I sat there, because I had no damn choice.
Don’t. I swallowed, drinking the tears fighting so hard to be shed.Don’t spiral.I couldn’t let myself be sucked into useless sadness. I’d never claw my way out. I’d never be ready to fight.
And I mean to.
My life might be earmarked for extinction, but I meant to be the last Weaver the Hawks ever took.
At least I don’t have children. Once they killed me, there’d be no more Weaver women.
Oh, my God. Until Vaughn has children.
The fist around my heart squeezed until lightheadedness made the car swim.
Daniel yanked me from my horror, rubbing my clit. He grinned. “She looks younger than twenty-four. Sure you didn’t get the younger sister instead?”
What!?
I jolted, sucking in a breath. I forgot to pretend the drugs still held me prisoner. A sister? Impossible.
She left us. Could my mother have had another life—a whole other existence that I didn’t know about?
The thought pulverized my heart. Not only did she have a family—tearing us apart when the debt came for her—but she’d thoughtlessly given life to another girl?
Jethro’s head snapped toward me, his light-brown eyes flashing in the darkness. I stayed as statuesque as possible. My gasp was the first sound I’d made since the bar. Since I entered into an agreement withKite not to make him care, and the last conversation I had with my brother for who knew how long.
Jethro leaned into my neck. “I see you fighting it. I see you winning. You can’t hide anything from me.” Pulling away, his eyes narrowed. “You’d do well to remember that. Don’t give me a reason to hurt you so soon.”
Looking to his brother, he muttered, “She’s the right one.” His fingers clenched and unclenched on my thigh. In a lightning move, he snatched Daniel’s wrist and jerked his probing fingers from my core. “She’s the right one andmine.Enough.”
I couldn’t stop the sigh of relief. Only one other man had touched me there. Only one boy had seen me naked and taken my virginity. I never thought I’d be in a situation where I’d be forced, and for a fraction of a second I was grateful toward Jethro for stopping it.
“I can touch her if I want. Shit, I can fuck her too.”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t. I just said...enough.” He bit the word into pieces. Sharp, deadly, unforgiving.
Daniel tore his arm from Jethro’s grip. “Fine. But don’t climb up your arse thinking she’s just yours. She’s not. She belongs to all of us.”
There are others. Many others who have the right to help me ensure the debt is fully repaid.
“No. But she’s mine until I say you can have her. Hierarchy, little brother. You know how receiving charity works.”
“Fuck off, Jet.” Pointing a finger at Jethro’s face, he said, “Cut changed a few things tonight at the Gemstone. He’s named me VP—given me your role.”
Jethro settled into the seat, his broad shoulders brushing mine. “If you think he did that behind my back, you’re mistaken. I asked for time. Cut was more than happy to grant it. After all, I’m the firstborn son of a Hawk. She’s the firstborn daughter of a Weaver. There are more important things on my agenda for the foreseeable future.”
My brain swam. Everything they said sounded cryptic and layered in code. Cut? Was that a name? Gemstone? It sounded like a place, but that didn’t make sense.
“You’ve always thought you’re better than me. But you’ll see who extracts a debt from flesh better when I get my turn.” Daniel sneered, his gaze bouncing from his brother to me.
I gritted my teeth against dropping my eyes or trying to turn invisible. As much as I hated Jethro, I would make sure to remain in hisgood graces as long as possible.
Daniel reached out and patted my knee, ignoring Jethro’s icy look. “Enjoy your time with my brother, because when you’re mine...enjoyment won’t be something you’ll be feeling.”
Jethro sat forward, his suit rustling against the leather upholstery. In his signature terrifying quietness, he said, “You disturb my work before I’m through, blood or not, you’ll pay the price.”
The two men glowered. I didn’t know either of them, but the air shimmered with past conflict and animosity—hinting that this standoff was nothing new.
“You’re not untouchable,” Daniel hissed. “You better—”
