Lawless Kingdom (Reign & Ruin 1)

I ignored him, fixing my gaze on the gorgeous fella casually leaning against the boat railing. He was in a white shirt today, a soft leather jacket over top of it, and donning a pair of dark jeans.

“Where’s Dax?”

He dragged his gaze up and down my body—slowly. I instantly felt exposed. Knowing he’d seen it all already didn’t make me feel better.

“How would I know?”

I glared, taking a step towards him.

“Don’t play games with me.”

He tilted his head to the side with a menacing smirk. “But you’re so fun to play with.”

I frowned. He’d said that as if we were well acquainted. “I think you’ve got me mixed up with someone else. I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. I just want Dax.”

He strode forward, his movements predatory and confident. I steeled my spine and forced myself not to retreat, drawing in a small breath when he got within a few inches of my chest.

His intoxicating cologne seeped into my lungs. I was forced to tilt my head back so that I could see his face.

“You don’t know who I am, but your pussy sure as fuck does.”

“What the—”

“And you say you want Dax, but we both know that’s not true.”

He couldn’t mean…I crossed my arms and finally took a step back, vigorously shaking my head. “Clearly, you’ve gotten your wires crossed somewhere. I don’t know what your beef is with my boyfriend, but I would always pick his side over yours.”

“Would?” His smirk split into a grin.

Shit. I held his gaze for as long as I could, feeling as if he were penetrating every layer of my soul.

Judas was proving that he was the definition of intensity. I’d never dealt with anything or anyone like him. He left me feeling bereft and unarmored.

I swallowed and took another step away from him, intending to go find Audrey so we could get the hell out of here.

He moved with me like we were doing a synchronized dance. When his arms wrapped around my body without warning, palms skimming down my back and leaving a chill in their wake, I attempted to break free.

“Get off me!”

“Almost done,” he soothed as if I were an insolent child, tightening his hold, smashing my chest to his. Feeling firm fingers along the top globe of my left ass cheek, I stiffened. A second later something was tugged free. My lower lip detached from the top when Judas stepped away with my cellphone in his hand.

“Thought I was trying to feel you up?” His knowing grin said he knew that’s exactly what I thought.

“I don’t have to force myself on you. Not when you’d all too willingly let me touch every part of your body, principessa.”

“Like I did the other night?” I rebuffed, anger bleeding through my words.

“The other night was me doing you a favor, believe it or not. You should be thanking me. Don’t turn it into something it wasn’t.”

I laughed without humor. His ego was way too much. “A favor? So, what? You’re my hero now? My gallant white knight?”

“No.” His answer was firm, one word said with so much grit I didn’t question it. “A hero is altruistic. They don’t expect things in return.”

“And you do?”

“Yeah.” His eyes drilled into mine. “You. Every fucking part of you.”

I’d been being sarcastic. I had a feeling he wasn’t.

“Give me my phone back,” I snapped, ignoring the reaction he’d just caused inside me. I moved forward to grab it, just to be stiff-armed by the guy he’d been talking to on the balcony the other night.

He was too damn tall for his own good, indigo eyed with dirty blonde hair styled similarly to Judas’. Did he not have averagely attractive friends? You know, like me.

“Just a second, Kitten.” Blue eyes needled.

My nose screwed up involuntarily. I loathed pet names. “It’s Rhiannon.”

“Nah. You remind me of a pissed off cat. So, it’s Kitten.”

An image of my old tabby popped into my head. When he got mad at the other cats through our front window, he’d puff up like a cotton ball. I hoped to god I didn’t resemble that when I was upset.

I watched Judas’ fingers fly across my screen with a scowl on my face. “How did you unlock it? And what are you doing?”

“Here.” He held the slim device out for me, ignoring both my questions.

The asshole dropped his arm and let me move forward to retrieve it. I took the phone from Judas as delicately as I would a bomb. He watched me closely. When he finally stepped away, his brainless minions did the same. Brenda—the second, as I’d deemed her—offered a friendly smile.

“I’ll see you in two weeks,” Judas tossed over his shoulder.

I stared at the retreating quad in confusion. What was happening in two weeks?

CHAPTER SEVEN

JUDAS

The verdict was in.