4
Mercy
The Mustang jerkedto a halt in front of the warehouse’s parking lot, and someone shoved the back door open. Rowan and Gideon were sitting there, Rowan pushing over to make room. “Get in,” he said quickly.
Kaige was already rolling his window down in the front passenger seat. His expression was taut, his dark eyes fierce. “Are they close by?” he asked, sounding like he was just waiting for an excuse to crack a few skulls.
I stayed where I was. “If you’re talking about the Steel Knights, not as far as I know,” I said. “And I’ll stay right here for now.”
Wylder peered past Kaige from the driver’s seat, his fingers tight around the steering wheel. “What the hell are you talking about? We’re getting you out of here.”
“I think I’d like to do a little more talking before I make up my mind about that.”
“For fuck’s—” He cut himself off with a sound of frustration.
The next thing I knew, all four of the guys were leaping out of the Mustang with an urgency that put me even more on guard. As he came around the front of the car, Wylder’s gaze shot straight to my arm—to the shallow cut where a thin trickle of blood was still seeping out and then the stains on my fingers from my glass-sliced palms. Emotion flared in his bright green eyes.
Kaige barged forward, but Wylder stepped in front of him, cutting him off. The heir to the Nobles strode right up to me, picking up speed as he came.
“Hold on a second,” I said, holding up my hands as if to ward him off and taking another step back.
But Wylder didn’t give a shit what I wanted. What else was new? He grabbed me by the shoulder so I couldn’t retreat any farther, firmly but not hard enough to hurt, which was the only reason I didn’t punch him in the nose.
He scanned my face, focusing on my bruised cheek for a moment, and then down my body, tension etched all through his stance. When his attention came back to the small wound on my forearm, his jaw clenched. “Fucking bastards.”
“It’s fine,” I said, unsettled and yet weirdly warmed by his intensity. He sure as hell wasn’t acting like a guy pissed off because his evil plan had gone awry. No, he was practically vibrating with agitation… over the thought that I’d shed a few drops of blood?
“It’s not fine,” he snapped, examining each of my hands. “Someone grab the first aid kit from the trunk!”
Rowan hustled over with a roll of gauze. When our gazes met, his deep blue eyes searched mine, his mouth slanting at an uneasy angle. Wylder snatched the gauze from him and started wrapping it with practiced efficiency around my palms, which were barely even stinging anymore anyway. Rowan shifted his weight as if to step closer to me and then seemed to catch himself, his attention flicking to Wylder.
I couldn’t blame him if he was wary of stepping in while his boss was in this mood. I wasn’t totally sure what to make of it yet myself.
Wylder tied the hasty bandages off and shoved the roll of gauze back at Rowan. “We’ll get Frank to have a look at them when we get back.” Grasping my shoulder again, he peered into my eyes even more intently. His hand flexed and softened its hold as if he was afraid he’d accidentally wound me himself. The movement sent a tingling over my skin. “They didn’t hurt you in any other way?”
“I didn’t give them a chance,” I said, holding myself in place against the urge to sway closer to him. All that fiery protectiveness, and something about it drew me like a moth to a flame, especially from this guy who’d made such a performance of not giving a damn about me so many times in the past.
But I had to be sure.
Kaige pushed in beside him, his face twisted with rage. “I’m going to kill those motherfuckers.”
Despite myself, a smile twitched at my lips. I motioned to the cut on my arm. “I already killed the one who did this.” The memory came with only a faint jab of discomfort, quickly overwhelmed by a swell of satisfaction. I’d given that prick what he’d deserved.
Kaige’s mouth fell open.
Wylder blinked. “Well, fuck me. Kitty Cat doesn’t mess around.”
He sounded almost proud. I had to mentally stamp out the thrill of pleasure that pulsed through me.
I shook off Wylder’s grasp and pulled away from him, crossing my arms over my chest and examining him for any trace of malice. “I’m perfectly all right. You weren’t expecting that, were you?”
Kaige threw his hands in the air. “What were we supposed to think when you just disappeared—that fucking van—it was the Steel Knights, wasn’t it? What the hell even happened?”
Wylder’s lips had pursed when I’d drawn back, but he was still looking at me like I was some injured bird. “I’m not surprised. You’ve turned the tables on those pricks before. But we should get out of here. We’re deep in Steel Knights territory. I’m looking forward to putting a lot of bullets in a lot of heads, but let’s get you out of the potential crossfire first.”
“I’ll tear their fucking heads right off,” Kaige muttered, clenching his hands.
I wasn’t seeing any sign that either of them was anything other than relieved that I was okay—and furious with the people who hadn’t wanted me to be. My gaze slid to the other two men.