Merciless Saints (St. Monarch's Academy 1)

The next minute he darts forward with Riccardo right behind him, and seconds later, all hell breaks loose as Winter and Adrian come up behind them.

Keeping my cool, I slowly rise to my feet and move to the left to get a clear shot at Riccardo.

Before I can take a shot, Riccardo’s vest vibrates and lights up. It looks like Winter took the shot.

“Fuck. Thanks for nothing, Lamas,” Riccardo snaps, and then he heads toward the stairs.

I duck down, but then Hugo drops his gun, and like an enraged bull, he storms Winter. He shoves his shoulder into her stomach and lifts her off the floor, slamming her into a wall.

Sore loser.

Keeping low, I move forward, knowing Hugo won’t stop unless one of us intervenes. Before I reach them, Adrian slams the butt of his gun against Hugo’s head, dislodging him from Winter. It gives me the perfect opportunity to shoot Adrian. I don’t hesitate, and a second later, his vest lights up.

It’s only then Adrian notices me. He shoves at Hugo and throws his arms wide open. “Asshole.”

Hugo tackles Adrian before he can say anything else, and they begin to fight. Reaching for Winter, I grab hold of her arm and yank her away from the brawling men.

The flashing lights give us glimpses of Hugo and Adrian throwing punches. I have no intention of breaking up the fight. They can kill each other for all I care.

Winter yanks away from me, and then I hear Carson curse, “Blyad'.” My eyes widen as I watch his vest light up.

I grab hold of Winter by the neck and shove her up against the wall. Our eyes lock as I growl right in her face, “What the fuck? The game’s over.”

Either Hugo or Adrian slams into my back, and it makes my body press hard against Winter’s. A tempting grin spreads over her face as she says, “It’s never over.”

Chapter 8

WINTER

I get glimpses of Damien’s face with every flash of light. He looks like a demon ready to rip my soul from my body.

A hot demon. I wouldn’t mind if he defiled my soul right here.

His hard body presses against mine, keeping me pinned to the wall. I feel his fingers move as he flexes them around my neck.

One of the guys bumps into Damien again, and this time I feel his breath burst over my face.

The music. The lights. The adrenaline and smoke in the air. It all screws with my mind as I stare at Damien, our faces only an inch apart.

It feels as if the minutes crawl by while the fighting around us slows down to a distant blur. Damien’s aftershave engulfs me, the scent mouth-wateringly good. I become highly aware of every solid inch of him, and it makes desire burst through me, more intense than anything I’ve felt before.

He lowers his hand from my neck, and I feel his fingers brush over my collar bone before they skim the side of my breast and down my side. He leans in, and just as his lips caress my jaw, he grabs hold of my gun and yanks it out of my hand.

For the first time in my life, I couldn’t care less about losing. Not with Damien so close to me. My skin tingles for his touch, and I begin to turn my head, ready to offer my lips to him.

It’s only for a split second, and then he takes a step back, severing the contact between us. Air bursts from my lungs as I realize what happened and what I almost did.

I knew Damien was dangerous, but damn, he practically had me hypnotized with lust.

Stupid, Winter!

Angry at myself, I sidestep Hugo and Adrian, who are still fighting, and rush down the stairs. When I finally step out of the building, I strip the vest from my torso and toss it aside.

Shit. I have some serious damage control to do. I can’t have Damien thinking I’m attracted to him even if it’s the truth.

Needing to regain control over my emotions, I head back to my personal quarters. I avoid phoning Cillian and draw myself a bath so I can relax and get my focus back on the training before going downstairs for dinner.

I strip out of my clothes, my thoughts consumed by what happened with Damien.

Damn, it was so close. How could I lose control like that?

If we were out in the real world, it would’ve been the perfect opportunity for him to kill me.

I step into the tub and sink down in the balmy water. Leaning my head back, I close my eyes, and then the disastrous scene begins to replay in my mind.

I clench my teeth as I remember his strong fingers wrapped around my throat. His touch burned through my skin, setting me ablaze as if a wildfire was pouring through my veins. He was so close. Too close. I felt every rippling muscle beneath his clothes.