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Lillith Harper.
As soon as the epiphany strikes, everything goes dark.
“Bear! He’s waking up!”
“Fucking hell, Axel, I can see that!”
Their voices sound garbled to my ears, but I can still make out the distinct tones of Landon “Axel” and Wes “Bear,” arguing like an old married couple.
“Well, excuse me for trying to be helpful,” Landon whines.
“You know what would help? Shutting the fuck up,” Wes snaps, ever the growling bear. His club nickname has always fit him the best out of all of us, and I never let him forget it. After all, I’m the one who gave it to him.
I find the strength to crack my eye open, but Landon bounds over to my bedside before I say a word. Clearly forgetting I was just fucking shot, he grabs me by the shoulders and gives me a shake.
“Landon…get off,” I growl. His light blue eyes are filled with so much relief, it’s the only thing stopping me from hitting him with what little strength I have left.
“Sorry, Kain,” Landon murmurs, hanging his head as he steps back.
“Jesus. It’s like you kicked a puppy.” Wes nods his chin in my direction. “Glad to see you made it.”
“I’m not,” I grumble, straining against that room in the attic of my mind.
Even death will not show you mercy. No mercy for sinners, for devils, for sick, sick, sickos like you.
I sit up, the pain in my chest intensifying at the same time the room comes into focus. Landon’s and Wes’s giant frames occupy most of the space, and I have to crane my neck to see around them. “Where’s the girl?” I ask, an image of her pretty pink lips flashing in my mind.
“Who?”
“Never mind,” I growl, not having the energy to explain.
They would remember her if they saw her. It would be impossible to forget those eyes. Those haunting, beautiful eyes, the little light begging to be snuffed.
Wes shoots me an alarmed look, like he can read my thoughts and knows something’s not quite right with me.
You’re the one who let me out. Out, out, out.
Landon wiggles his brows, clearly oblivious to the change in Wes’s demeanor and, therefore, mine. Before Wes has the opportunity to question me about it, I change the subject, dutifully ignoring that screaming voice.
“Is that for me?” I ask, eyeing the plastic shopping bag dangling from Wes’s fist.
“Oh yeah.” Wes reaches inside and tosses the thick metal mask onto my chest. “Your backup. God only knows who has the other one now.”
I grimace from the sharp pain as I pick it up, expertly fitting it across the right half of my face. “You do realize I was just shot, right?” I turn to glare at Wes, feeling more like myself now that my face is back. “Wanna take it easy?”
“I’m not going to do shit.” Wes rolls his eyes. “I had to leave my date when word got to the club about what happened to you. She was fucking hot, so excuse me for being a little pissed off.”
I regard his expression carefully, realization hitting me like a semi. “You were worried about me.”
The seven-foot giant glares and crosses his burly arms over his chest. “Of course I was worried! What you did was stupid as fuck.” He pauses, running a scarred hand over his face. “You know they’re going to come after you now, right? You just killed their leader and gave Callum a straight ride to the top, and he won’t stop until you’re dead.”
I shrug. “Let them.” Myers had it coming, and I’m not scared of Callum Beck. I’m not scared of anything except those thoughts, those memories I have to keep locked up.
I try to sit further up in bed, cursing my worthless body the whole way.
“And how are you going to defend yourself when they do? ’Cause it kind of looks like you can’t even stand right now.” Wes grunts, moving over to the bedside to help me. “We found two Serpents outside waiting for the perfect chance to come in here and finish you off. If we hadn’t gotten here when we did, you’d be royally fucked.”
“I’m not dead yet, Bear. Watch how you speak to me,” I murmur, my voice soft and deadly controlled as I spit his nickname. Even in my fragile state, Wes cowers under my gaze.
