Page 86 of Ruby Revenge

SAGE

Islowly turned around, coming face to face with Theo Rossi. And he was not happy. My face flushed, and I racked my brain for a logical excuse to tell him.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked, his voice venomous.

Before I could say a word, Niko came up behind his dad.

“Sorry, Dad. I asked Sage if she could grab the phone charger for me. I thought there was one in here,” Niko explained smoothly.

“I couldn’t find it. Sorry,” I mumbled, my voice shaking slightly.

“Who knew finding a charger would be that difficult for you?” His tone was sarcastic, but the anger brewing in his eyes was unmistakable.

Theo looked from me to his son and seemed to believe Niko’s lie. He mentioned something about the charger being in the living room before walking back down the hall. My gaze darted back to Niko, and when his dad turned his back, the nice-guy charade ended. His teeth were clenched, and his entire body was tense. His hands were balled into fists as he stood perfectly still. I could tell it was taking everything in him not to lose it. He knew exactly what I had been doing.

Letting my gaze fall to the floor, I rushed forward to leave. A gasp escaped me when he shoved me against the wall next to the open door. My wrists were trapped in one of his hands and above my head before I got a word out. His hold tightened when I tried wiggling away.

“Niko,” I hissed, fear buzzing through me. “Let me go.”

His eyes went between me and the hall while he stayed silent. Giving up on freeing my wrists, I huffed out a breath, waiting for him to come to his senses.

“If you’re going to sneak around,” he murmured as he leaned closer, “you should make it worth the risk of getting caught.”

Rage still simmered in his voice, but his eyes were darkened with something else. His free hand drifted up my bare thigh and didn’t stop until it was under my sundress. My breath hitched, my fear giving way to shock. This was not coming to his senses.

“Someone’s going to walk in—”

“After the show you put on for me the first time I saw you naked, I know you can be quiet.” He pushed my panties to the side. “Well, at least when you’re touching yourself. You think you can stay silent when it’s me fingering you?”

The panic of being found mixed with pleasure when his fingers grazed my clit. His gaze was on the open doorway more than on me, and a bit of tension left me when I realized what he was doing. He was watching the mirror at the end of the hall, which meant he’d be able to see anyone who was coming before they got close enough to catch what we were doing.

I relished in the waves of pleasure rolling through me. My pussy pulsed as he sped up. The stress of the day began to leave my body while my eyes closed, letting him take the burden of keeping our secret safe. He wouldn’t let anyone catch us.

My legs began trembling when he pushed one finger and then a second one inside me. His thumb stayed on my clit as his fingers curled and he moved them slowly.

“Quiet, Sage,” he ordered when I moaned. “You get too loud, and I’m going to have to stop.”

I clenched my teeth together, swallowing my cry as he plunged his fingers deep inside me. My knees nearly buckled, and his hold on my wrists was the only thing helping me stay standing. The pleasure built until my entire body was on fire. I held my breath while going rigid as I got to the edge.

“Hey,” I protested when everything stopped as he pulled his hand away.

Tearing his eyes from the mirror, he met my glare. Raising his hand up, he sucked on the fingers that had just been in my pussy.

“You really shouldn’t have been drinking last night,” he murmured, releasing my wrists.

“Are you kidding me?” I snapped when I realized he really wasn’t going to finish.

“I told you. No orgasms until you stop. I really hope it’s soon. For both our sakes.”

“I didn’t drink today.”

His eyes narrowed. “Only because I got to the wine before you did. Be good, Sage. That includes not sneaking around, looking for things that don’t concern you. Then you’ll get as many fucking orgasms as you can handle.”

“I wasn’t looking for anything—”

“Do not lie to me,” he cut me off sharply. “You’re going to get caught doing shit like that.”

Niko glanced at the mirror in the hall, and his face went dark as he shuffled away from me right before Geo walked into the office. He looked between Niko and me, not hiding the suspicion burning on his face.

“What are you two doing?” Geo asked, looking at his brother to answer.

“Sage had a small freak out from being here,” Niko replied casually. “I was making sure she was okay.”

“Isn’t that Alex’s job?” Geo asked, arching an eyebrow. “Or do your babysitting duties include emotional support too?”

“I just needed a second to breathe,” I forced out. “I’m trying to be okay with everything. For Alex.”

“If you say so.” Geo shrugged, still staring at Niko questioningly.

Without another word, I slipped past them, wanting to get far away from Geo. I could hear them following behind me as I slid open the back screen door. I sat back down next to Alex, feeling how wet my panties were from the teasing Niko had done. Asshole. I couldn’t believe he’d just stopped like that.

Alex’s hand went to my thigh, and I painted on a smile as I listened to him talk about something that he wanted to do to fix up the house. Niko and Geo sat across from me. With how Niko was acting, no one would ever guess what we’d just done in the house. The way he could cover his emotions kept surprising me. And made me wonder if he was only acting when we spent time together.

“You okay, baby?” Alex asked. “You haven’t said much.”

What the hell did he expect me to say?

“I’m okay,” I assured him. “I have a headache.”

“If it’s that bad, I can drive her home now,” Niko offered as he looked at Alex for permission.

I bristled. Again, they were talking like I wasn’t even there. I couldn’t live like this forever.

Alex thought about it for a second before nodding. I swallowed, not sure which was worse. Staying here and pretending or going back to the house with Niko. He was still pissed about what his dad had caught me doing, and I had a feeling he’d want to talk about it.

“Go home and rest. I know this has been hard. Dad and I need to talk about…business anyway,” he said, brushing a kiss on my forehead.

