Dimitri’s hand wraps around Joe’s neck, his eyes are his hellhound ones, and his voice is gravelly with a growl as he says, “Let her go. She’s taken.”
I smirk.
Joe doesn’t even argue. As he drops my face like it’s on fire.
“Dimitri?” River asks curiously, coming out of nowhere. His gaze moves between me, the fading bruise on my face, and the guy in front of Dimitri, and anger clouds his features. He immediately reaches for me, his dark, tumultuous eyes studying the bruise as he gently runs his thumb across it, and a deadly, threatening growl builds in his chest.
“What’s going on?” Van asks.
Suddenly, I find myself surrounded by a group of very pissed-off men. Each one of them touches me in some way, offering me comfort. Even Baz gently places his hand on my back, as I feel his very pissed-off presence behind me. Something tells me that just like the guys, he’s having to hold himself in check.
As usual, because I’m not normal, I find it both intriguing because I still have no idea what kind of supernatural he is, and I also find it super fucking hot that he and the others want to crazy murder a guy for me.
Admittedly, I probably shouldn’t be so turned on by my men who are on the edge of losing their shit right now, but I am who I am.
“Dimitri?” Reed says, asking for an explanation with one word that Dimitri surprisingly understands.
“He touched her without her consent after she had already said that she was with Griff,” Dimitri explains with a growl, and his claws dig further into Joe’s neck, making blood drip in rivulets down his neck, soaking his shirt.
Dimitri is seconds away from ripping out Joe’s throat. His eyes connect with mine, and the murder in them dials back slightly as he sees River and the guys circled around me protectively.
Well, that’s a good sign.
Dimitri is territorial. Putting it lightly.
A low, threatening growl echoes through the trees, and my gaze snaps to Griff. His fangs have descended, and his eyes filled with anger as he steps in front of me, his wings snapping out, blocking me from view as he shifts.
“Oh shit,” Coen mutters. He looks up at Reed, “Quick question, is it still as bad as it used to be when Griff loses his shit?”
“Yes,” Van replies.
“What?” I ask.
Griff is motionless in front of us, as Dimitri grins at him.
“So Griff is usually level-headed, gets angry but not overly so, right? Well, there are rare occasions when Griff loses it, and he really loses it,” Doc explains quickly.
“We should have known that Neith being hit on by a douche canoe would have triggered it,” Ransom adds.
Griff lunges forward as Dimitri immediately lets go and steps around the angry gargoyle and makes a beeline for me. Griff’s hand replaces Dimitri’s, except Griff lifts Joe up off the floor, and Joe’s legs kick fruitlessly beneath him as he grabs Griff’s arm and tries to get him to let go. He doesn’t even shift.
“Griff’s got this, Love. As much as I would love to spill some more blood, I need to get back before someone realizes the illusion isn’t actually me.” Dimitri says with a smile as he steps closer, he studies my expression for a moment, and then grins. He leans forward and kisses me quickly, and when he pulls back, although he’s smiling, there’s still a look of worry in his eyes.
Before I can question him, and with my lips still tingling, he salutes the guys with a smirk, and then he disappears, just like that.
Pouf, gone.
Huh.
Well, I guess that explains how he keeps suddenly appearing, although I know that he shouldn’t be able to do it through the wards that they have at the prison. Otherwise, what would be the point of the prison?
Raiden smacks Van on the arm and nods to the left, “We’ve gained an audience.”
“Shit. Alright. I’ll go and speak to the Chief, although he doesn’t look too concerned about what’s happening, and you guys see if you can end this without Griff playing with the fucker like a ragdoll and then popping his head off like a grape,” Van replies as he quickly makes his way over to Michael.
My eyebrows hit my hairline. Well, there’s an interesting image.
Griff clearly knows that we’re heading toward him because he pulls his fist back and launches it into Joe's face, as his other hand lets go of his neck. Joe flies several meters back. The crowd moves out of the way as no one tries to help him, and instead, they just watch stoically.
