The crack of gunfire was so faint it barely penetrated the silence. Still, I jerked my gaze up as Riven glanced toward the door.
“Did you hear that?” He asked as he slowly rose.
I pushed up from the sofa as Hunter headed for the door. He’d heard it and I’d heard it, too. When the faint crack came again, it was louder. I rushed forward, with Kane right behind me, rounded the opposite sofa and made for the door. It’d been hours since Thomas left, hours spent worrying and waiting in silent torment.
But as Hunter yanked open the front door, the shrill screech of tires sounded. He was in trouble…he was in trouble.
“Thomas!” I screamed and ran like his life depended on it.
We all ran. Hunter had grabbed his handgun from on top of the hallway cupboard. Riven’s only weapon was pure rage as the towering steel gate of the compound rolled open to reveal Riven’s Audi sideways, at a standstill, with the windows blown out.
Crack.
Crack!
CRACK!
The gunfire didn’t come from Thomas, who was hunkered down across the front seat. Was he dead…Oh, Jesus, PLEASE DON’T BE DEAD. Hunter unleashed a roar as he swung his gun toward a dark blue Land Rover which was pulled up across the entrance of the driveway, with a massive brute of a man standing behind it.
That’s when I saw it. Two motorcycles lay on their sides, with a body beside each. One guy was dead, his gun visible at the end of his outstretched arm. But another crawled toward his weapon, dragging himself forward inch by inch, until the towering beast of a man strode closer, lifted his gun, and fired.
CRACK!
I didn’t even know him. I’d never seen him before, but I saw him now. He was dressed in black jeans and a black turtleneck, with a custom-made double shoulder holster criss-crossed across his powerful chest. When he glanced my way, I jolted. One eye was white and scarred, glinting in the night.
“You’re welcome, Principal,” he muttered.
“Alvarez?” Riven called the name like he wasn’t sure if he was dreaming.
The towering male glanced toward Thomas behind the wheel of Riven’s Audi. “Make sure he gets inside.”
I was already running for him, cutting through the headlights to wrench open the driver’s door. The moment he lifted his gaze to mine, relief hit me harder than anything I’d ever experienced before.
“Thank God! Thank fucking God!” I yanked him out, pulling him into my arms. I gripped him tightly, my heart booming so hard my chest was about to explode. “Are you okay?”
I pulled away, searching his vacant stare, and examined his body, running my hands over his arms and his chest, though I knew full well he didn’t like to be touched. Still, I had to know. The moment after I’d checked him over, I pulled away.
“What the hell is going on here?” Riven jerked his gaze from the man he’d called Alvarez to his brother.
“Mr. Rossi sends his regards,” the giant said, giving Thomas a slow nod.
One Thomas returned.
The huge man rounded his idling four-wheel drive and climbed back in as Riven headed for us.
“Want to tell me what the fuck just happened here?” he barked.
“No.” Thomas shook his head. “Not really.” He stepped around me, glanced at the others, and headed for the house.
“Not really?” Riven repeated. “NOT REALLY? What the fuck!”
He was angry, more than angry. Riven was scared, and that made him dangerous to everyone, even those he cared about.
“Goddamn asshole,” he muttered as he approached his car. “Look at my car for Christ’s sake!” He threw his hands up in the air, glancing at the bullet holes and the smashed windows, then froze.
He took a step closer and reached out to press his finger against a neat hole, then stared at the driver’s seat, doing what we were all doing. Mentally calculating how far his brother had been away.
It was too close.
It was way too close.
Riven looked at the empty space where the midnight blue Land Rover had sat moments ago, then jerked his gaze to the two dead bodies lying outside the gate. I saw the moment his fear turned to rage. His breaths deepened and his dark gaze turned terrifying. He left the open door of his car behind.
“Hunter,” Kane called.
But our protector was already moving, closing in as Riven stepped outside the fence line and bent down. He grabbed one of the bodies and rolled it over.
