he was loving every damn minute of this. "Stop it."
"Stop what?"
Looking so damn sexy. Being all happy and weird and confusing. “Being annoying!”
He laughed, and dammit, that just made him hotter. She clenched her thighs together. “Bye.”
"You had a knife buried between your ribs yesterday." He stilled and his fists clenched at his sides as a shadow moved across his eyes. “You can go, but only to pack.”
Uh, what now? “Pack?”
"Once you've done whatever it is you need to do, call me and I'll help you with your shit."
She looked at him like he was high. "What are you talking about?"
The relaxed attitude flew out the window, vanishing completely with her question. He stood up straighter and his jaw did that clenching thing it did when he got super pissy.
His gaze sharpened. "You, moving in here with me for a while. That's what I'm talking about."
Her knees turned liquid. "You were serious?"
"Yes."
Her gut clenched because she knew in that moment that she’d made a mistake, a huge fucking mistake. “That was a heat-of-the-moment thing. I didn't think you were serious.”
“Yeah, I’m getting that.”
She crossed her arms. His stare was predatory, hard, unyielding. The same look he had in his eyes before he went into battle. “Why would you even want that?"
His heated gaze moved over her. “Isn’t it obvious? Until things die down, it's only practical.”
Die down. Her hackles rose. This was all about convenience for him. Having a place to plant his dick whenever the mood struck him. Nice.
"I'm not moving in here with you,” she said.
He scowled again. "You agreed."
She snorted. “I didn’t agree to shit.”
He took a step closer and she took another one back. "I said, ‘move in with me, at least for now’ and you said, and I quote, ‘Mmm-hmm.’”
"You had your cock inside me." Dammit, her voice sounded all husky and needy. He took another step closer, and she planted her feet, refusing to retreat another step.
"So?”
"So, I wasn't…thinking." Yeah, shit, that gave away too damn much. Her flight instincts kicked into high gear.
He ran his hand over his head roughly, obviously fighting for control. He turned from her suddenly, pacing away, then back, then away again—
She took her chance while his eyes were off her and rushed out the door. She’d made it to the elevator down the hall when Chaos came barreling out after her looking furious. He’d at least pulled on some jeans.
The elevator doors closed before he could reach her.
Grace let out a breath as she watched the numbers tick down to the garage and sighed in relief when the doors slid open and she saw her car waiting.
But her relief vanished when she stepped out.
Goddamn it. Facing the inhabitants of Hell would be preferable to the two knights currently standing beside her Toyota. Fucking perfect.
The walk of shame was bad enough, but in front of these two? She knew she looked like crap, or like someone had well and truly fucked her brains out. Which was damn close to the truth. And she wasn’t ready to admit the truth to herself, let alone these two.
Gunner and Zenon both eyed her as she approached.
“So it’s your car,” Gunner finally said.
“Yup…” Her words died in her throat when Zenon moved closer, his long, dark hair hanging forward, eyes narrowed as he leaned in. The big, terrifying, inked-up male sucked in a breath and his eyebrows shot to his hairline. She refused to blush. Not happening. "Did you just... Are you sniffing me?"
"Yes,” he said, low and gritty.
Shit.
Gunner shook his head. “Jesus, just when I think you’re starting to act kinda normal.”
Zenon scowled and flipped him off.
The elevator pinged and they all turned as Chaos came storming out. His jeans were undone, hanging low on his hips, and the muscles in his chest and stomach flexed as he strode toward her. He looked insanely sexy and pissed as hell.
"Something you want to tell us?” Gunner said to his brother, a low rasp to his voice that had Grace turning to look at him.
Gunner’s gaze looked hollow, his smile not reaching his eyes.
Chaos just growled and stormed up to her, backing her against her car, effectively blocking her escape. "We’re not finished.”
"Yeah, we are." Her voice sounded strained, almost unrecognizable to her own ears.
He leaned in closer, and he didn’t look himself, not at all. "Get back in the elevator, Grace.”
"What the hell is your problem? Back the hell off.” Okay, now she was kind of scared. This wasn't him, at least she didn't think it was. Whoever he'd morphed into was freaking her out big-time.
"We had a deal,” he said in that voice that was a combination of demon and angel.
"Are you shitting me?” she said, pleased when her voice came out strong instead of as shaky as she felt. “You'd drag me back upstairs and make me have sex with you because of some deal you think we have? I told you, I’m not moving in. That will never happen.”
He flinched, the dark shadow in his gaze starting to lift. “I’d never force you."
She swallowed hard. "I agreed to mate with you, and I also told you I couldn't give you anything more. You need to accept that.”
His fingers slid around the side of her throat, up into her hair, fisting it lightly. "Grace..."
“No.”
“Just, you need to…fuck, just listen to me—”
"Let her go." Zenon's gritty voice cut through the tension, low and filled with warning. “Your female said no."
There was so much weight behind Zenon's words. She had no idea what it was, where it came from, she was just glad for the unexpected support.
Anger and shock transformed Chaos’s expression, and he twisted his head to face his brother. "You don’t know what's going on here, Zenon. This isn’t what you think, I would never—”
“Fuck, man, she's afraid of you,” Gunner said, voice harsh. “Mate or not, she asked you to back the fuck up."
Chaos frowned at his brothers. “No, she’s not—”
"Look at her,” Zenon gritted out.
Chaos turned back to her, his eyes clashing with hers, and he stumbled back. And just like that, all emotion washed from his face.
His expression went blank. "I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
The transformation was so sudden, the difference in his mood so abrupt, she just stood there, waiting for him to say something else, to fire some other pissed-off comment her way. But none came.
Dipping his chin like she was someone h
e'd just met, he turned and strode away.
She watched him go, her face heating with humiliation as he climbed into the elevator, staring woodenly ahead.
“Okay?” Gunner asked.
She planted her hands on her hips, tying to appear unaffected when she was anything but. “What the hell was that? What's wrong with him?"
Gunner gave her a look that said more than words could. She knew what it was. Chaos was a mated male. She was his mate and she was walking away.
“You should probably go,” he said.
"Right." She glanced at Zenon. “Yeah, um…thank you. I know he’d never hurt me…like that, but this is all new.” And she did, deep down on some visceral level, she knew he would never hurt her, but he would run right over her if she let him.
Zenon gave her a stiff nod. “We know he wouldn’t.” He glanced at the elevator as if he expected Chaos to burst back through at any moment. “But letting you leave right now, especially so soon after mating, is going against every one of his instincts.”
Why did she suddenly feel guilty? Kind of…sad. Dammit, Chaos had agreed to this.
“Grace,” Gunner said, opening her car door.
She didn't need to be told to get lost twice. She climbed in and fired the engine to life.
She drove up to the gates to leave and glanced at the cameras mounted there, waiting to be let out. They shuddered instantly, then slowly slid open.
Was Chaos watching her from the control room?
The pain in the center of her chest intensified, and she peeled out onto the road and did not look back.
Time to refocus her thoughts back to the war.
An image of Chaos sitting beside his bed when she woke after being injured, the worry in his eyes as he stared down at her, stormed her mind.
Gritting her teeth, she shoved it back out and planted her foot on the gas.
Chapter 20
Despite the quick healing, thanks to Chaos’s blood, her ribs still throbbed like they’d been used as a punching bag.
Too bad, no rest for the recently stabbed and bitten. The club was short-staffed, Hannah was still away with her family crisis, and there were demons and a two-headed beast loose in the city.
Grace felt hobbled, and it was not a feeling she enjoyed.
Knight's Dominion (Knights of Hell Book 4) Page 17
