“Now, now, son. Is that any way to greet the man who gave you life?” His amused grin is as fake as everything else about him.
A muscle flexes in Sinner’s jaw as he stands, flicking the joint to the ground. He turns the full extent of his charm on the two girls fawning over him, holding out his cell. “Pop your digits in there, ladies, and I’ll send you an invitation to my party.” He drills me with a look. “I’ll be celebrating finally freeing myself of the chains that have bound me for far too long.”
Ice-cold dread drips down my spine. “You touch one hair on my mother’s head, and I will kill you.”
Saint yanks on my hand in warning.
The two girls look up from Sinner’s cell, staring at me with their jaws trailing the ground.
“She was joking,” Galen says, grabbing the cell out of their hands and steering them off to the side.
“Control your whore, or I’ll do it for you,” Sinner hisses.
“Harlow is not a whore. She’s an initiate like us, and she deserves some goddamned respect.” Saint visibly seethes as he glares at his dad, and I love how readily he jumps to defend me, but he needs to be careful too. Sinner is an unpredictable psycho, and he wouldn’t think twice about hurting his own son. I plant my hand on Saint’s lower back, urging him to hold it together.
“I’ll treat your whore with respect when she’s earned it. When she steps up to the plate and starts fucking acting like a member of our crew.”
“Wow. Tell me how you really feel,” I drawl, maintaining a calm façade while I’m seething on the inside.
“The next time you call her that, I will fucking kill you myself.” Saint’s entire body shakes as he enters a lethal stare down with the sperm donor.
A deep chuckle rumbles from Sinner’s chest, and he pins Saint with an amused grin. “This is like watching history repeat itself.” He thumps Saint in the upper arm. “Take it from one who knows. Ditch her now, and save yourself the heartache.”
“You wouldn’t know heartache if it bit you in the ass,” I blurt.
His good humor evaporates, and he darts forward, gripping my chin. “You know nothing about me. Nothing!” he roars, and it’s clear I’ve hit a nerve.
Interesting.
Saint swats Sinner’s arm away, pulling me into his side. “Was there a reason for your visit because we have someplace to be.” He feigns disinterest, but he’s a melting pot of rage waiting to combust.
“I’m here to remind you who you are.” He pushes Saint’s shoulders as Galen returns, injecting himself in between them.
“Leave him the fuck alone.” Galen’s fists clench into balls at his sides, and I know he’s itching to flatten the asshole, because it’s how I feel every time I’m in his company.
“You too,” Sinner adds, poking Galen in the chest before trailing his gaze around all of us. “All of you. You are part of The Sainthood. Sworn to obey my command.”
I snort, and that only enrages him further.
“You clearly have little regard for your lives or those of your loved ones.” He loses his anger, flashing us a devilish grin that chills me to the bone. “It’s time you remembered your duties.” He steps up to me again, his lips tugging into a familiar smug grin that I hate so much. “I own you.” He jabs his finger in my collarbone before eyeballing the others. “All of you, and you will obey or suffer the consequences.”
Pushing Galen aside, he fixes his gaze upon his son. “You are Saint Lennox. Junior chapter leader and my heir apparent. I know you conspired behind my back to take my fiancée away. I don’t take kindly to loyalty being tested.” His eyes burn with deep-seated rage. “I’m here to remind you of the importance of Friday night.” His eyes flit to mine, and there’s no disguising the lust in his eyes, but there is plenty of hatred too. My heart slams against my rib cage, and goose bumps sprout on my arms. “Do not stand in my way, or you’ll be sorry. The last person who tried to take something precious from me didn’t survive to tell the tale.” He slaps Saint on the shoulder. “I’d hate for you to end up like your mother.”
CHAPTER 17
“HE’S LYING,” GALENsays as Saint drives us toward the biker bar Darrow favors.
“What if he’s not?” Saint says, through gritted teeth, gripping the steering wheel so tight, his knuckles blanch white.
“He said it to do this very thing,” Theo says. “Upset you. Distract you.”
“Don’t give him that power, man,” Caz says.
“That’s easier said than done.” I run my hand along Saint’s thigh. “What do you know of your mother?” I tentatively ask.
“Nothing.” His bitter tone bounces off the walls of the Land Rover as he drives. I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t.
“Anytime we asked him as kids, he told us Saint’s mother didn’t want him. Said she was dead to him and was to be dead to us,” Galen replies when Saint doesn’t.