“What the fuck does that even say? LionsDenz?” He lifted his gaze to Hunter. “Who the fuck is this guy?”
I stepped out from the car, watching as Hunter bent and rifled through the body’s pockets, pulling out his ID. “Who knows, but you can bet your ass I’ll find out.”
I glanced toward the house.
“Go,” Kane murmured. “He’ll tell you what happened before he’ll tell us.”
I met his stare and started to shake my head before I stopped. He was right. For some reason, Thomas was more closed off around them, leaving me their only hope to find out what had happened.
I headed for the house, leaving them behind to search the dead and get rid of the bodies. My mind was racing as I stepped inside. I left the front door open, listened for movement, and heard the clink of glass in the kitchen.
Thomas was standing at the counter, gripping the edge, his head bowed, with a glass half full of Scotch beside him. I’d never even seen him drink alcohol before, let alone anything neat.
“Thom.” I started.
He just shook his head. “I don’t need you yelling at me, too. It’s too loud…too loud.”
“I’m not going to yell at you.” I reached out before I realized what I was doing and froze, my hand hovering over his shoulder.
He lifted his head. “You’re not?”
“No.” I soothed. “I’m not. I was worried, we were all worried. You just scared us, that’s all.”
He scowled, then grabbed his glass, stepped around me, and headed for the living room. That wasn’t like him at all. Something had happened to him. Something had changed him. The sound of Riven’s car came outside before switching off. Footsteps followed. I subconsciously counted the three of them before the front door closed.
“Brother.” Riven started and stepped closer.
“I don’t want to be different.” Thomas’ voice trembled as he lifted his gaze. His amber eyes were dark now, so dark they barely looked like his at all.
“You want to talk to us, buddy?” Kane urged. “What made you think like that?”
The Scotch sloshed with his shudder. “Don’t.” He shook his head. “Don’t fucking do that, Kane. Not with me.”
Kane stepped closer. “Then tell us what happened and maybe we can find a way to ease your pain.”
“YOU CAN’T!” Thomas bellowed. “You can’t ease my pain because it’s MY GODDAMN PAIN!”
We all stopped, stunned. Thomas was pale as a ghost and shaking. First it was the blood on the shirt. Then, it was secret conversations with Caleb. Now, it was sneaking out at night with Benjamin Rossi and others.
He lifted his glass and downed the contents before settling his stare on me. “I don’t want to be different.” He took a step toward me, dropping the glass as he got close.
It hit the plush rug with a thud before he was on me, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me toward him. My legs hit the sofa and I fell sideways, his hold around me the only thing preventing me from being hurt as we both fell onto the sofa.
His hard lips crushed mine. The bitter tang of Scotch burned on my tongue as he pushed his inside my lips.
“Thom…” Hunter murmured.
“Leave him,” Riven urged. “He’s got demons tonight. If she can ease him.”
Thomas broke the kiss and pulled back to stare into my eyes. “Can you ease me, Helene?”
My pulse thundered, the aching need overwhelming.
“Will you let me fuck you?”
I glanced at the others as they stood there, watching.
“I want to use you, want to feel you. I want to lose myself in you.” Thomas drew my attention back.
I met his stare. “Any way you need, you know that.”
He gave a solemn nod, as though he was unsure, finding new ground as he went. He rose from the sofa to loom over me and reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head. His chest rippled and his softer stomach shook. I was so surprised, he didn’t do this, not in front of the others, and not without me being the dominant one.
I leaned forward, pulled off my top and my bra, and slid my pants and panties low. Kane moved back as did Hunter, before they turned to leave.
“No.” Thomas stopped them. “If I’m to be part of this, then I want you to stay. I want you to want her.”
“Thom, buddy, you don’t have to.” Hunter explained. “We’re all with Helene on our own at times.”
“But not all the time.”
“No. Not all the time.”
