Ours (Blood Ties Book 3)

You were never meant to fall for her…

My mind was stuck on those words. I stared at the door, listening to the heavy thud of boots as they echoed, coming closer. Fear found me, but it wasn’t for me. I tightened my hold on her hand, drawing her behind me. “Stay close, princess.”

Ryth pressed against my side as the sound of steps came closer, growing in crescendo until they were deafening. I clenched my fists and shifted my stance, ready to start swinging the moment the door opened.

But it never did.

The sound grew, then passed as the guards raced along the hallway and past the room they kept us in.

“Tobias,” she whispered my brother’s name. “It’s him, I know it is.”

She thought he was coming for us.

But she was wrong.

Her fingers slipped between mine as The Priest’s sick smile rose in my head. I don’t believe you. My own desperate voice rose. Tobias isn’t dead…he can’t be…do you hear me? I shook my head. “No.”

“No, what?”

I closed my eyes. She didn’t know, and there was no way I was going to tell her. I couldn’t tell her.

Nick’s face rose to fill my mind. I could see it now, him kneeling on the ground next to our brother’s body as he opened fire…he’d kill everyone he could—and probably been killed himself in the process.

Because of me.

I let her go and stumbled forward, bracing my hand on the wall.

I should never have gone to that goddamn club…should never have tried to kill Killion.

“Caleb?”

I didn’t turn my head, I couldn’t look at her. Not yet.

“What’s wrong?”

I shook my head as the snap of a lock sounded, drawing my gaze to the door. A guard stepped inside, scanned the room, and settled his focus on me. I said nothing, waiting for him to move. The Priest followed, that cocky grin on his split lip not as evident now that he knew he couldn’t kill me. He glanced at Ryth, standing behind me. “You’re being moved.”

I stepped in front of her. “Why?”

“Why is no concern of yours.” The Priest’s jaw tightened as he narrowed that stare on me. “You won’t cause a problem, do you understand?” There was a scowl before he looked at Ryth once more. “She seems calm, Caleb. A little too calm.” One brow rose as he turned to me. “You still haven’t told her, have you?”

I shook my head. “No,” I growled. ‘I won’t…because it’s a lie.”

There was that smirk again, that knowing, fucking smirk. “Is it?”

Is it?

“Told me what?” she asked.

A twitch came at the corner of my eye. I fixed my stare on that piece of shit who stood in front of us dressed in a black full shirt and white clerical collar. He was no fucking priest. And no fucking man, for that matter…he was the goddamn devil. A devil who had all the fucking cards.

“Denial won’t change the truth, Caleb,” he murmured. “As a lawyer, you know that better than most.”

“Tell me what, Caleb?”

I opened my mouth to speak, to say the words that hung heavy in my heart. The words he wanted me to say.

But I couldn’t do it…

“I can tell her, if you prefer?” the devil murmured.

“You know, that has gotta hurt.” My voice was husky as I stared at his busted-up face. “I bet it does. I bet it hurts like an absolute bitch.”

His gaze hardened to a cruel, terrifying glint.

“Tell me what?” Ryth demanded.

Without missing a beat, he spoke. “Your stepbrother is dead.” He watched her like a hawk. “Yes, I’m afraid Tobias won’t be coming to rescue you, Ryth. No. He won’t be coming at all.”

Everything moved in slow motion. My knees trembled, but I forced myself to turn and face her. “Ryth,” I whispered, my focus on every glint…and every twitch.

“No.” She shook her head. “NO.”

Rage burned, but I swallowed it. “It’s going to be okay.” I lifted my hand to her face.

But she pulled away, and that hurt more than anything. “No. Don’t you touch me! That’s not true…that’s NOT TRUE. Do you hear me?” she demanded, her eyes growing wide. “No. Just, no.”

“Ryth…”

There was a tremble of her lips as her voice thickened. “No, Caleb,” she whispered and tears shimmered in her eyes. She looked at the bastards watching us, and then just…cracked.

I lunged as her knees gave way, catching her in time. Her pain was a shotgun blast to my chest as I pulled her against me. Cold, hard rage followed, the kind that’d made me a murderer. But this wasn’t about my anger. It was about her.

“We’ll get through this…” I grasped her chin and turned her gaze to mine. “You hear me? We will get through this.”

It didn’t matter that she’d only been in our lives mere months. Because it felt like forever…

Forever that she’d been in our hearts.

And forever that we’d been in hers.

Tears slipped from her eyes as she turned her head. She saw them and, in an instant…her anguish unleashed. “You BASTARDS!” She tore from my arms and lunged across the room.

But The Priest and the guard were already striding out of the room. She hit the door as it closed, her fists slamming against the tempered glass panel. “I’ll kill you!” she screamed at them. “Do you hear me? I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”

Her screams resounded as she slammed her fists against the door. “I’ll fucking kill you! I’ll kill you…I’ll fucking kill you all…” She stopped beating her fists against the door, and slumped against it instead. “I’ll fucking find you…”

Brutal, rasping gasps consumed her.

I closed the distance, grabbing her and pulling her into my arms.

“I’ll kill them, Caleb,” she whimpered without even looking at me.

“I know, princess.” I stared through the glass at the empty hall. “I know.”