Dragonfury 02 - Fury of Ice

Christ.” While the others laughed, Rikar eyeballed his friend. “Didn’t realize I needed one.”
    Venom rolled his eyes. “Buddy, you got all kinds of trouble.”
    Rikar raised a brow.
    “Sooner or later, man, you’re gonna have to pull your head out of your ass. You can’t keep her locked up forever.”
    Her . Translation? Angela. Freaking male. Venom was butting in where he didn’t belong. No one meddled better than Venom, and the fact the warrior was thinking about Angela—for any reason—made Rikar want to kick his ass.
    “She’s my problem. Not yours,” he said, voice soft with lethal undertones. The male needed to get a clue…right now. Before Rikar felt the need to rearrange his face.
    “I know that,” Venom said. “But Lothair can track her energy. Why not use that and her to our advantage?”
    “No fucking way.” Rikar curled his hands into fists, prepared to back up the statement with a beatdown. “Not happening.”
    “Come on, man. She could—”
    “Leave it alone, Ven.” Bastian pushed away from the cabinets, ready to intervene if shit went critical. A good guess considering Rikar’s launch code had been punched in, and he was about to go nuclear. “Don’t go there.”
    “Why not? It’s a good plan, B. She’s a cop, for God’s sake…with a skill set that’s cranked to kick ass. Using her as bait to lure the bastard out into the open makes perfect sense.” Leaning in, Venom planted his elbows on the countertop. Ruby-red eyes earnest, he said, “Rikar, man, it’ll work. We’ll protect her while you KO the asshole. Angela will get closure. Where’s the downside?”
    “Oh, my God.” Whisper-thin, the voice came from the archway behind him.
    Rikar bowed his head. Angela. She’d snuck up on him in frickin’ flip-flops. Talk about inattention. But then, Venom and his stupid plan had distracted him completely. Now he would be forced to deal with the aftermath and Angela’s fear.
    Swinging around on the stool, he turned to face her and…goddamn, the look on her face broke his heart. Terror—abject and terrible—was on display in her wide hazel eyes. His breath stalled in his throat, making his chest ache as he put himself in gear. He couldn’t leave her standing there alone, itching to run as panic grabbed hold. Okay, so technically she wasn’t alone. Mac stood just behind her, his eyes so stormy the color churned, moving from aquamarine to turbulent blue-gray.
    “Motherfuck.” His load of pissed off pinned on Rikar, Mac asked, “Is that true? Can he track her?”
    Rikar didn’t answer. He was more interested in reaching Angela than answering Mac’s question. Stopping in front of her, he slid his hand into hers. A tremor rolled through her into him. He laced their fingers, hoping his touch, the closeness of his body, the reassurance in his gaze calmed her. Helped her realize he would never allow anyone—or anything—to hurt her.
    Never again. Not while he lived.
    “Angela,” he murmured, moving in tight, wanting her in his arms so badly his palms itched.
    But forcing an embrace wouldn’t work. Not with Angela. She was warrior-strong, able to fight her own battles and decide whom she wanted by her side. The juvenile part of him jumped up and down, yelling, “Pick me, pick me!” Rikar held the line and waited, hoping she took what he offered, the comfort of his touch. Seconds ticked by as she held his gaze, a question in her own, then—
    It happened. She folded, closed the distance between them—fisted her hand in the back of his shirt, pressed her cheek to his chest, asking without words to be held. His heart thumped, shattering into shards as he drew her in. Wrapping her up tight, he absorbed her shivers, nestled his cheek against the top of her head, soothing her the only way he knew how…with his body and touch and understanding. “Sweet angel. It’s all right.”
    “S-sorry,” she whispered back, apologizing for some imagined weakness.
    “No need. You have every right to be afraid. Only a fool wouldn’t be, love.” Nuzzling her, he kissed the sweet spot behind her ear. “But you’re safe. Black Diamond is secure. He can’t get to you here.”
    “And if I leave?”
    “He’ll find you.”
    Her hand flexed, bunching his shirt against his spine. He gave her a gentle squeeze as she lifted her face from his chest. She looked up at him. Her eyes clung to his before she took a deep breath, glanced away from him and then around the kitchen,