Fraud

With my sweet smile in place, I tilt my head.

“Oh, you’ll have to excuse me for not being able to tell. But then, that’s probably because the two of you like to switch out for each other when seducing all the ladies, isn’t it?”

He knows exactly which lady I’m referring to, and if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll back the hell off.

Sadly, he doesn’t, but I keep going anyway.

“You’re going to tell me what the hell is going on with you and Emily. And when you’re done doing that, you’re going to explain to me what you plan to do to put a smile back on her face so I don’t personally kick your ass.”

Ezra laughs at that, but not in the fu

I like to think I’m confident he won’t pick me up and toss me headfirst off the porch right now, but the evil grin that stretches his lips says differently.

“What’s actually going to happen here is you’re going to get out of my way in the next second or I’ll move you.”

A smart person would move.

Unfortunately, I’m not that person.

I cross my arms over my chest and stand my ground instead.

Screw him. I refuse to be intimidated by a crazy man.

“Back to what I was saying.”

Ezra reaches out as if to shove me aside, and I have one of those split-second moments where my life flashes in front of my eyes. Sadly, the memory that sticks out the most is a nine-year-old boy with bruised eyes and a busted lip, the image haunting me like it’s burned into my retinas.

My breath catches in my lungs waiting to be knocked out of the way, but before he can make contact, another hand locks over Ezra’s arm preventing him from laying even a finger on me.

Both our heads turn to see Gabriel standing next to us, his expression just as lethal as Ezra’s.

I take a slight step back, surprise widening my eyes that Gabriel has...again...stepped between one of the Inferno members and me.

Something unsaid occurs between the two men before Gabriel releases Ezra’s arm to grab mine instead. My feet trip over themselves as he drags me through the living room, past the stairs and to a small library in back.

He doesn’t bother turning on a light before spi

“Just how many of my friends are you going to make me fight to keep them from killing you?”

I do a mental count. So far, we’re at three. It’s not bad. Not even half, really. And I had every right to get in Ezra’s face.

“He’s doing something to Emily.”

Gabriel lowers his face to mine, his palms braced on the wall on either side of my head. Standing like this only makes him feel insanely large, like he’s Goliath and I’m David, armed with nothing more than a feather.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Like hell it isn’t.”

I tip a defiant chin at that, my arms crossing over my chest.

Slowly, the corners of his mouth stretch apart, just a slight tilt at the corners.

“You have no idea what it does to me when you act like this.”

Judging by the heat behind his eyes, I can take an educated guess. A shiver courses down me, the reaction only made worse when he clasps my chin between his fingers and holds my face still.

Gabriel’s lips part just slightly as his gaze dips to my mouth. His voice is seductively soft when he explains, “I love the fight in you. So much, in fact, that it’s always made me think of just how much fun it would be to fuck it right out of you.”

His eyes lift to mine.

“I’ve always felt that way. Even when I couldn’t stand you.”

My breath catches at his words, a knot forming in my throat that I struggle to swallow down. It doesn’t work. My voice still cracks apart when I speak.

“Then what’s the problem?”

He searches my eyes for a few seconds before answering.

“The other guys don’t feel the same way. So I’m going to need for you to dial it down a notch. If one of them pisses you off and you feel the need to fight, bring it to me. I’ll be more than happy to work it out of you.”

I won’t deny the thought sounds fun, but that doesn’t solve the problem with Emily.

“They’re doing something to her,” I remind him, my voice far softer than I’d intended.

Understanding smooths the lines of his face. “It doesn’t matter.”

When I open my mouth to argue, he presses a finger against my lips.

“At least for right now, it doesn’t. We’re leaving to go home in a few minutes, and she’ll be away from them at her place.”

That appeases me some, especially since I have every intention of going back to her house with her.

Relaxing against the wall, I stare up at him.

“That’s fine. I’ll just ask her what’s up when I go with her back to her place.”

That damn smile returns, the charming one that hides everything he’s thinking.

“You’re coming home with me. We have a show to put on.”

Laughing at that, I roll my eyes. “We don’t have to be staying in the same place in order to pretend we’re actually engaged.”

His smile widens. “Fine. Then you’re coming with me because you still have a lot of work to do to pay me back for what you did to my house.”

My eyes narrow in refusal. Partly because of the way he’s looking at me, but mostly because there’s not a drop of humor in the way he said it.

“Are you telling me I’m still a prisoner? I thought I’d escaped my prison when I joined Team Inferno.”

Tilting his head, his brows tug together. “Team Inferno?”

“Yeah, I was going to have t-shirts made.”

Gabe laughs at that, his forehead lowering to rest against mine, his eyes trapping me in place.

“You’re coming with me because I can’t let you out of my sight.”

“And why’s that?” I ask.

It’s killing me that he’s so close, our breath mingling, our mouths a tempting inch apart.

“Would you trust you out in the wild?”

I can’t help my smile. “No.”

Softly brushing my mouth with his, Gabe whispers, “That’s why.”