Thomas gave a nod, that seemed to seal the deal for him. He was trying hard to be like his brothers without realizing he was special the way he was. But to refuse him now, even like this, could be damaging. He was too fragile, too raw. I eased toward the end of the sofa and ran my hands along his thighs as he worked the buckle of his belt and pushed his clothing low.
He might be a little softer in the belly than the others, but after a month of mountain running, his thighs were thick and rock hard. I shifted my focus sideways. As was his cock. The others in the room faded back, all except for Riven. He still stood close, watching as I slid my hands over Thom’s hard muscles and cupped his cock.
“Do you want to be in my mouth, like the others?” I asked.
He didn’t speak, those dark, empty eyes fixed on mine. I’d do anything to see the honey brown again.
Anything.
I lowered my head and parted my lips, my tongue seeking the smooth head before I took him inside, sliding my lips all the way down the shaft, until he unleashed a guttural moan.
The deep rumble only stimulated me further as he pushed harder until he hit the back of my throat. I sucked, drawing backwards and down again. Warm, smooth. I took him deeper until that sensation made my throat clamp and I had to force myself not to gag.
“That’s enough,” Thomas ordered.
Saliva trailed as I pulled back and lifted my gaze. He slowly knelt and ran his hands down the insides of my legs, grabbed my ankles and lifted my feet to the edge of the sofa. My knees parted, spreading my pussy open for him.
He seemed to freeze, or maybe he was taking his time as his eyes roamed down my body. A small blush rose as he settled his gaze between my legs.
“I’d never hurt you. You know that, right?” He met my stare.
Fear trembled. It was stupid. I knew that. Still, those kind of words were never spoken unless someone fought the need to do just that…or it was trauma from something else.
“I know that.” I answered. “I trust you with my life as well as my body.”
“But would you trust me with your soul?”
My mind raced, the thoughts frantic and unhelpful. Too much noise. Isn’t that what he’d said before? It was too much noise. “Yes. Yes, I trust you with my soul.”
He fell forward, wrapped his arms around me, and held me, or was it that I held him? Was he crying? I gripped hold of him as panic rose. He turned his head and kissed the top of my shoulder. “I promise I’ll explain everything.” He shifted his hips and slid his hands down until his fingers slid under my ass and he dragged me forward to meet his erection. “After this.”
One hard thrust and he drove inside me. I didn’t care about comfort or pain anymore. All I wanted was him. He pushed harder, drove all the way inside, and eased out.
“You need her,” Riven urged. “Look how desperate she is for you.”
Thomas pulled away, staring into my eyes. His own shone with unshed tears. But they weren’t as dark now. Still not quite honey brown. But I’d take it.
“I am desperate for you.” I murmured. “Anything you give me, I’ll gladly take.”
His brow pinched before he lifted one hand to the back of the sofa behind me and slammed his hips forward. I jolted with the brunt, then dropped my head backwards. “God, yes.”
“I…love…you.” He growled, thrusting over and over, his pace intensifying.
“Look at how you join.” Riven urged. “Look down, brother, watch as you give yourself to her.”
Thomas did, easing upwards to find that juncture between us. I followed his stare, finding my knees spread wide. The thick dark bush around his cock crushed against mine until he rubbed my clit.
“My God, you’re beautiful.” Thomas’s eyes widened as they met mine. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” His hand slipped from the headrest to around the back of my neck, holding my gaze to his as he drove inside me over and over and over.
My body jolted with the impact, then with one tilt of his hips, he hit just the right spot.
“Oh, right there,” I moaned. “Don’t stop…don’t you dare stop.”
He didn’t, focused on watching himself sink into me, and I watched him. He liked it…I liked that he liked it. That alone turned me on even more. The wave rose inside me, climbing and climbing…until I floated, crying out. “Oh!”
Then slammed back down.
Only as I did, sparks ignited. My body clenched, pulsing and pulsing, the friction of his shaft making that swollen nub pulse.
One sudden slam and Thomas stilled, dropped his head forward and closed his eyes.
