What…? I take another look, and it’s a cross. Is it …? I reach out, and he grabs my wrists to stop me from touching it again. The skin is raised and irritated, and I instantly realize what it is. I’ve seen it before.
Pulling away, I turn to face Cross. My hands fisted by my side. “You branded him?” I snap.
He leans back against the bar top, crossing his ankles and arms over his chest, but he stays silent. His once pretty green eyes are now dark and clouded like a storm.
“Sis, I’m fine.” Derek grabs my arm, forcing me to face him. “Are you okay?” He asks gently, his eyes running over my body. He reaches up, cupping my face.
“She’s fine.” Titan is the one who answers Derek, but my brother ignores him.
I shove him away and storm over to Cross. “Why would you do that?”
“I needed answers.” Comes his clipped response.
“Then just ask him,” I shout, shoving his chest, but he doesn’t budge.
“I did. He refused to answer.” Cross shrugs. “Hence the reason I did what I did.”
“You son of a bitch.” I start to hit him, but I’m grabbed from behind and pulled away. Then I’m spun around. I expect to come face-to-face with Bones like last time, but a soft pair of dark eyes meet mine. One already bruised from the hit he took to the face earlier.
“Calm down, Alexa,” Derek says, grabbing my face.
“He hurt you.” I cry out. He hates the Kings, so why is he taking their side on this?
He sighs, looking at someone over my shoulder for a quick second before his eyes come back to mine. “And someone’s trying to hurt you. The Kings were just doing what they thought needed to be done.”
“But …”
“I’m fine.” He gives me a soft smile. “Promise.”
“I want to go home,” I tell him.
“You’re not going anywhere.” The familiar voice comes from behind me.
CROSS
I WATCH HERspin around. Her green eyes stare at me with disgust, but I can see the tears pooling in them. I hate it. Where we are right now. But I won’t budge on this. I won’t go soft because I fell in love with her. She has to understand the severity of the situation.
“I’m not staying here with you,” she states and starts to head to the door, but Derek grabs her hands, stopping her.
“As much as I hate it, Cross is right. You need to stay here.”
Her mouth drops open. “He knocked you out …”
“I know.” He nods once.
“He then branded you …”
“Too bad you started talking. I was in the mood to fuck you up, D.” Grave winks at him, interrupting her.
“I know,” he growls, acknowledging what she said and ignoring Grave.
“Why are you taking his side?” she demands, pulling away from him.
He runs a hand down his face. “Because this has nothing to do with them and everything to do with you.”
“Take me home, Derek. Please?” she begs, gripping his shirt.
“Listen.” He gets angry, grabbing her shoulders. “I can’t protect you. Don’t you see that?”
