"What the hell is his problem?" Raylene growled to herself as she slammed her doors shut behind her. She ripped the blazer off her shoulders angrily, "Qualified? Fucking qualified? I'll show him qualified–"
Raylene groaned and threw her blazer across the room, raising her hands to her hair. She gripped the strands and ran her hands through them wretchedly, her eyes wide as she replayed their conversation again and again in her mind. No matter how she played it, it started and ended with his need to provoke her uselessly. And her reacting like a damned idiot.
If she continued like this, she was going to lose her job. And then, she was going to lose her life. Her hands rested on the necklace on her throat, her eyes narrowing into a glare that looked into nowhere.
"I just have to control myself." She murmured to herself and shut her eyes as she ripped the choker off her neck and flung it across the room, "Just breathe when he's around and you won't kill him."
"You can't breathe when I'm around?"
Raylene moved so fast that the wind hustled around her in a whoosh. She grabbed the knife tucked in the pocket of her trousers, turned, and threw. Her other hand was already holding the gun she'd tucked in the waistband of her pants and was pointing in the intruder's direction.
The intruder had ducked away from her knife, and she was about to shoot when she saw those amber eyes glint. He moved as fast as she had, his movement blurred as he whipped out his gun and aimed it at her forehead. Raylene scoffed as he shut her door with his foot and took a step forward. She raised her chin and snarled,
"I will shoot, you know."
He didn't balk. Just strode in her direction until his gun was pressing to her forehead and hers pressed to his heart. Angel's hair was a complete mess, and his eyes were dangerous as he glared down at her,
"As will I."
Ray's eyes flashed, "I'm faster."
"Let's find out."
Click.
"Fine."
Click.
They paused for a second. Blinked once. Raylene pushed the hilt of her gun further against his chest, "Why are you in my room?"
"Because I felt like killing you today."
"That's a dumb decision."
"I'm not arguing about this with you." He snarled and Raylene rolled her eyes,
"I'm not asking you to."
"Dios," he spat, "Why are you this irritating?"
"Why don't you get the hell out of my fucking room before I show just how annoying I can get?"
He didn't respond. Just glared down at her with distaste before suddenly snapping his gun away from her. She raised her brows but didn't lower her hands. Angel scowled at her actions,
"Don't have sportsmanship?" he asked, his voice calmer.
"No." she deadpanned and pressed the gun further against his chest, "What do you want Santos?"
Angel blinked at her question and her eyes widened in surprise. He looked almost lost, with his wide amber eyes blazing and his outfit a rumpled mess. When she'd seen him in the hallway before, she'd almost slipped back into her own room. Angel De Santos, with his lean, almost beautiful body and his shirts–
God, it was a sight for sore eyes.
But then he opened his mouth, and everything fell apart. She was suddenly aware of him standing far closer to her than she liked. She could make out the faint scent of soap and coffee? Raylene shook her head and let her gun fall limp to one side as she cocked her head in his direction,
"You don't know why you're here," she stated, and Angel's eyes narrowed, "Do you?"
He huffed but didn't respond. Raylene rolled her eyes again, and he followed her movements as she tucked her gun back in the waistband of her jeans and strode past him. What sort of idiot ran into their enemy's room without any intention? She wondered as she gripped the hilt of the knife that was stuck on her wall and tugged it loose.
Angel started speaking from behind her then, "Why did you propose the alliance?" he asked, and Raylene rolled her eyes, turning on her heels to face him.
"Tell me why I have to explain myself to you?"
His eye twitched in annoyance, "Can you answer the question?"
"No."
Angel took a deep breath, and she crossed her arms as she saw him force a calm smile on his face, "We need to spend the next six days together. It would be good for us to remain civil."
Raylene narrowed her gaze, "I don't see the problem here." She said, and Angel took a step in her direction, his back straightened and his chin lifting as he looked at her,
"I'm saying we can have at least one conversation without arguing. It'll make this transition easier." He said and continued as she scoffed, "I'm just trying to maintain relations here."
"And why am I supposed to trust a word that comes out of your mouth?" she started in his direction, her eyes cutting through his. Her feet barely hissed as she slid across the room and stood right before him, "The only reason you're here is because you're searching for ways to ruin the Lions."
"Such accusations," he purred, suddenly far more calmer than she was. Raylene realized and immediately snapped out of her rage. She saw him blink at the change of emotions on her face and heard him sigh, "I'm not trying to start anything here. I believe that this alliance is truly good for both of us."
Raylene shut her eyes and inhaled once. Deeply.
"That's the only reason why I'm here tonight." He said, his tone sincere in a way that pricked her conscience, "To make amends and start anew. So we can come to trust each other and start a peaceful alliance."
Her honey eyes rose and matched his amber eyes. They shone under the white light of the room, but Raylene couldn't bring herself to believe a word he said. Couldn't believe the flash of innocence in his words. So, she breathed, her chest heaving up and down once before she decided to play his game.
"Then you should start by not insulting me," she started and tilted her chin. Her hair spilled over her shoulder just as his gaze hardened,
"I was just voicing my concerns," he started, and she shook her head, hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her trousers as she cocked her head sideways. She saw him shudder once, stumbling upon his words as he saw her movement and take a smooth step forward,
"I've known them all my life. And you've come from nowhere. How am I supposed to just accept a stranger who's in charge of this major change?"
Raylene sighed, her eyes catching his movement as he wove a hand through his hair and took a step past her, moving to get out of her room. She saw him wait for her response, his head turning over his shoulder with a slight frown on his face. Looking at him like this made her wonder if he'd managed to win Alessandro over with his pure wickedness or loyalty. Because no matter how she looked at it, Angel De Santos seemed like a perfect actor. He was in the Lion's good favor and was quite close to Kyle as well. What could this mean for them? For her?
Angel was turning back to the door when she snapped out of her thoughts. Ray saw his shoulders tense as he twisted the knob and pulled the door open. She didn't say anything as the door opened without the slightest sound. Instead, she saw him step out in the hallway and turn back to look at her, again with that quiet, soft look in his eyes.
That good of an actor?
"This alliance is good for both of us." He said after a moment's pause and Raylene crossed her arms as his gaze sparkled under the white light. Angel looked so young suddenly, with a small yet boyish smile on his face as he said the next words,
"Don't ruin it, storm."
There it was.
Raylene smirked as she heard the slight strain in his voice. Saw his eyes flash. It bothered him, being this docile. This calm, with her. She couldn't help it. A chuckle left her throat and she saw as he froze in his tracks. Raylene saw as his fingers tightened on her door's knob and pressed her lips together to stop herself from grinning too widely. Instead, she looked up at him and shook her head,
"Don't try to become all soft now Santos." She teased and saw his eyes widen by a fraction. Felt the atmosphere cool as a flame of annoyance flared in his eyes, "You've already shown what you are."
"And what am I?" Angel probed, his voice strained and he forced that same, stupid smile on his face. Ray grinned and took a few steps forward towards her door. She saw him stumble back in surprise and caught the flash of annoyance on his face as she grabbed the inside knob of her door and ripped it from his fingers.
"You're a guy who hates me."
His eyes sparked and he scoffed as she tilted her head innocently and smiled,
"Don't fucking lie about it."
And slammed the door right in his face.
* *
And here's the end of the snippet. The Paperback is going to be available soon - on Amazon and on other platforms as well! So stay tuned because more is coming.
Till then, please leave some reviews on Amazon and enjoy this duology!
Ruth Myers <3