London flicked a dangerous stare toward the doorway. Carven paced the grimy workshop, past a chair that looked like it was bolted to the floor, treading all over the fresh blood splatter beading in the inch-thick dust.
I tried not to look, remembering the blood splatter on London’s crisp white shirt this morning. What I didn’t know couldn’t come for me, right? I winced and looked away. Not in our house.
Colt stood in the shadows, trying his best to leash the beast, watching me as he inhaled deep, sawing breaths. But it was Guild who jerked his gaze to London and snapped, “This is taking too long, London. They should be here by now…where the fuck are they?”
That wasn’t like him.
Not even in the slightest.
The tension was a hard, throbbing lump in the middle of my chest.
I brushed my hand across my belly, London’s warning blazing in my mind. Ryth is tired…Ryth is…tired.
What if…what if Ryth didn’t want to see me? What if she really was as fragile as London said? This could be dangerous…for her and her baby.
I jerked my gaze at London as he scowled. All it’d take would be the stress of this and she could go into early labor. Worse, she could collapse.
I couldn’t let that happen…not even to see her again. It was just…too much.
“Call it off.” I shook my head. “It’s too dangerous. Call it all off, London.”
He jerked a glare my way and opened his mouth to speak.
Beep.
But the message on his phone’s screen stopped him as he snatched it up. “It’s too late, they’re here,” he muttered, then looked toward the door.
The handle turned, then the door was pushed in. Dark eyes, savage glares, as three massive men strode through the door into the warehouse. They scanned every inch of the open space, drifted over Carven and Colt, then London, before settling on me.
I barely recognized them.
They were harder, colder. Even Nick, who’d always been kinder, was stony as he strode through the door. Caleb followed and nodded to London. “St. James,” he acknowledged.
Then a small…shrunken figure stepped through. Her belly was the first thing I saw. Then her eyes, her dark, sunken eyes and a haunted stare that seemed to pass right over me as though I wasn’t even there…
I flinched, fighting to swallow past that hard lump in the back of my throat.
Then rage walked in.
In the form of Tobias Banks.
His top lip curled as his gaze settled on Carven, then whipped my way. A shudder tore through me. He’d been a bully before, but now he looked downright terrifying. How the hell did Ryth survive him, let alone the three of them? But there was a warning in his stare and a desperate pleading as he shifted his focus to the woman in front of him…my sister. His gaze softened instantly, turning to desire.
So that’s how.
He looked at her the same way London and the sons looked at me. Maybe we had more in common than I’d realized. She looked around the warehouse, cringing.
“It’s a fixer-upper,” I muttered, drawing that terrified stare with a sweep of my arm toward the chair. “We’re going for that freshly tortured, grungy vibe. What do you think?”
She let out a bark of laughter, then lunged.
“Baby,” Tobias reached for her as she stumbled.
But she was already gone…as was I.
I tore across the space, ignoring the panicked stares from Carven and Colt and, with a cry, slammed into her. Warmth pressed against me, clinging onto me for salvation.
She was so small, tiny almost. Nothing more than skin and bones. My arms went around her shoulders. In my head, she was the same feisty woman who’d helped me break into The Principal’s office, then played bait as I knocked out the nurse when we’d fled that goddamn hell.
Only now, that seemed like a lifetime ago.
All we’d had was a few frantic messages from London’s encrypted connection, fleeting moments to make sure we were both still alive. It hadn’t been enough, not anywhere near enough. I closed my eyes, pulling her against me until my body bowed around her belly. “Fuck, I missed you.”
She clung to me. “Me, too,” she whispered, her voice thick. “So very much.”
Deep baritone voices echoed all around us. I felt the weight of their stares. But none of that touched us at that moment. It was just her and me, holding onto each other, until I slowly relaxed.
There was no need for conversation.
No revealing our pain.
We knew exactly what it’d taken to get us here. The desperate need to survive and love…the love of those we belonged to.
“Familia est omnia,” I whispered.
“Family is everything,” she agreed, gripping me tighter.
Slick, warm tears trailed down my cheeks. I buried my face against her, breathing in the faint scent of smoke in her hair. Awkward silences were all around us. But I couldn’t worry about how awkward this was for them.
I had my sister.
“I fucking love you.” I pulled away and grasped her small face, looking at her through the blur of my tears. “You hear me? I fucking love you.”
She raised those big blue eyes to mine and fresh tears slipped free. “I love you too, Viv. I really missed you. I missed you so much it hurt.”
I yanked her close again, turning my head to find London. “I missed you too, kid.”
The sound of the door opening behind me intruded. But I pulled away, looking down at her once more. “We stay together now, okay? No matter what, we stay together.”
She nodded, desperation roaring in her eyes before they shifted to the door behind me. I turned around, to find Helene King. She glanced at Ryth, the corners of her lips trembling in a nervous smile.
The need to step in front of Ryth surged up. I didn’t know this woman…after what she’d done to Carven, I certainly didn’t trust her. That possessive flare of anger grew.
“Ryth.” She took a step forward and held out her hand. “It’s so good to finally meet you.”
On reflex, I shook my head, stopping Helene instantly.
“Pet,” London warned.
A nerve twitched in the corner of my eye. I didn’t know who I was angrier at, her for turning up here…or London for belittling my distrust.
“London.” I whipped my gaze toward him.
