Page 18 of Ravage
“Everything on that island was a lie. She wasn’t real! You’re protecting the memory of a girl who never existed in the first place,” he snaps back coldly.
Kellan’s hands tighten on my wrists. I don’t think he realizes he’s done it. It’s an involuntary reaction to what Dane’s saying that speaks volumes to where he stands.
“What if she’s here to kill one of us next?” Dane adds angrily. “She was willing to kill my sister, after all.”
Aiden’s tone is firm when he answers without hesitation, “Then, I’ll handle it.”
I already know none of that is true. She looked ready to run when she saw me. And she killed the GE recruiter instead of saving him. I’d bet she’s been fighting them all this time like we have.
I don’t bother saying anything when their minds are already made up. I’m going to find out why she killed Vera on the island and what happened in the years since then. I doubt they’ll listen until I have that.
There’s a stretch of silence where I’m sure there’s a stare-down happening between them, but Kellan’s bulky frame blocks my view.
Dane makes a noise of frustration and drops back onto the couch.
Aiden picks up where he left off. “Jackson, will you be able to handle getting her to leave, or do I need to do it?”
I know he's hoping to keep it a secret that the rest of us are here, but he also knows how obsessed I’ve been with her since we were kids. All of us wanted her back then, and we each fought for her attention in different ways.
I'm the only one who never let go.
Kellan looks at me, and I can see the conflicting emotions battling in his eyes before he locks it down to his default devil-may-care attitude. I shove at him, driving the blades further into him to get him to back off of me, but he just grins at me. “Or maybe I should do it?”
Prick.
As if I would risk them actually scaring her away when I just found her.
I smirk at him. “I’ll talk to her. Now. Get. Off.”
He pulls back, and the knives, which are still in my grip, slide out of him. I wipe them on my hoodie and slip them back into place. His wounds are already healing and turning a hard gold when I move past him and the others to the balcony. I start my controlled descent from balcony to balcony until I can make it to the roof of the nearest building.
There’s no chance of me hanging around the Loft now that Raegan’s name has been dropped, so I’ll have to go to the safe house for a shower and change of clothes before I check in on her again.
Not to threaten her away from the city like they want. Little do they know I brought her here, though I’m sure Aiden suspects it. He thinks time and what happened on the island may have changed my mind about her. I haven’t spoken a word about her since we left the island to give him a reason to believe otherwise, but the idea of me growing out of my obsession is laughable. It’s stronger than ever with the years lost between us that I need to catch up on like I need air to breathe.
At least tonight confirmed that Aiden doesn’t want to hurt her, even if Dane does. My little one won’t be scared away by Aiden or Kellan if she has a mission in this city, so their threats mean nothing so long as Dane is left out of it.
I just need to earn her trust before then.
Chapter six
Raegan
The thumping of the bass in the nightclub echoes in my chest and vibrates down to my feet. I close my eyes and smile as my body becomes a part of the music, and my muscles twitch with the need to dance and drink the rest of my night away.
But I have business to deal with before I can let loose.
The bar is long and translucent, so the lights bouncing off the walls and floor are reflected across the counter in various colors. Four people are working behind it when I squeeze into a tight space and lean forward to make eye contact with the closest one. She’s small and skinny, with the top of her dark hair pinned up in two messy buns and the rest of it flowing down to her lower back. There’s glitter on every inch of exposed skin, which is everywhere except her nipples and ass, that sparkles under the lights.
When I catch her attention, her entire face lights up with a smile like the world is made of unicorns and rainbows. The saturation of innocence around her stuns me for a moment.
“What can I get for you?” Her voice is sweet and soft but somehow loud enough I can still hear her over the music and crowd around us.
“I need to see Elias. He told me I could find him here.”
“Oh, of course!” Her smile somehow brightens, and I decide this must be what it looks like if someone grows up in bubble wrap. Is it bad that I’m torn between wanting to protect that and pop it at the same time?
She points further into the club and then angles her finger back. “His office is down there and to the left. Take the stairs up, and he’ll be the last door at the end of the hallway.” Then she looks me up and down. I’d normally snap back at her for it, but there’s no judgment in her gaze. She’s not sizing me up or picking apart my appearance. Just taking me in. Not so different from Elias when I woke up this morning. “Do you want me to make you a drink to take with you?”
