“Ryth!” I roared as I hit the front door of the restaurant. But she didn’t stop, just hurtled down the front stairs and ran for the alley. “Stop, for fuck’s sake!”
“Get the fuck away from me!” she screamed, lunging for the car. The moment she sank into the gloom, she spun, her eyes shining with tears. “I fucking trusted you!”
“I didn’t do it!” I barked, pouncing on her the moment she hit the end of the car. I grabbed her arm and spun her to face me. “Do you hear me? I didn’t fucking do it.”
Her fist drove through the air, landing on the edge of my jaw, and we were back there once more—all rage and fury and I was consumed by her pain. I grabbed her, not caring about her blows or the brutal fucking throb in my jaw, and pulled her against me. “Why do you think I’m so fucking destroyed?”
Footsteps thundered in the alley behind us. I knew it was Nick without even looking. “It was Evans. He did it to save me from destroying myself by betraying you. He did it all, and they killed him anyway.’
“Get the fuck off me, Caleb.” She beat at me with her pathetic blows. But I took them all, every single flare of pain, because I deserved it. “Get the fuck off me now.“
I released her and let her stumble and fall against the rear of the car. She looked up at me with those eyes filled with betrayal. “I fucking believed you.”
“Don’t you think I know that? My friend is dead because of me.”
She froze, her breaths racing. “What?”
“That recording you heard before. They killed him, and it was all because of what we did that night.” I glanced over my shoulder at Nick. “It was fucking betrayal and a goddamn message. Nick said before that we’d all have to do some sick shit to get you back, so this is mine. This is mine, okay?”
Tobias strode rapidly into the alley and motioned to the car. “Whatever it is, we need to do it later. Get in the car. We’re out of here now.”
He was right. Nick pressed the button to unlock the car and we all climbed in. This time, I took the back seat. “Better start talking, brother,” Nick snapped as he shoved the car into reverse and punched the accelerator.
We were driving back through the city within minutes, heading back to the Rossi safe-house. I looked at Ryth, who sat as far away from me as possible, almost hugging the car door. Then I started talking. “There was only one way I could get into the Order and that was through Killion.”
I caught her shudder at the name and she jerked her gaze to me. Tears shimmered on her cheeks, making me feel like more of a bastard than I felt already. “To get in, he wanted me to have sex with women the Order provided.”
She swallowed hard, and pain ignited in her eyes before she looked away. There were feelings involved here, more than I’d ever expected. Her heart and mine were on the line. “But I couldn’t go through with it. Evans saw that, and it came down to do it or lose you. So, while I stood there and watched, he did it for me.”
“Jesus…” Nick shot a glare at the rear-view mirror.
My voice was raw and husky. I felt that burn all the way down into my chest. “It fucking destroyed him to do what he had to do in that room. Still, they killed him for it anyway.”
The silence inside the car was deafening until Ryth spoke. “Did he hurt her?”
I flinched at the words, biting down on the rage inside me. “No,” I answered as I looked her way. “But I can’t speak for the others.”
She wrapped her arms around her ribs and shivered. I knew the last thing she wanted was for me to touch her, but I couldn’t stand to see her in pain. I slid across the seat and pulled her into my arms. She resisted for a moment, then turned and buried her head against my neck. “I wouldn’t lie to you about this. I know what’s at risk. I promise you on my life, and my brothers’ lives, that I didn’t touch that woman.”
She lifted her head, and I knew in that moment I was utterly intoxicated with her. I leaned down and brushed her lips with mine. “Do you know me now? Do you know me better than anyone? I might do a lot of things, Ryth, but I’ll never lie to you.”
I kissed her once more, slid my finger under her jaw, and tilted her lips to mine. Her mouth was hard and unforgiving until the heat between us took over. Inch by inch, she gave into me, until her arms went around my body and pulled me against her. Desperation drove my mouth harder against her. I lowered my hand and cupped and kneaded her breast until she moaned.
My brothers were silent in the front seat as I lowered my hand and pushed her shirt up and over her breasts. I tugged down the bra strap, releasing her nipple. “I would’ve risked my life rather than betray you. Do you know how fucked up that is?”
Her response was to arch her spine to give me the heat of her body and not the sting of her rage.
“Christ, C. You can’t wait until we get back to the house?” Nick muttered.
I couldn’t wait, not for one more fucking second. This was more than sex, more than lust and desire…this was a carving out of my soul. This was a promise, one I needed her to understand. I gently pushed her back on the seat as my hands moved to the button of her jeans and yanked down her zipper.
