Page 62 of Hide Little Traitor

RONAN

NOW

It’s not until we reach the cabin that it occurs to me how fucking weird this situation is.

The woman I’ve loved since the moment I realized what the word meant is tucked under the arm of the man I’ve spent most of my life thinking was responsible for the accident that ultimately took my mother’s life, and rather than feeling jealous, I’m at peace knowing she’s safe and that any one of us would throw ourselves in front of a bullet for her.

Including Damon, who has spent the last fifteen years hating her.

Or pretending to, it seems.

I can’t shake the uneasy feeling that’s settled in my chest since my brother appeared at the airfield. There’s something not right about his story, or lack thereof, that isn’t sitting right with me.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid. It’s not like there aren’t an ever-growing number of people that want us dead, but I’ve never questioned my instincts before. Why would I start now?

Kingston leads us into the cabin, and the first thing I notice is the lit fire across the room.

The wooden structure is modest in comparison to the mansion we just fled, but there’s more than enough space for the five of us for a few days.

Chloe steps away from him, her eyes tracking over every detail as she pulls her gloves off.

I’m not entirely sure where we are, but the temperature is significantly lower than it was at the house.

“Is someone here?” Damon growls out, his hand finding his gun in its holster.

“No, my associate lives nearby and lit the fire for us so it would be warm by the time we got here. He also filled the fridge and cupboards so we don’t need to make our way into town while we work out our next steps.”

My brother doesn’t seem convinced, but he moves toward the kitchen. It’s been almost twelve hours since any of us have eaten, and that was just a snack on the jet. I don’t blame him for seeking out food.

Chloe’s brow dips as she watches him. She’s more confused than any of us by Damon’s actions.

He’s been downright cruel to her over the years, and although I’m aware that he visited her in the cellar and what happened while he was down there, he’s still been indifferent toward her.

I used to think he had feelings for her and was just angry that she was mine, but that no longer makes sense. Not when she clearly has feelings for more than just me, and my reaction isn’t to tear their arms off when they touch her. If anything, I’m comforted by Chloe having more than me to tend to her needs.

For years I thought I’d never allow anyone to touch me because Chloe was it for me. I didn’t have any interest in other women, and even when Dad tried to force a wife on me, I couldn’t find it in myself to want them.

I’ve never been as grateful to be shot as I was when one of our intended wives shot us both in the leg so she could escape with the Saint James family.

Believe me, I know how unhinged it is to ever be grateful for a bullet wound, but them escaping is the best thing that could have happened to me, even if Salvatore lost his fucking mind at the time.

His obsession with marrying us off has been mounting for years. Ever since Mikayla called off her wedding to Damon because she couldn’t stand being with someone that would never love her.

It may not have been my brother’s choice, but Dad still punished him as if it were.

Ryker’s eyes track over the doors off the main space, counting four bedrooms and presumably a bathroom. A slow smile tugs at his lips, and I curse myself for not beating him to the chase.

“Dibs sharing with my siren,” he hollers, taking Chloe’s bag from me before I get the chance to argue and stepping into the closest room.

“There will be no dibs’ing Chloe,” Kingston rumbles, but I don’t miss the way the corners of his lips lift just a fraction, amusement dancing in his eyes. “She’s a human, not the passenger seat or the last piece of pizza.”

“Tastes better than any pizza I’ve ever eaten.” He smirks.

Chloe’s cheeks turn the most adorable shade of pink, her eyes dropping to the rug at her feet as Ryker bursts into laughter. I’ve seen glimpses of the jovial side of him while we’ve been searching for her, but if Kingston’s brows are anything to go by, this version of Ryker is new, and likely directly linked to Chloe.

“Jesus,” Damon mutters.

“You’re just jealous because you’re the only one in the room that doesn’t know what she tastes like.”