I blinked up at him, dazed and aching.
He brushed damp hair back from my forehead, his touch tender. “When I take you, I want you fully present—not coming down from a nightmare. You won’t be riding adrenaline or fear. I want you clear-headed and begging for my cock because you need it, not because you’re trying to forget.”
He rolled us so I was tucked against his chest, his arms locked around me once more. My heart continued to race, and my body buzzed with unfulfilled need, but I felt completely safe wrapped up in him.
I pressed my face into his neck, overwhelmed by everything I was feeling. Soren had pulled me out of hell, protected me…and now he was denying himself because he cared about doing this right.
I didn’t know what to do with how much that meant to me.
8
REV
The following morning, I sat around the conference table in Kane’s office. Nursing a steaming mug of coffee, I waited as my brothers settled into their spots. The room held the kind of palpable focus that always came when we were working through the details of a threat.
Cage leaned forward, his medical notes spread out in front of him as he began to speak. He detailed the blood tests he’d run on Delaney, noting carefully the specific sedatives Magnus had used on her—high-grade tranquilizers meant to immobilize without long-term damage, typically reserved for medical or veterinary practices. Cage’s jaw flexed as he described how dangerously precise the dosage had been, enough to render her compliant without risking her life. This had been on top of the chloroform he’d put over her face both times that she’d been moved.
My chest tightened with fury as I absorbed the information. Magnus had meticulously planned every fucking detail. It was too specific. Almost rehearsed.
I was convinced that this hadn’t been the first time he’d done this. He’d obviously already worked out the kinks in his plan onprevious victims. A theory that was also supported by his having a secondary location.
Jax shifted in his seat, his glasses reflecting the blue light from the tablet he scanned with close scrutiny. He shook his head, clearly irritated by what he’d discovered. “Magnus has gone completely dark. Phone’s off, no credit card activity, nothing popping on the usual channels. Bastard dropped off the grid as soon as Rev took Delaney off the road.”
Shifter scoffed, leaning back in his chair. “Fucker’s running scared now that he knows we have Delaney.”
Edge snorted, flipping a blade between his fingers. “Yeah, well, good luck hiding from us for long. Fuckers always surface eventually. Probably curled up somewhere crying because Rev ruined his plans.”
Apex leaned back comfortably in his chair, a laptop balanced easily on his thigh as he picked up from there. “I found financial anomalies tied to the museum and Magnus. Purchases of preservation supplies that don’t match inventory lists, rental payments funneling through a burner LLC, and significant grant money diverted quietly through small historical restoration accounts. He was careful, but it’s there.”
Kane listened quietly, absorbing everything before finally speaking. “Delaney’s awake and recovering?”
I nodded.
“If she’s up to it, we could use her historical expertise. Magnus is clearly leaning on symbolism and history for whatever sick ritual he’s conducting. She might be able to help us profile him more precisely.”
I hesitated only a fraction of a second, the instinct to protect Delaney warring fiercely with the practical need to end this threat. But she’d shown me her strength and intelligence, and I knew damn well she’d want to help if she could.
“Might help her to start feeling like she’s in control of her own life again,” Cage suggested.
“I’ll bring her down later today,” I finally agreed. “She can walk us through the historical symbolism and whatever else she remembers. Maybe help us piece together exactly what Magnus is trying to accomplish.”
Kane nodded. “Good. We need all the intel we can get.”
Late afternoon sunlightstreamed through the windows as Delaney stepped cautiously into Kane’s office, her strawberry-blond hair loose around her shoulders, framing her face. I saw the nerves tightening her expression, but she lifted her chin slightly, taking a steadying breath before sitting down beside me at the table.
I watched her closely, pride tightening warmly in my chest at her quiet determination. Cage and Hadley had brought her some more clothes, and now she wore simple jeans and a soft sweater that made her look delicate yet steady. A survivor after everything she’d endured. I reached beneath the table, resting my palm on her thigh briefly, anchoring her.
“You good?” I asked quietly.
She nodded, a faint blush warming her cheeks. “Yeah. I want to help.”
“Can you explain about the historical elements?” Kane asked, his voice almost gentle.
She glanced briefly at me before looking around the room, taking a deep breath as she began carefully going over the details and significance of what Magnus had done to her. She laid out each piece with careful precision. As she spoke, something shifted visibly inside her. Her voice grew steadier, her posturestraightening slightly as the historian and preservationist in her came forward.
“He was obsessed with authenticity and ritual completion,” she continued thoughtfully, her expression growing distant as she focused on recalling his behavior. “Everything had to be perfect, staged exactly as historical custom dictated. He talked about preserving something beautiful forever, capturing purity before the world corrupted it.”
Every brother was fully attentive in the quiet room. Even Edge had stopped flipping his knife, listening to her with focused intensity. Cage took notes, clearly impressed with Delaney’s detailed recollection, while Jax typed furiously on his tablet, recording everything she described. Apex watched quietly, analytical gears visibly turning as he mentally traced the new information into the financial trails he’d already uncovered. The wheels were clearly turning in Shifter and Nitro’s heads as well.
