Page 32 of UnWholly Angels (Crestview Cardinals #1)

Chapter Sixteen

Riley

J esus, that woman infuriates me to no end.

I ran my hand under the faucet, waiting for the perfect temperature so she could relax. Did I feel bad for what I did? Fuck no. Watching her face as she slowly broke drove me wild, but it wasn’t about punishment. I lied and said it was, but it quickly turned into a lesson for the both of us.

She still needed to heal sexually, in some aspects. In order to help her, I would need to completely break everything she'd ever been brainwashed to believe about sex. With anyone else, I wouldn’t even bat an eye, but goddamn, for her, I would completely rewire my brain to be on her level.

She laid her heart out, completely vulnerable for me to see last night.

It took me hours of watching my reflection in the mirror, staring blankly at the man looking back, for me to fully understand.

I thought about how angry I'd been the last however many years of my life. I couldn’t change the past, but if it came down to Rocco or myself, I would gladly rip his beating heart out and serve it to her on a silver fucking platter.

Better yet, I’d string him up and let her treat him like a fucking pinata.

My body tensed at her soft touch, and I straightened, taking her hand in mine as it sat over my heart, both of us facing the mirror now.

I studied her as she placed a soft kiss on my shoulder. A fiery glimmer remained in her eye, but I couldn’t tell if it was need or anger. To be honest, I wasn't too keen on finding out. I saw that torn limp dick downstairs that Maya left in my basement, and mine wouldn’t be next.

“Don’t clean the sheets next time, okay?” I smiled, ushering her over to the Victorian style tub. That was a personal touch by yours truly, used for my benefit, and now Maya, anytime she wanted. “That can happen after we both get back into the right headspace, and I know you are okay.”

I stepped into the water and sat down, instantly regretting how hot I’d made it.

Maya could probably tell by the pained look on my face, and her cheeks puffed out, holding in the laughter.

“Come here and relax,” I said, taking her hand in mine so she could step in and get comfortable.

She quirked a small smile back and moaned, inching herself into the hot water.

Once comfortable, she beckoned me over with a curled finger.

“Next time, I should make sure I have water next to the bed or snacks. I’m craving something salty,” she said.

The words tumbled out of my mouth faster than I intended as I wrapped an arm around her body and brought her to my chest. “On it. Any other requests? A movie, talking about it, or a nice cuddle?”

A nice cuddle? Really Riley?

Her breath hitched before giving way to a breathy laugh. It took her a few moments to gather herself before she answered back. “You would cuddle…with me?”

Five words.

One sentence.

My unraveling.

“Of course, I love you, but you already know that,” I said. “It’s time to start putting action to words, isn’t it?”

“It never hurts to say it again though, as many times as you need,” she said lovingly, wrapping her arms around the one I had across her chest. Focusing my eyes on the tiled wall, my eyes followed the lines as each one crossed the other in the intricate pattern, and my mind began to drift.

The truth was, it was idiotic to pretend like this was ever over in the first place.

There would never be anyone like her, and I’d spent too much time searching for her in everyone, giving up when it wasn’t there instead of listening to my gut.

The constant itch to look for her. She was right under my nose the whole time, and I was just too angry to see it.

It had been hard coping with that realization.

Nobody realized how deeply rooted the guilt had been and how badly I wanted to make it better—to be forgiven.

I waited silently for her to break the silence, holding a firm grip like she would disappear if I let go. “Can I ask you something?” she asked softly.

Carefully, I gripped her waist and spun her around so we faced each other chest to chest and nodded. Her body was on top of mine. She rested her forehead against mine and asked, “What is this now. What are we Riley?”

I answered too quickly for my own good. “I knew I couldn’t do no strings attached, and I knew that from the moment I found out it was you.

I've loved you way too long for that. We're in too deep now, and if I drown, you drown too. That's what you do when you love someone. That’s my vow to you, and I think the trail of bodies behind us, while small, proves that point.” Resting my palm against her cheek, she nuzzled into it, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the token of affection. “I’m all yours, and I’ll say it any time, any day you need that reassurance. Maya, you are one of the strongest people I have ever met. They won’t hurt you unless they put me down like a rabid animal, and that is highly unlikely. ”

“The other assholes aren’t the problem unless they’re all together.