They all stared at me, even the most possessive one of them all: Tobias. Confusion flickered and heat rose, melting my icy sting.
“She’s Ryth’s sister too,” London urged, shifting nervously. “Maybe you could give her a chance?”
“Just don’t give her your back,” Carven muttered. “She’s likely to knock you out.”
There. At least Carven was on my side.
But it was Caleb who stepped forward, cutting across me to hold out his hand. “Caleb Banks.”
Helene shook it. “I know who you are,” she admired as she glanced at the others. “Nick. Tobias. I’m really sorry to hear about your father and your mom, Ryth. It was a shock to us all.”
Father.
Just the mere mention of that word swept me back into dangerous territory. “Was it?” I asked. “A shock, I mean. I just assumed you knew everything. After all, you are your father’s minion, aren’t you?”
“Vivienne,” London snarled, only more insistently this time.
“What?” I snapped, shooting him a glare. “It’s the truth, isn’t it? She and her father are the reason we’re here in the first place?”
“And the reason you’re still alive,” London added, scowling at me.
I hadn’t seen him this angry…not since that first night when he’d forced me into the car and driven me to the orphanage. But he was angry now, and disappointed. Pain cut through my chest.
“Yes,” Helene said. “When you put it that way, he is.”
Surprise flooded in.
“But he’s also your father, too,” Helene added, before she turned. “And Ryth’s.”
My sister just shook her head. “No, I already have a father. There’s no room for another one.”
Helene shook her head, opening her mouth to speak. But I didn’t want to hear what she had to say. Ryth’s mind was made up. She had a dad and by God, Helene needed to respect that.
“The baby.” I swiveled around, ignoring the woman who claimed she was my kin, and focused on the only one who mattered. “Tell me all about it?”
“It’s a girl,” she beamed.
The floor seemed to drop out from under me. My heart hammered and my mouth went dry. The fear I harbored engulfed me like a deadly storm. I glanced at London, but he was already striding across the space toward me.
Tobias shot us a glare, scanning the warehouse. “What is it?”
I tried to swallow as London’s hand settled protectively against my back. “We’re so happy for you, Ryth,” he spoke calmly while I fell apart in front of him. “I heard you have a place now. You can rest assured your daughter’s aunt here is going to spoil her as well as any aunt does, right, sweetheart?”
He turned to me. I couldn’t speak…
My breaths were racing. My mind was screaming.
“What is it?” Ryth whispered, her faint smile fading.
I shook my head, swallowing my fears. What if it’s a girl, London? What if it’s…
I couldn’t tell her that. I couldn’t ruin what little happiness she had. “Nothing.” I forced a smile. “I’m just so happy. We…” I glanced at Colt, then Carven. “We have a bit of a surprise ourselves.”
“You’re not?” Ryth whispered, her eyes widening.
Just like the terror that consumed me had left her alone. “Two of them,” I whispered. “By two different fathers.”
Nick shot Carven a sideways glance.
“We’re going to have babies at the same time?” Ryth burst into tears.
I looked down at my flat stomach, the bump barely visible. “Well, not exactly. But it’ll be close eno—”
She threw her arms around me, crying and jumping as much as her body allowed. “Oh, my God. We’re going to have babies together! I can tell you all about it. Morning sickness is the worst.”
I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I seem to have that part down pat.”
“But the sex is good,” she added with a wink. “So…so good.”
Tobias coughed, choking on a gulp of air. Nick slapped him hard on the back. “Easy now, brother,” he muttered, grinning hugely. It was the first time I’d seen anyone else smile.
Even London smirked. “Yes, well, we have that to look forward to.”
“Hey.” I shot him a glare. “You don’t go without, buddy.”
London froze. “Buddy?” he muttered. “Huh.”
His distaste only made me laugh. I moved closer, sliding my arm around Ryth’s shoulders and leading her away. “You can tell me all about it.” I gave her a wink. “You know, sister to sister.”
I was so busy being happy, I didn’t hear the door open once more. It wasn’t until heavy steps echoed, drawing Ryth’s gaze, that I turned. But as I did, I caught the shadows in front of me, hiding behind the large machinery, move.
“Dad?” Ryth whispered.
I scowled as I glanced toward the door when Jack Castlemaine stepped in. He looked at Helene until she shook her head, then turned to us.
“Baby,” he beamed as the shine of a gun came in front of me and three men stepped forward. Three men I’d never seen before in my life.
Ryth was too busy looking at her dad to notice. But I saw.
Empty, cold stares fixed on us.
They were exactly like Carven and Colt had been…
They were Sons.
“Just as soon as we kill the bastard who murdered our leader,” one snarled as he swung his gaze to Carven. “We’ll take you both back where you belong.”
Then they lunged. One grabbed Ryth, tearing her from my grasp, as he lifted his gun and fired.
Crack!
Crack!
CRACK!
The warehouse erupted as another grabbed my arm, yanking me forward.
“Let go of me!” I screamed, clenching my fist and driving it through the air.
But all I saw was Ryth as her knees buckled, the weight she carried dropping her like a stone.
“NO!” Tobias roared, the deafening sound ripping through the open space.
A gun drove hard into my stomach. I lifted my gaze to the eyes of a killer. “Hello, Daughter,” he smirked. “We’ve been looking for you.”
