Page 112 of A Trial By Blood

“Wait, we can’t go yet.”

He ignored me and kept walking. Someone tried to get in as well, but Ronan growled and they stepped back out. As soon as the doors closed, he lifted my hand, covering the bite to my shoulder, and checked my injury. He cursed viciously.

“Ronan, we need to talk to Oliver Kelley—”

He said nothing, just took my jaw in his hand and angled my head to the side. Then his mouth was open over the wound, gently licking and sucking. It tingled, instantly starting to heal.

“I’m okay,” I said, curling my fingers around the side of his throat. “Ronan, it’s okay.”

He lifted his head, eyes blazing. “He tried to take you against your will. He bit you. He fucking violated you. Nothing about that is okay, Rose. It’s taking every bit of my control not to go back up there and finish him off.”

I didn’t know what to say. He was right, but we were there for a reason, and time was running out. “We can’t leave.”

He heaved several breaths. “I want to take you home.”

I shook my head, curling my fingers around his forearm. “Kelley’s the link. We need to wait and follow him. We have to question him, Ronan. Or at the very least, we need to search his place.”

The elevator slid open, and he led me from the building. I got in the car and he rounded the hood and got in beside me. Then I felt the buzz of his power surround us, concealing us. He slipped off his jacket and covered me with it.

Clay St. James walked out.

Ronan was out of the car and in front of Clay before I knew he was going to move. He grabbed him by the front of the shirt and shoved him across the sidewalk, slamming him against the side of the car, trapping me inside. “You’re following Kelley, are you working for him?”

Clay stared back, “No. I want my fucking effigy back.”

“You said the collection was your grandfather’s, you acted as if you weren’t overly interested, and now you’re here. Why?” Ronan growled out. “Were you following us? If you think you’re getting anywhere near my female—”

“I’m not following you or your female.” He shoved at Ronan.

Ronan gave him room but didn’t release him completely. “Talk.”

“The collection is mine. It’s been mine for a very long time.” He blew out a breath. “You know what I am?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’ll know that we’re the cold-blooded outsiders. The truth of what I am can make a lot of beings uncomfortable. I’m used to lying about myself, concealing it. They resent our ability to regenerate, and we can be targets because of that. I was too weak after shedding to hide what I was from you when you came to my house, but I need the effigy to summon the type of demon I use to regenerate.”

“You’re still lying. We saw the demon in your basement. You managed just fine without it.”

His eyes narrowed. “You broke into my house?”

“You’re either in on this with Kelley, or you’re trying to take my female, which is it?”

Clay hissed and the pair of them shoved each other several more times.

“Ronan,” I yelled through the car window.

Clay, thankfully, did not look my way. I wasn’t sure Ronan would attempt to control himself if he had. The male hissed out several more breaths, then straightened his tie. “I was following Kelley because I know he’s behind the theft. I’m not in league with that fucker, and I’m not trying to take your female. You already made it clear she belongs to you. As for the demon in my basement, I hunted it and dragged it home. But as you can imagine, that is a lot more difficult, especially in my aged skin, and not something I’d like to repeat. Summoning a venious directly into my basement is far easier.”

I believed him. Ronan studied him for several seconds, then stepped back.

“Are we done?”

“Yes,” Ronan said.

“I want your word that if you find it, you’ll return it to me,” Clay said.

Ronan dipped his chin sharply. Clay strode off and Ronan got back in the car.