Page 169 of Forged in the Fire
And I was not a good man.
A swell of possessiveness rushed in, something that verged on irate as every last Crow standing around the fire took note.
It wasn’t like I could blame them.
She was a flash of lightning striking on parched land. A storm rolling in to quench a ten-year drought.
Trevan’s attention cut to Elena, exactly the way it was supposed to, and he stood, already lumbering her way.
He wasn’t only my second in command when it came to the MC. He was second in command at watching over my sister.
Charged with her safety in the moments I couldn’t be near her, an obligation I’d given him after she’d been rescued from Kent Ellison’s clutches.
One he took fucking seriously. Always watching and hovering close.
Elena pulled away from where she was tacked to Brinley’s side and instead grabbed her hand and pulled her into the fray of men and women already devolving into depravity.
The party slanting toward unruly.
Styx fingering some chick where he sat at a picnic table while another was on her knees sucking his dick.
A few others were scattered about clearly deteriorating in that direction.
My cock hardened at the thought of Brinley doing the same.
Getting on her knees right out in front of everyone so they would know she was mine, all while I wanted to gouge out their goddamn eyes if they caught sight of her doing it.
No one could say I was being rational.
From over the fire, I watched as a few of my men moved up to Brinley, checking on her, gruff assholes still exerting their care.
“Thank fuck she’s okay,” Brody rumbled before he moved in her direction, ducking into a cooler on his way and extending it to her like a peace offering.
Something heavy clouded him, even though I could see him trying to front his easy, arrogant smile.
She accepted the bottle, and I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but Brinley’s gorgeous face was all pinched up in gratitude.
I hated that Brody’d had to draw blood, but I knew full well that venom already pumped through Brody’s veins.
It was coming.
Inevitable.
They say you can leave, but you are always where you came from.
And I was going to have to accept that he was cursed like the rest of us.
Brinley suddenly lunged for Brody, hugging him tight before she stepped back and tried to straighten herself out, unable to believe she’d allowed herself to expose her vulnerability that way.
The fear and horror I knew still clung on, acting like all was good as she cracked her beer and brought the rim of the bottle to her lips.
Those lush, distracting lips.
Fuck, I couldn’t sit still for a second longer. I needed to put an end to this. Command she and Elena go home.
This wasn’t the place for them tonight.
Not any night.