She lifted her ass and let me slide her jeans and panties down with one hard yank. By the time we turned onto the freeway, my fingers were inside her, sliding deep. I couldn’t get enough. I lowered my head and kissed the top of her slit. “There’s no one else. You get that, Ryth? There’s no one else for me.”
Her fingers slid over my head and fisted my hair as she lifted her knee and spread her legs as far as she could. Tobias reached around and gripped her thigh, supporting her as I dragged my tongue along her crease and sucked.
“That’s it, little mouse,” Tobias urged. “Let our brother exorcise his goddamn demons.”
His words only drove me harder, because that’s exactly how this felt. This wasn’t asking her forgiveness, this was demanding it. I lifted my gaze to hers, splayed my fingers on either side of her slit, and widened it. I licked her like my soul was on the line, driving her closer to oblivion.
She was so fucking wet, her pink pussy was so fucking ready for me.
“Eat her,” Tobias snarled. “Fucking eat her, C.”
Her body twitched and she raised her feet higher, but they were still entangled in her jeans. The pressure on the back of my head increased and urged me harder against her. God, she was close, so fucking close. Tiny whimpers coincided with a clenching of her ass. She bucked, then turned slick and warm against my mouth and let out a guttural moan.
“That’s it,” my brother praised. “Christ, that’s it, princess.”
Hard breaths consumed me. She clenched her thighs and her pussy pulsed against my mouth as I gave her one last lick and pulled away. “No one else, Ryth. I promise you.”
She looked up at me, the birthmark blazing on her cheek as I slipped my fingers inside my mouth and sucked. Fuck, I never got tired of seeing her like this, all pink and flushed. I lowered my gaze to her pussy, all swollen and wet.
“We need to find this London St. James.” Nick broke the spell, drawing my focus to him behind the wheel. “Whatever he has on Hale, we can use. Maybe then the bastard might listen to our threats.”
He was right. London St. James and Ryth’s father were the key to all this. “I go after him, find a way to make him break his allegiance. We give him what he wants.”
Ryth lifted her head as she reached down and slid her jeans and panties back into place. “You mean Vivienne, don’t you?”
“Do you have another idea?”
Her brow furrowed until she closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Then that’s it,” Nick answered. “We get her out of that place and lure St. James to give her whatever information he has.”
But Ryth wasn’t so sure. She was quiet, opening her eyes to find mine. She was scared, and it wasn’t just for herself. I knew what Vivienne had done to protect her in that room, knew what she’d done to help her get free. To Ryth, this would be a betrayal. “The moment we get what we need, we set her free. You have my word,” I urged. “I promise.”
“I know if I were her, I’d rather take my chance with us, than stay a fucking second longer in that place,” Tobias muttered, turning back to the road. “Especially now.”
After we’d left her behind. That’s what he meant. Christ. I clenched my fist, still feeling the ache from what I’d done to the Priest. They’d take it out on her, I was sure of that. “We get her out, get what we need, then we hide her,” I added. “Somewhere they won’t ever find her.”
“Where?” she asked. “Where can she possibly go where Hale won’t find her?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “But we’ll find somewhere.”
We drove back to the safehouse and pulled into the driveway. The more I thought about it, the more I knew Killion was deeper in this than I’d ever realized. He’d been my way in, but he was more than that. He was at the festering heart of that place. Maybe he was even just as much in charge as Hale was.
Evans’ screams merged with Ryth’s in my head.
I climbed out and lingered behind the others as they went into the house. Tobias scanned the street, then grabbed his phone and punched in a message. By the time I walked inside, I saw the sleek black Explorer creep past the house. Freddy was behind the wheel. I knew we were safe for now, but I didn’t know for how much longer.
I walked into the living room and heard the bathroom door close. A quick scan of the rest of the house, and I headed for the back bedroom and the bag of untraceable weapons.
“Going somewhere?” Tobias hovered in the doorway.
I shot him a glare as I grabbed two of the filed down Sig Sauers and a spare clip. “Out.”
He stepped closer. “Want some company?” It wasn’t really a question. Maybe Tobias didn’t entirely trust me after all. As brutal as my younger brother was, this was something I had to do alone.
“No.” I pushed past him. “Keep her safe.”
I went to the kitchen and held out my hand to Nick. “Keys.”
He shot me a look, then glanced toward the doorway. “Where are you going, Caleb?”
I shook my head. “Keys, Nick.”
With a deep sigh, he slapped the keys into my hand. “You get yourself killed, brother, and she’ll never forgive you.”
I strode toward the front door as I muttered, “Then that‘ll make two of us.”
