Page 144 of Darling Psycho

“Can’t do that, Angie. A lockdown is a lockdown. We don’t take breaks to zip outside. Lawless would fucking ruin me from the inside if you got your head blown off.”

Angela’s panic rose like a chokehold in her throat. If she didn’t get out of here, her lungs would explode.

“Please,” she said, hating the weakness, “I can’t breathe in here.” She’d risk her head being blown off if only she could get a lungful of clean air. When Angela tried to push against Judge, he held firm. “Be fucking sensible, Angie, you can’t go out there yet, not until we’ve had the all-clear, okay? You want a beer? Food?”

“I want to leave,” she snapped, “and I want you to get the fuck out of my way before I rip your kidneys out.”

Undeterred by her empty threat, the guy only chuckled, unseeing of the rising panic climbing into Angela’s throat.

And then she heard the best sound of her life.

“You can let her go, Judge.”

Angela whirled around, and there he stood at the end of the corridor. So tall and calm. And safe. He was safe. Razor-sharp lines and well-defined cheekbones with his unsmiling lips. It felt as though she hadn’t seen him in months, and every part of her body reacted.

“Thank fuck for that. Thought she was gonna bite my face off.” Judge strolled down the corridor. “Everything cool, boss?” He asked Lawless, and though he answered, he kept his eyes on her.

When it was only the two of them, he jutted his chin, walking forward. “Get here.”

Before she knew it, Angela’s feet were carrying her toward him. She didn’t run or hurry, but the momentum of her legs carried her to her love until she could rest her forehead on his chest. He smelled of the outside chill, and his clothes were icy to the touch. Even so, she wrapped both arms around his waist.

Finally, she could breathe.

Finally, she had her fresh air back and her lungs inflated.

The world around her steadied once more.

However sick and twisted it might make her, there was no other place Angela wanted to be than in Lawless’ skin and bones. Fusing them, she held on tight, even when his arms didn’t automatically come around her. Angela held on and felt right again.

* * *

“I heard you threatening to cut out Judge’s kidneys.”

Her reply was muffled against his chest, and Lawless felt like chuckling.

Little badass.

She was persistent chaos in his head, banging through his ribs.

But she was his chaos, and he wouldn’t exchange her for all the peace in the world.

Picking her up from under her armpits, she made a grumbling noise until she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her face found his neck, and Lawless headed to the open bedroom door where he’d heard she’d been holed up for hours, stewing in a mood.

Angela had always found ways of squirming herself underneath his cast-iron armor. Impenetrable to anyone else, fucking bubbles to her.

He’d dealt with bad fish all of his life trying to gain access to Lawless. Wanting more from him than he was ever willing to give. Most people made him itchy underneath the skin. They came with so much emotional baggage, it choked around his throat. Her methods were innocently soft, ungainly even, and they’d made a man like himfeel.

Had she ever been cunning in her wiles to gain closer to him, it would have been without effort to close it down. Even the most downtrodden animals could call on a reservoir of strength sometimes. And that’s what Angela had done. He’d watched it emerge, fascinated by the creature.

She was in his blood from that day, tying them together.

So, while she trembled against his body, he felt it in his bones.

“I also heard you haven’t eaten.” He’d bet she hadn’t slept either. “You’re worse than a stray cat who can’t fend for itself, Angela.” His tongue clicked, kicking the door closed behind them. “Are you done sniffing me? let me see your face.”

She lifted her head, and she wasn’t so ashen as moments ago. “There are too many people here gossiping about me.”

“It’s what they do.”