Conceited (Crimson Elite 3)

“If you’re sure.”

His eyes stare at me intensely as he speaks, “I’m sure.”

“You handled him, didn’t you?” I ask, and he knows I’m talking about Tom.

He brings his drink to his lips as he watches me over the brim of the glass. “Is it going to be a problem if I did?”

I shake my head. “What do I care?” I say throwing my hands up in the air.

“Oh, you care, you care what she’ll think if she ever discovers the truth,” Creed says. “Have fun with that,” he jokes.

I remember how El reacted when she found out what Creed did, it didn’t go well for either of them. But look at them now, maybe there’s hope after all.

“And stop pissing off D, you know he doesn’t fuck around.”

“He had it coming, he’s easy to manipulate,” I say smiling, remembering how easily he bites. Creed, on the other hand, used to be next to impossible to piss off until El.

“You can sign your own death warrant…” He pauses, pushing a drink toward me. “What do you plan to do with Ariel?”

“Nothing.”

He waits, but I don’t say anything further.

“So, you’ve had your fill, now you are done?”

I nod my head. “Pretty much. What else is there to do? I don’t want fucking kids. I like my life, why do I need a woman in it?”

“You can have a man in it if that makes you happy,” Creed says smirking.

“Ha-ha smart ass. I like to fuck. She likes feelings. Obviously it can’t work.”

“So, you’re throwing in the towel.” He shakes his head. “And here I thought you were a man who follows through.”

“Fuck you.” I turn walking straight out of his door, slamming it on my way out. Just as I get out the front, a beautiful woman with long black hair is standing there. Eyes full of fire as she walks up to me, her hand connects fast with my face, then she brings her knee up and slams it into my cock. I buckle over in pain, not expecting that, at all.

“Fuck, Raven! I didn’t say you were a bad lay. What the fuck was that for?” When I manage to look up, her eyes are still on fire, her lips are in a tight line as she watches me.

“Do you plan to kill me, too?” Her words are thrown out at me. I look behind me to see Creed standing on his front porch. Fuck!

“We will talk about this somewhere private.” She looks past me to Creed, flips him off and storms away. I manage to stand, my balls in my hand as I do.

“I would handle that, and fast if I were you.” He walks back inside and closes the door.

I watch as she drives off and shake my head.

Fuck! Handling her was so much easier when we were younger.22Ariel ‘Raven’I see him behind me, he’s following me. As he should be. I smile when I pull up and get out of the car, waiting for him to follow. He’s reluctant, coming at me slowly and steady with a calmness about him. He should be worried, the asshole. When he reaches me it’s hard not to see him for what he is—a beautiful fucking man. Instead, I try to see him for what he really is—a killer.

“Ariel, let’s talk about this. Calmly.” He looks over my shoulder then back to me.

“Talk, Falcon.” I don’t comment on how he used my real name instead of the one he’s called me forever. I wait to see what excuse he will come up with.

“You’re mad at me.”

I roll my eyes. “That’s stating the patently clear, Captain Obvious.”

“But do you really want me to go to jail? What would you tell my mother?”

Oh, that’s a low blow, trying to pull his mother into this. He knows I love his family.

“Hell, what would Tracey say?”

I cross my hands over my chest and try to keep myself from yelling at him. “Yes. What would she say when she finds out what you do?” He looks down then back to me. “She knows, doesn’t she?” I say realizing when he doesn’t answer.

“She does.”

I shake my head. “I bet your parents don’t know, do they, they would have your head.”

He steps closer, but I hold out my hand to stop him from coming any nearer. He looks behind me again. “We need to go somewhere else and discuss this, please?”

I laugh, it’s fake. “You don’t think the police station is good enough?” I ask him.

He looks behind me again. Then back to me. “No. No, I don’t.” His eyes look around again before he gazes back to me. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“I am, but that’s solely because you deserve it.”

I’m mad at him, so fucking mad.

Who does he think he is?

He killed someone, or whoever he works for killed someone.