It’s him.” I clenched my jaw, sliding my hand from her face and over her shoulder to rest my hand over the healed welts on her back.

Running my finger along each one softly as Maya continued, “The belt was his favorite. Being hit with the buckle wasn’t very fun, though.

Once it was so bad I couldn’t sit right for days. It had imprinted into my ass.”

She closed her eyes, resting against my chest, and I wished for nothing more than revenge in the moment as her mask slowly faded in front of my eyes. “You know, it’s stupid, but sometimes I would try and imagine it was you touching me. It didn’t work that well, but I tried,” she sighed sadly.

“That’s extremely insulting,” I said gruffly. “I would never abuse you like that. I’m glad it didn’t work.”

She was tired, and I could tell by the way she yawned against me, which worked out.

She could nap, and I could make a phone call to an old friend.

Tapping her lightly on the back, she shifted forward so I could get out and grab the towel from the rack to snake around my waist. “Why don’t you wash up and take a nap, and I’ll order lunch in a bit,” I offered.

She nodded, and I turned toward the door, leaning against the frame with my own burning question. “Hey, that crown tatted on your lower back. What’s it mean?”

She threw me a seductive glance, furrowing her eyebrows, and moving her tongue between those plump lips before she spoke. “Rocco needed a reminder of who really had my heart. And he got it, each time he was buried inside me.”

My jaw ticked, practically crushing the doorframe underneath my fingertips, fighting the urge to sink myself inside her again.

It had to be the sexiest line anyone has ever said to me.

Moments like these would be how I’d remember us.

I would face Rocco again soon. That much I knew.

This time though, I’d squash him like the roach he was.

There was too much on the line this time.

And my career was the last thing on my mind.

“Well, that’s almost as impressive as your nickname being tattooed on my cock. It’s been inside others over the years. Take solace in the fact that a piece of you is inside all of them, too.”

“Goodie, the one place I’ve always wanted was to be inside Nick’s mouth,” Maya countered with a raised brow.

I smirked, backing out of the bathroom, making sure to close the door on the way out.

Eyeing my phone, I grabbed it off the dresser and unlocked it, scrolling to the number I needed.

After a few rings, a raspy voice sounded through the speaker.

“Who is this?” the voice answered.

I cleared my throat. What a way to answer the phone . “It’s Angel. Time to pay the piper, bodyguard.”

“Fuck off, things aren’t straight right now.”

“I've gotten you out of more shit than I’ve made myself, including letting you crash in my guest room for six months while your girl thought you were dead. I’d suggest changing your answer, and tone.”

“At least I looked for and found my girl,” Rowan snapped.

“Yeah, and I took down half the city with you, asshole,” I snorted.

“Whoops.”

The deafening silence on the other end caused my anxiety to settle in my chest, and his steady breath rattled against the line as I waited for an answer in this long-distance faceoff. Eventually, his laugh rang through the speaker, and I relaxed slightly, pacing the room.

“Anyone else and I would have their guts rearranged,” Rowan threatened.

“As long as you take me to dinner first.”

“Email me what you need, and I’ll do my best to get it to you.”

“I’ll talk to you soon. Working together just like old times, Rowan. I look forward to it.”

“Minus the shitty food, abusive COs, and solitary when we didn’t play nice.

Welcome back to the game, Bunkie,” he replied.

The line went dead, and I threw the phone on the bed, running a nervous hand through my hair.

I needed a game plan before shit hit the fan.

With only a week off before the next game, something needed to be done, and fast.

Maya

The puzzle I had splayed out on the table was a challenge I would skillfully conquer in a matter of time. The thousand piece beach landscape had taken me hours, and I only had a few pieces left.

I pushed the peppermint stick between my lips, letting my tongue swirl around it, then slid it out, setting it back on the table next to me as the last piece fit perfectly in the middle.

People always thought I was nerdy for using puzzles to relax.

A lot of others got frustrated when they couldn’t get past the border, but it was more than that to me.