“He’ll die, brother. He’ll pay for everything he did,” Trey tries to soothe Wes but I can tell he’s barely restraining himself. He looks like Hulk, seconds away from exploding into a green giant.
“She’s going to need some stitches. The bastard got her good,” Declan says, more to his brothers than to me. I feel his hot breath against my cheek and I turn in his hold to see his face. His brown eyes drink me in, they’re soft, softer than I’ve ever seen them before.
“I was…when I saw the blood, I was afraid we had gotten there too late.”
His confession is startling, and not because I don’t expect him to feel the way he’s feeling but because he’s never been this open with how he feels before.
“I’ll live,” I smile. “It’s just a little cut. Nothing a couple stitches can’t fix, right?” I try and make light of the situation, but Declan shakes his head, his hand reaching for me, cupping my cheek gently. His touch comforts me and I want to lean into it, but before I do, he does something he’s never done before, he leans in and kisses me. His warm lips mold to mine perfectly and shit, color me shocked.
His lips are soft and careful, the complete opposite of everything I’ve come to know about him. I’m stunned and amazed all at once. I didn’t think Declan was capable of being tender, or kind. I melt into his touch, wanting to be closer to him, closer than I already am. The kind of close that involves no clothing. I crawl onto his lap and he welcomes me with open arms, pulling me into his strong, big body, holding me to his chest as tightly as he can without crushing me, all while keeping his lips against mine.
He savors me, drinking from my lips like I’m a fine wine. His tongue probes against my bottom lip, and I open for him letting our tongues tango for a long moment. He tastes like chocolate and smells like sin. I want to let him have his way with me. I want to let him devour me but before I can make good on the thought two throats clear, and Declan pulls away, a shit-eating grin on his lips.
“Save us some, asshole,” Trey grumbles.
“I’ve got a special orgasm for you, Princess, to make up for the pain that you went through today.” Wes’s gaze bleeds into mine, and I nod, biting into my swollen bottom lip. It’s insane how attracted I am to these men, how much I yearn for them, their touch, both gentle and rough. It’s like we were all made for each other.
“I love you,” I whisper, the words just slip out. I didn’t even know I was going to say them until they were already hanging in the air. I freeze for a second, regretting that I said them, not because I didn’t mean them, but because a part of me is still scared of being rejected. What if my admission pushes them away? What if they don’t love me back? What if I just confessed something that changes everything and not for the better?
Wes, who was already looking at me, just continues to stare back at me. I think he is just as shocked as I am at the words. But he doesn’t look angry, which is far better than I expected. Declan reaches out for me, making me turn back to look at him, and just like a few seconds ago, the words just float out again.
“I love you,” I say, looking straight at Declan this time.
He lifts his arms and takes my face between both of his hands.
“When we get home, we’re going to show you just how much we love you too. How much you’re ours and how much we are yours.”
And just like that, all is right in the world again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Declan
“Are you sure about this?” I ask her for the fifth time.
“Yes, I want to help you get to my dad,” Jessa says with nothing but conviction in her voice. “He doesn’t deserve my loyalty, and I know the world will be better off without him in it.”
I still can’t believe she’s agreeing to this. She hasn’t even seen the videos and she still doesn’t know her father was responsible for her mother’s death. I’ve thought about telling her so many times, but always pulled back at the last minute. Telling her won’t change anything, not now, now it will only drive the knife of pain deeper, and if there’s one thing I can’t bear, it’s seeing her hurt more at the hands of that bastard.
She hides it well, but I’m the king at masking my emotions, and I can see it in her eyes every time her father is mentioned. She’s hurt deeply by her his betrayal. He might be an evil fucking murderer, but until we came along, he was the only family she had.