Read Online Quiver (Revenge Book 1) by Trevion Burns - Free Book Online
Authors: Trevion Burns
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“I’m not ready to go.”
Gage’s eyes widened. “You took an Uber here, right?”
Veda cocked her head. How did he know that?
His voice lowered. “I’ll drive you home.”
Veda snatched away from his hold, huffing. She couldn’t go home until she got what she came for. As she faced Todd, however, who was looking at her like she had two heads, it occurred to her that it wasn’t the night. It couldn’t be. Not only did Todd have too many eyes on him, since he was the birthday boy, but he was now too aware of Veda. Supremely aware. He’d spend the rest of the night watching her like a hawk—if not out of curiosity, then at the very least to laugh at her with his idiot friends.
A tepid quiver ran through Veda when Gage’s hands cupped her shoulders. He let them run her arms, slow, soft, picking up every thin strand of hair he touched, and even the ones he almost touched.
Veda sucked in a breath.
“Fine,” she spat, inhaling when his hands tightened around her arms, drinking in the smirk on Todd’s face. “I’m not scared to fight a man,” she warned him.
Todd held his arms out. “I love taking beatings from women. Especially the unhinged ones.”
Veda rolled her eyes and turned to Gage, giving Todd her back.
Gage searched her eyes. The expression on his face was appropriately serious, but the corners of his lips were threatening to lift, revealing his secret amusement.
He brushed that knuckle down Veda’s stomach again, and when she stepped away, he lifted his eyebrows.
“Let’s go.” His gaze went over her shoulder and he nodded, smiling gently. “You too, Coco.”
He spoke to Coco with a much gentler tone, much warmer eyes, and a more comforting aura than Todd.
Coco’s eyes remained on the floor, tugging her sleeves so hard they swallowed her hands completely. “Totally,” she whispered. “I was totally ready to go anyway.”
“Good.” Gage placed one hand on the small of Veda’s back and the other on Coco’s shoulder, shooting Todd a look as they passed him. He nodded to Todd’s drink. “I think you’ve had enough, brother.”
Veda looked over her shoulder just in time to see Todd’s infuriating smile. He shouted over the small crowd that had gathered around them. “I’m only getting started, brother!”
Veda’s teeth ground.
Live it up now, asshole, she thought as Gage led them out of the bar.
4
“Well, that escalated quickly.” Gage shot Veda amused eyes, the palm of his hand barely touching the steering wheel as he navigated the narrow streets of Shadow Rock. It was approaching the middle of the night, so the streets were quiet; nothing but the sound of crashing waves filled the air.
Leaning out of the open window of his Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, Veda watched the asphalt roll by. He’d painted the car a matte black, so the exterior blended with the street so well it almost disappeared, making her feel like she was flying. She wished she could fly. The moment she made that wish, however, she realized how useless it was. She’d already tried flying away—from Shadow Rock, from her past, from the constant ache in her gut. It wasn’t until she’d graduated medical school that it finally hit her.
She couldn’t fly away from herself.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
“That was so amazing,” Coco beamed. Veda knew she was leaning in from the backseat without even having to look. “The expression on Todd’s face. Oh my God. You know that nobody ever talks to him like that, right? Like, ever?”
“Then I guess I’m no one,” Veda said, lifting her head from the window and smiling back at her.
Coco returned her smile, her eyes falling shyly.
Yep, Veda needed to get the hell away from this one. If she let her, Coco would destroy everything.
But Coco wasn’t the only unplanned and unwanted distraction. Her accusatory eyes moved to the driver’s seat, where Gage was leaning to the left as he turned the wheel to the left. She noticed he
Gage’s eyes widened. “You took an Uber here, right?”
Veda cocked her head. How did he know that?
His voice lowered. “I’ll drive you home.”
Veda snatched away from his hold, huffing. She couldn’t go home until she got what she came for. As she faced Todd, however, who was looking at her like she had two heads, it occurred to her that it wasn’t the night. It couldn’t be. Not only did Todd have too many eyes on him, since he was the birthday boy, but he was now too aware of Veda. Supremely aware. He’d spend the rest of the night watching her like a hawk—if not out of curiosity, then at the very least to laugh at her with his idiot friends.
A tepid quiver ran through Veda when Gage’s hands cupped her shoulders. He let them run her arms, slow, soft, picking up every thin strand of hair he touched, and even the ones he almost touched.
Veda sucked in a breath.
“Fine,” she spat, inhaling when his hands tightened around her arms, drinking in the smirk on Todd’s face. “I’m not scared to fight a man,” she warned him.
Todd held his arms out. “I love taking beatings from women. Especially the unhinged ones.”
Veda rolled her eyes and turned to Gage, giving Todd her back.
Gage searched her eyes. The expression on his face was appropriately serious, but the corners of his lips were threatening to lift, revealing his secret amusement.
He brushed that knuckle down Veda’s stomach again, and when she stepped away, he lifted his eyebrows.
“Let’s go.” His gaze went over her shoulder and he nodded, smiling gently. “You too, Coco.”
He spoke to Coco with a much gentler tone, much warmer eyes, and a more comforting aura than Todd.
Coco’s eyes remained on the floor, tugging her sleeves so hard they swallowed her hands completely. “Totally,” she whispered. “I was totally ready to go anyway.”
“Good.” Gage placed one hand on the small of Veda’s back and the other on Coco’s shoulder, shooting Todd a look as they passed him. He nodded to Todd’s drink. “I think you’ve had enough, brother.”
Veda looked over her shoulder just in time to see Todd’s infuriating smile. He shouted over the small crowd that had gathered around them. “I’m only getting started, brother!”
Veda’s teeth ground.
Live it up now, asshole, she thought as Gage led them out of the bar.
4
“Well, that escalated quickly.” Gage shot Veda amused eyes, the palm of his hand barely touching the steering wheel as he navigated the narrow streets of Shadow Rock. It was approaching the middle of the night, so the streets were quiet; nothing but the sound of crashing waves filled the air.
Leaning out of the open window of his Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, Veda watched the asphalt roll by. He’d painted the car a matte black, so the exterior blended with the street so well it almost disappeared, making her feel like she was flying. She wished she could fly. The moment she made that wish, however, she realized how useless it was. She’d already tried flying away—from Shadow Rock, from her past, from the constant ache in her gut. It wasn’t until she’d graduated medical school that it finally hit her.
She couldn’t fly away from herself.
Her eyes fluttered shut.
“That was so amazing,” Coco beamed. Veda knew she was leaning in from the backseat without even having to look. “The expression on Todd’s face. Oh my God. You know that nobody ever talks to him like that, right? Like, ever?”
“Then I guess I’m no one,” Veda said, lifting her head from the window and smiling back at her.
Coco returned her smile, her eyes falling shyly.
Yep, Veda needed to get the hell away from this one. If she let her, Coco would destroy everything.
But Coco wasn’t the only unplanned and unwanted distraction. Her accusatory eyes moved to the driver’s seat, where Gage was leaning to the left as he turned the wheel to the left. She noticed he
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