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Maddoc’s eyes flash. “It’s gonna be him or us.”
I meet his gaze and give him a sharp nod, understanding passing between us. Only one of those options is acceptable. Us.
Whatever it fucking takes.
14
RILEY
Him or us.
Those words hit me so hard I have to push back from the counter for a second, worried I might throw up if I try to eat the delicious-smelling omelet Logan just made for me.
Not that this is the first time I’ve realized how much danger we’re in. It isn’t. But it’s a cold, hard dose of reality after letting myself get lost in the warmth and safety of being home, beingloved, last night.
It’s also the first time I’ve felt like I have so much to lose.
“If Austin wins this fight, this war—” I start.
“He won’t,” Maddoc says, cutting me off sharply.
“Eat,” Logan adds, all the feelings he and I still haven’t named to each other coming through in the single, flat word.
He pushes my plate closer, and I scoot the tall stool back toward the counter, knowing it’s his way of caring for me, a counterbalance to the pain we both thrive on.
I force myself to pick up my fork as the men continue to discuss the war looming on the horizon. The one where Austin has all the firepower and resources my inheritance can buy.
“We need to incentivize some of our relationships in the warehouse district,” Maddoc says, rattling off some names and locations that seem to mean something to Dante and Logan.
“I’ll talk to Ruiz about getting the 17th Street Gang to help us fortify a perimeter,” Dante says. “Not sure he'll go for it, but it's worth trying.”
Logan’s lips turn down, his voice tight. “His gang is already spread thin. We’ll need to supply them with weapons if Austin…”
I tune out the details for a moment, panic rising in my chest. I hate this fucking feeling. I want to be angry, not scared, but part of admitting my feelings for these three men means realizing how devastated I’ll be if we lose.
If I losethem.
But the time I spent as Austin’s captive and the callous way he and his men treated me speaks to a level of ruthlessness that’s shaken me more than I want to admit.
I’ll do whatever it takes to help defeat him, to help the Reapers wipe West Point from Halston’s streets. I just wish I felt more confident that we’ll be able to stand against him now that he has the power to do basically whatever he wants.
The thought makes my stomach turn, and I choke on the bite of eggs I just took. All three men immediately snap their attention to me, their conversation pausing in a way that tells me more than anything else how much I mean to them.
I recover as quickly as I can, taking a deep breath and schooling my features. I don’t need them worrying about me more than they already do. I want to help, not be a hindrance.
“Everything okay, princess?” Dante asks, cocking his head to the side and studying me intently.
“I’m fine,” I lie, offering a weak smile and forcing myself to take another bite of the omelet I can barely taste.
Maddoc shakes his head. “You might be fine now, but you weren’t fine a few seconds ago.” He pauses, then nods. “It’s West Point. Talking about them upsets you.”
“Their existence upsets me,” I snap, then put down my fork when I realize my hand is shaking. I take a breath. “Sorry,” I say, only half meaning it.
I’m not sorry I let my anger and fear show, I’m just sorry it came across as lashing out at them. But I’m done covering up the way I feel around these three men who would literally give their lives to protect me, and the way Maddoc’s gaze softens for a moment, I know he doesn’t expect me to.
It’s Dante who breaks the tension, though. “We all are, princess,” he says with a low chuckle. “So let’s figure out how to fucking end it, yeah?”
“I’d like that,” I say softly. “They…”
