“One sob too many—”
He squeezed his hand, cutting off my air. “Betray me.”
I swallowed against his palm, the leather of the collar digging into my neck. “Never,” I rasped, feeling the wetness grow between my thighs.
He leaned in until his nose grazed mine, my eyes rolling to theback of my head. “Then we won’t have a problem,” he hummed, the words falling right onto my lips.
I whimpered, my other hand sliding over his thigh, my nails digging into his pants. “Everett,” I sighed, finding his eyes.
His pupils dilated, his grip tightening. “I am not gentle.”
I didn’t care. I doubt I would ever regret a second with him, no matter how painful. “Then shatter me,” I mumbled, feeling the ghost of his lips graze mine as my fingers slid over his rock-hard cock.
My mind flooded with what he had done to that man. How powerful he had been. The unnamed leader of The Family, that’s how I saw him. I didn’t need to meet any of his other brothers. I didn’t need to watch Malachi work. There was just something about him, that death aura perhaps, that made a person want to obey, that made people turn their heads.
He walked into the room, and everyone looked, not out of plain fear, but something much deeper, something primal.
And I wanted to taste it. I wanted that power to swallow me whole. I wanted the entire world to know that I was his. I was untouchable. But with it came a cost. I was also coveted. Something that could be used against him, just like the other Claims. It also came with a kind of power nobody else in this world would ever have.
I could order him around. I had him at my disposal. I was the Queen on his chessboard, and nobody could take that away from me.
I wrapped my hand as best I could around his cock, squeezing, feeling his mouth go slack, his ragged air mingling with mine. “Please,” I begged.
A knock sounded at the door and Lucy immediately started snarling, every hair on end, her ears pinned to her skull.
Everett’s breathing was labored, and he moved back just enough to look me in the eyes. “Better off. I think I mighthave killed you tonight if we fucked like this.” He released me. “What?” he snarled thickly.
I released a breath, rubbing my throat gently and removing my other hand from his cock just as the door opened.
Evelyn walked in, shutting it behind her, Lucy’s snarling easing a bit when she saw who it was. “Damn, I miss that body,” she hummed, taking me in.
Everett growled a warning. “What do you want, Evie?” he asked, ripping the blanket from the bed and throwing it over me.
She released her bottom lip and found his eyes. “Clean-up crew will be here in a few, fair warning, and I told Malachi you two came in here because you had to inspect the ‘merchandise’, sorry,” she threw at me, “without being watched, but you have to be careful about that if you want to keep it a secret.”
I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, my cheeks warming. “Fine,” Everett replied, standing. “She’s been briefed on what it means, she’s been looked over. Nothing but bruises, she’ll be fine.”
And hearing him say that just eased my soul a little more. I would be fine. I would be. I had to be. “I don’t want to stay here alone tonight,” I confessed, my eyes falling to Lucy. “Lucy’s hurt,” I explained, scratching her ear. “And she’s not going to take kindly to those people being in her house.”
Evelyn walked over and crouched down in front of me, her brown eyes as warm and soothing as ever. “It’s a three-bedroom, baby girl. We’re not going anywhere tonight. You’ll sleep here, okay? Everett will sleep in your room just across the hall, and I’ll sleep in the other bedroom, okay? You’ll have privacy in here, and if they send anyone else after you, they’ll be shocked at what they find.”
I felt my eyes burn and I quickly swallowed the lump in my throat. “Okay,” I whispered. “Thank you.”
She nodded, patting my leg as she stood. “We’ll go out andwait for the crew, you and Lucy get some rest. Tomorrow can be bath day for everyone. Communal,” she beamed, giving me a wink. “We’ll all have a bit of—”
“Get out,” Everett bit.
Evelyn chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Boys ruin everything.” She blew me a kiss and headed back out the door.
Everett grabbed it just before it shut and found my eyes again. It looked like he wanted to say something, something important. Something that might change the way things were, only to think better of it a second later, his expression hardening.
He shut the door tightly, leaving Lucy and I alone in the room. I pulled the blanket closer and scratched her head. “Okay then,” I breathed out, feeling the tears burn my eyes again. I forced a smile across my lips, trying to reassure her. “We’re going to be okay, you and me, hmm?”
She sucked her pink tongue in and huffed, her ears on a swivel now, her muscles still tense.
She wouldn’t sleep tonight. Not with so much going on in this house, but I hoped she knew that Everett and Evelyn were a part of our pack now, and they would protect us too. Just like she did.
I leaned in, pressing my forehead against hers, solid and warm, unwavering. “Thank you,” I whispered, digging my nails into her fur, my voice thick with love and tears. “Thank you for saving me, Lucy.”