Alex tossed Niko his keys, and I got up and made my way off the deck. Niko walked next to me, not saying a word. Once we were in the Jeep, I waited for him to go off, but he stayed silent. After a few minutes, I tried starting a conversation.

“Niko—”

“Unless you plan on telling me what you were doing in that office, I don’t want to hear it,” he cut me off, his voice scary quiet.

I tried biting my tongue, knowing he was still trying to calm down. But I couldn’t help myself. “Maybe I was waiting for you. Although, I never would have, if I’d known you weren’t going to let me finish.”

The glare he shot me proved he didn’t believe me. The rest of the ride home was silent. I understood why he was so angry. He’d covered for me. Lied straight to his dad’s face. He easily could have kept quiet and let me fend for myself, but he didn’t. He protected me. Again. Against his family.

He pulled into the driveway and jumped out of the car the second he took the key out. I stayed in my seat, watching through the windshield as he opened his truck door. After grabbing something from the back seat, he kicked the door shut and strode to the house. The sun reflected off what he was carrying, the clear liquid sloshing in the bottle with every step he took.

Now I knew where he had hidden the tequila. I quickly decided to stay outside instead of letting him confront me in the house. Looking up, I groaned as dark clouds were approaching. The nice day was about to turn into a stormy one.

With a sigh, I slowly made my way through the front door. Niko was sitting at the table with a shot glass full to the brim. He swallowed it in one gulp and poured another one as I debated over attempting to talk or just going to the bedroom. The bedroom idea won, but as I walked past him, he grabbed my hand, halting my steps.

“You really think we aren’t going to talk about this?” he asked, standing from the table.

“You’re the one who didn’t want to talk,” I snapped as I wrenched my hand away and created some distance between us.

Niko followed, looming over me, his face inches from mine. He was trying to intimidate me. I stood my ground, matching his gaze. He might have his own suspicions but couldn’t prove what I was doing in the office. I didn’t think that’s what he was mad about anyway. It was the fact that he’d lied to his dad for me. We stood there for over a minute, glaring at each other. Until Niko shook his head and turned away to down his second shot.

“So, that’s your plan,” he stated before facing me again.

“I don’t have a plan—”

“Come off it, Sage. You were looking for something about the group,” he spat out.

He was so close that I could smell the liquor on his breath. The rain had started and was pounding violently on the windows as thunder cracked in the distance.

“That’s why you haven’t run. You’re trying to get information.”

“I was just looking around. I haven’t left because I don’t want my dad to get hurt.”

“Right. You think you can find something and take it to the police? Expose the group?”

“No—”

“I thought I was pretty damn clear about how impossible that was. They are everywhere.”

“They,” I repeated quietly.

“What?”

“You said they. It used to be we. Don’t feel like part of your group anymore?” I regretted saying it the second the words left my lips. His mouth scrunched into a scowl and his eyes narrowed.

“They’re my family,” he growled.

“The family you’ve been lying to for months. To help someone who could be a threat,” I shot back.

His lips curved upward. “A threat? One girl, a threat to a group that’s been around for centuries.”

“They didn’t stop looking until I was found—”

“If you were that big a threat, you really think you’d still be alive? Sure, they don’t like loose ends, which is why they wanted you found. But if they thought you were a threat, you wouldn’t be here now. No matter how badly my baby brother loves you. If you get caught doing something like what you did today, your cozy little life is going to be gone.”

My heart pounded as chills raced down my body. “You’re saying that to scare me.”

“You think so? Alex doesn’t have the pull you might think he does. If they want you gone, it will happen,” he threatened.

“You never answered me. About being a part of your group,” I said, trying to shift the conversation.

He was silent, looking like he was internally fighting what he wanted to say.

“What do you think, Sage? You think I’ve changed and I’m a good person now? After what I was a part of?” he asked quietly.

I sucked in my breath. The last thing I expected was for him to bring that up.

“We’re not talking—”

His shadow fell over me before his hand caught my chin. He pulled my face up until I was staring right into his eyes. The eyes that a second ago were filled with rage now looked sad and curious.

“Everything I’ve done has been for my family. For the group. It’s how I was raised. It was all I ever knew. I was ready to do what was expected of me. But ever since that night, I’ve been questioning everything. I thought that feeling would go away. But you. You make me think about it. You make me want to set it right. So, I want you to tell me. Have I changed?” His eyes searched mine. “Can you ever fully trust me? Or forgive me for the part I played in Lacey’s death? Or the fact that I can’t completely turn my back on my family?”

I didn’t move as I processed his words. He had never been so honest. So open. I didn’t know if it was the alcohol that had made him say it or if it had just been building since this had all started.

All these months, I had been hiding. Staying alive to get justice for my sister. Sometimes I would feel a stabbing jolt because when I noticed I was enjoying myself with Niko, I’d remember why I was with him. Guilt always invaded me with those thoughts. Because I looked at him differently from his family. He helped me. Kept me sane while living in this house with Alex. I felt safe when he was here.

The goal of taking down the society was still very much alive. But somehow, in the past few months, I had separated Niko from the society.

“I don’t know,” I answered softly, not knowing what else to say. “My feelings for you are so confusing, Niko.”

The pain that shot through his face was quickly masked as he ripped his hand away from my face. A rush of guilt surged through me, but I ignored it. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to him, but at the same time, the society needed to be exposed.

“My parents aren’t dumb enough to keep stuff in their house. No point in trying that again,” he said gruffly before he took another shot. The honest moment was over.

“I’m done drinking,” I muttered, trying to ease the tension between us.

I caught sight of a small grin before he turned away.

“Good.”

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