“That’s it, brother.” Riven urged. “Give her everything.”
Everything.
The word trembled inside me. Thomas panted, then slowly lifted his head.
“Thank you.” He murmured, his dry lips catching on his teeth.
“You never have to thank me.” My words were just as husky as his.
“Yes.” He answered. “I do. I never want to take you for granted. I never want to lose a single second with you. I never want to be lost in myself again.”
A brutal pang tore across my chest. I lifted my hand and cupped his cheek. “I love you for you, lost or not, lover or not. You don’t need to be anyone else but who you are. I would give myself to you a thousand times over. Ten thousand if you’ll let me.”
His lips curled into a smile, making the darkness draw back just a little further. He eased back, sliding from me. I hated the cold he left behind. I hated all the cold they left behind. My body craved them like a drug. Still, Thomas grabbed my clothes and placed them on me before he collected his own and rose. His metal buckle clanged as he pulled his pants back on and I did the same, yanking my pants upwards and sliding my shirt on, leaving my bra behind.
“Do you want to start at the beginning?” Riven urged.
Thomas nodded as he turned around to face them. There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment at what we’d just done. Only a surety, a comfort as he started. “I went to St. Augustine’s the other night for guidance, and there I found Father Cassius. He spoke to me briefly before telling me he needed to leave. But he had a two-way radio with him, which I thought was strange.”
Riven looked confused, same as the rest of us. “Go on.”
“I thought I heard something…no, someone. I thought I heard someone on the radio. So, when he left through the rectory door, I followed him.”
We all waited for this to make sense.
“He…he…” Thomas glanced my way. “He had a Daughter tied up and gagged, naked and spread-eagled at the end of the bed and he…and he…he whipped her between her legs.”
My stomach recoiled until the room around me bled away. I shook my head, swallowing bile, envisioning that.
“There was blood,” Thomas croaked. “So much blood and she was screaming. I didn’t even think. I just grabbed what I could and I—”
“You killed him,” Kane answered. “You killed him to save her.”
The tears that had threatened him before now trembled and finally slid free. “Protect her…no, I was far too late for that. She was ruined. Her body…was ruined. I called Caleb and told him what had happened. He came and got her and took her to a doctor, someone who won’t speak to the authorities.”
“That’s what you were talking to him about?” I asked.
Thomas nodded. “That and we’ve been helping Benjamin Rossi.”
“That’s where you were tonight?” Riven added.
Thomas nodded. “Hale is planning to run. He’s going after Kat and the baby and he’ll disappear forever. Ben found a man who had information. But what he gave us was a name.”
“Jesus.” Riven rubbed the back of his head and turned away. “So you, what? Killed that guy?”
“Benjamin did, yes.”
“And why the hell does he want you for all that?” Riven couldn’t stop the anger from leaking into his tone.
Thomas flinched and anger moved back into his stare. “Why not me?”
“Because you’re my goddamn brother.” Riven snarled. “I’ve protected you from all that. Kept you from harm. Watched over you.”
“And yet, here I am, involved in this one way or another.”
“I didn’t want this.” Riven shook his head.
“He said I reminded him of his own brother. He said he’d protect me.”
“And that out there was protection?”
“I’m alive, aren’t I?”
“Barely.”
Anger, desperation, and love filled the room, until Riven turned away and pulled his cell from his pocket.
“What are you doing?” Thomas took a step forward.
“Calling the sonofabitch myself,” Riven said as he swiped. “If he wants to go around my goddamn back and use my brother, sure as hell he’ll hear my fucking wrath.”
“Riven.” The faint voice came through the line. “I’ve been expecting your call.”
“Have you just,” Riven snapped. “Enough with the goddamn games, Rossi. You and me, we need to meet.”
I couldn’t quite hear what was next.
“What do you mean all of us? It’s time? Time we all come together? Yeah, well. Let’s just see about that. Name a time and place and we’ll be there…and Rossi…keep your fucking hands off my family.”
