Havoc’s nostrils flare, and a muscle tics in his jaw. Both signs, I’ve come to realize, indicate a rise in his temper. “Don’t be stubborn, Duchess.”
“I feel so guilty.” I drop my head and cover my face with my hands. “My family is in danger while I’m safe up here.”
Havoc pries open my hands. “They’re not in danger.”
I slam my brows together. “What? Yes, they are.”
He gives me a droll stare, as if I should know better. “Do you think we’d leave them vulnerable? We’ve had our people watching them.”
Our.
Havoc’s slip of the tongue had him sayourinstead ofmy, as if I’m part of his world. Part of Mayhem.
My jaw falls open. That’s not an exaggeration. I need to snap it shut as emotions collide inside me. Relief. Gratitude. And then I launch myself at him and throw my arms around his neck. I don’t even care that the T-shirt rides up, exposing my underwear. “Thank you. Oh God, Havoc, thank you.” I lean back, our faces inches apart. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I shouldn’t have to.” Oh, God, there’s that scowl again. “I figured you knew the Unholy wouldn’t leave your family to fucking rot.”
It’s a foolish assumption since I didn’t realize the Unholy’s protection would extend to anyone outside Mayhem. He should have told me, but this miscommunication isn’t worth fighting over. Not when they’ve been looking after my family all this time.
When I cup Havoc’s cheeks, he presses into my touch. His stubble is coarse against my palms. My womb clenches, and it takes all of my self-control to resist the urge to crawl on top of him. Especially when his hand settles on the small of my back, his fingers tickling the bare skin.
“It seems the Unholy never ceases to surprise me.” I stand and yank down the T-shirt, aware of how he’s watching me. How I just gave him an eyeful of my plain, white underwear. “I should get dressed.” I glance over my shoulder at the front door. “The grass should be vacuumed by now.”
“Discord,” Havoc barks. “Get your ass in here.”
The door swings open immediately. “Thank fuck. It’s cold out here.” He shifts his gaze from Havoc to me. “Are we friends again?”
“Besties.” I give him a wink, although I doubt there will be a day when I’m not scared of this man.
“Cool. Never had a female bestie before.” His gaze slides over me, hot and heavy. “Wait until you see my collection of toys…”
The very idea is horrifying.
Where’s Faith when I need her?
10
KERRI
“Our mother was a crackhead.”
Such a depressing remark, spoken so flippantly, tells me everything I need to know about how deeply Discord has buried his pain.
He and I are relaxing on Adirondack chairs while Havoc mans the grill a few feet away, cooking us a burger lunch. I’m aware he’s hanging on to our every word while doing everything in his power to make it seem as if he’s not paying attention to us. He’s terrible at faking indifference.
“My mother was a kindergarten teacher.” Grace Ward quit her job once her children’s extracurricular activities clashed with her work schedule. She jumped into shuttle-mom duties with her days devoted to our home’s upkeep and driving us from one activity to another. It left no time for her to be her own person, and only now, as an adult, do I see the strain it took on her. How she voluntarily sacrificed everything for her family.
“She must be a good mom.” There’s a wistful tone to his comment.
I roll my lips between my teeth and nod before answering. “She is…everything. My father is good to us, too.” I almost slipped and prematurely saidwas. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him.”
Twirling a twig he found on the ground, Discord shrugs. “Most folks don’t deserve the bad shit that happens to them.”
I slide him a sideways glance and note how intently he’s staring at the stick. As if it’s the most interesting item in the world. “No, Discord, I don’t suppose they do.”
We’re not just talking about my father. For a moment, a split second, Discord wears his agony. It’s gone, quick as a wink. If I weren’t watching him, I would have missed it.
“The people I hurt do.” His mouth lifts in an evil grin. “And I’m good at my job.”
