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One by one the doors closed. Hunter was the first to move, his gun aimed by his side as he moved toward the house and pressed the buttons to unlock the doors before moving in. We were taking no chances, not anymore. Hale was getting desperate, sending his army of honed killers after us, desperate to take out as many of us as he could.
Because that’s just what pathetic, weak, vile men like him did. But he wouldn’t win…not now…not anymore. We were gathering an army of our own, one that had a lot more at stake.
Hunter disappeared inside. Riven followed, his own weapon raised and ready, leaving Kane, Helene, and me outside. I didn’t like it. Not standing here waiting for someone else to protect and control. I was tired of being a passenger, tired of being the one to be protected instead of the one protecting. I gripped the heavy cross in my hand. The one I’d taken from my room as a reminder of the kind of man I was…the one I now used as a weapon as I headed for the door of the house.
“Thom.” Kane called my name as I pushed the door wider and stepped inside.
But I didn’t answer, just headed deeper into the darkness. My senses were more alive than they’ve ever been in my entire life. There was no panic now, no anxiety. No constant drone of the repetitive words and phrases in my head, beating me into submission. There was just action now, the breath filling my lungs, the heavy weight of the cross…and that hunger that burned white hot inside me.
This was who I was, the man who stepped into the house, listening to the weight of Hunter’s steps above him, and felt the undeniable thirst of rage.
“Brother.” Riven called in the dark. “Everything okay?”
I met his dark, empty stare and stilled. For a long time, I’d seen Riven as damaged, corrupt, and ruined from that fateful night our sister had been taken. But now, standing in front of him in the murky gloom, I saw him more clearly than I ever had in my entire life. He wasn’t corrupt, or damaged. He was…selfless.
A memory resurrected. That day at The Order when Coulter’s man had found Helene and tried to rape her. I’d fought as hard as I could, but I was hurt and weak, spiritually more than physically. I’d had a distorted sense of right and wrong and through that lens, I’d seen my brother as he attacked with savage ferocity, wrapped his arm around the guard’s neck, and choked the life from him without a second of hesitation.
“Thank you,” I answered. “I don’t think I’ve ever said that.”
Lights came on overhead, and the sound of footsteps from the others grew closer. I didn’t have to turn around to know they were all there listening.
“For what?” Riven shook his head slowly. “You’ve got nothing to thank me for. In fact, you should hate me for the things I’ve put you through.”
The brutal hand of London St. James.
The attack of the Sons.
The neverending fight…for survival.
I stepped closer and grabbed his shoulder. “And yet, here we still stand.”
He scowled, pain flaring behind his unmerciful stare of anger.
“Here we still stand,” Hunter echoed.
“Here we stand,” Kane followed.
“Here…we stand,” Helene murmured, moving closer. She curled her hand around my arm, then ran her other along Riven’s.
Need rose inside me, seething and aching. My balls tightened as I looked from her to him. Her breath caught as she met my gaze and then turned to him, slid her hand around the back of his neck, and pulled him close. The kiss took me by surprise, not because he grabbed her and pushed her backwards until she pressed against the wall. But because I was suddenly aroused by the intensity of them, by the way he gently gripped her throat, forcing her head backward by the pressure of his thumb under her jaw, and the way she released a moan, giving herself completely into him.
I moved before I realized it, tugging her shirt upwards until it dragged over the swell of her breast. I couldn’t stop myself as I yanked down the cup of her bra and lowered my head. Warmth brushed across my lips as I opened them, drawing her nipple inside my mouth.
“Oh…God,” She moaned.
Then Kane was there, moving to her other side, reaching around Riven to turn her mouth to his. He kissed her, taking her completely.
“Maybe we should,” Hunter moaned, “take this upstairs.”
I licked her nipple, feeling the soft flesh tighten and pucker.
“You want that, Trouble?” Riven urged.
“Yes.” Her answer was a rush. “Yes, I want that.”
Riven lifted her, allowing her to wrap those long legs around his waist as he carried her back through the house and up the stairs. The thud, thud, thud of his boots echoed before the rest of us turned and followed.
With each step, we moved faster, until we were taking the stairs two at a time, until we all stopped at the entrance to Riven’s room. Helene pulled her shirt over her head, then reached around and unhooked her bra.
