“What about you?” she says, halting my words. “You said you can’t trust your club. How are you going to get out of it?” she breathes out, her brow crashing.
“I’m going to heal. Then I’m going to kill them all,” I tell her truthfully.
She drops my hand like it’s a boulder too heavy to hold. “Your brothers?” Her voice is barely a whisper. “You’d kill them?”
“No, I’m talking about Fisher and his brothers. I will find out who the rat is in our club and deal with him. I’m loyal to my club, Ruby. The Royal Bastards are my life. My family. It’s why I’m so fucking pissed off I’m in this shit because of one of them. I need to speak to my prez and find out why they gave me a job that caused this shit.”
“Why would someone turn on their brother?” She huddles her arms around her waist.
“Money. Bribery. There are several reasons.” I blow out. “I just didn’t think any brother would be weak enough to allow it to happen. No amount of money would get me to turn on my club.”
“I don’t want to call my brother,” she says, getting to her feet. I join her, studying her features. “I want to stay with you.” Her hands rest against my bare chest. “Wait until you’re healed and help any way I can.” Her head bobs up and down. “This is something I did. I got myself into this situation because of my mother. Let me help get us out of it.” There’s so much determination in her eyes, I want to drown in them, let her do all things she says, but it can’t happen.
“It’s too dangerous.” I cup her cheek, the urge to hide away with her forever beating like a war drum inside my chest. She burrows into my palm, craving the attention. The touch.
“It’s been dangerous this whole time and I’m fine. I can help. Let me help,” she begs.
“I work solo,” I remind her—and myself. “It needs to be me alone.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” she purrs like a fucking cat as she moves closer to me, eliminating all the space between our bodies. A wave of heat burns through me, a pulse of need, possession to claim her.
“The fun can come after,” I say, my voice thick.
Looking up at me, her cheeks tint pink, her breathing labors. “What if I don’t want to wait?”
My restraint snaps when her tits push into me and the mist of her breath disperses over my neck. Gripping a fistful of her hair, I tip her head back. A little whimper hums from her lips.
I’m so lost in her, I don’t hear someone come up behind me. “Who the fuck are you?” a screeching voice shatters the air.
Pulling away from Ruby, I reach out, grasping the neck of a small female. Brown eyes narrow on me, her lips twisting as her hands batter at my forearm for freedom. “Lily?” Ruby gasps. “Let her go, Ezekiel. It’s my sister.”
Releasing the girl, she pants for breath, then attempts to punch me. I catch her hand with ease and chuckle as I shove her away. Ruby rounds my body and grabs her sister, pulling her across the room.
“What the hell are you doing here?” the little sprite growls at Ruby. Her throat bobs and eyes dip over to the hallway where the kitchen is situated.
She’s familiar. Then it hits me like a brick to the face. Lily. The kid from Hellmade. Her brother is Jameson. Which means…
Fuck. My club brother is Ruby’s real fucking brother.
“We’re laying low here. I know it’s a liberty, but you mentioned your grandparents being away and we didn’t have anywhere else,” Ruby says, defending her actions.
“You need to leave,” the skinny brat blurts, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, shuffling from foot to foot.
“We will as soon as we can.” Ruby’s tone firms up.
“No. Now.” Lily shakes her head, pointing in the direction of the front door.
“Lily, it’s not that easy,” Ruby grumbles. Folding her arms, she narrows her gaze on her little sister.
“Yes, it is. Just use your legs. The door is that way,” the brat quips.
“You’re being unreasonable,” Ruby sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.
“How are you even with him?” Lily waves her hand in my direction. “Does our brother know you’re fucking him?”
I wish we were fucking and not listening to this shitshow.
“I’m not fucking him,” Ruby hisses.
“Yet,” I point out.
Both sets of eyes land on me before the little one talks again. “Well, whatever you’re doing, you can’t do it here. I have someone coming over.” The kid mimics her sister's pose. She’s wearing actual clothes that cover her up this time around.
“Who?” Ruby asks skeptically.
“You don’t know him. His name is…Stephen,” she claims just as a rapping of knuckles taps at the front door. I push Ruby behind me as the door opens and someone shouts in, “Lily?”