Page 97 of Ravaged By a Devil

My name on her lips is like a seductive song and I know I’m so close. I can’t hold on like I should, it’s too much for me right now. She’s so wet, so tight, I can’t…

I tweak her nipples with my fingers and she freezes before melting in my arms, her body jerking as goosebumps pepper her creamy skin. Seeing her in the throes of her orgasm, I surrender myself to mine.

We hold each other close as the pleasure washes over us, our breathing labored. Moments later, she takes my hand and pulls me into the shower stall. The steam fills the room as we step under the cascading water together.

Alexis takes the soap and a washcloth, her hands working in slow, gentle motions over my body. Carefully, meticulously, she washes the remaining dark, dried blood from my knuckles, my neck, and my chest, watching the red trail down the drain until there is nothing left of the monster but me.

I stand there in absolute silence, watching her through the steam with a tightening chest.

She isn't looking away from what I did tonight. She isn't flinching or pretending the violent life I lead doesn't exist. She isn't just tolerating my world anymore, bound to me out of fear or necessity.

Alexis has chosen me—standing right in the middle of the dark, looking straight at the blood on my hands, and choosing to stay anyway.

I’m still in bed with Alexis the next morning, her soft body curled warm against my side in the quiet dawn light, when my phone buzzes on the nightstand.

It's Ezekiel. I answer, keeping my voice low. "Talk to me."

"I need you at my place right now, Cain," Ezekiel's sharp tone cuts through the speaker. "It's urgent. Don't waste time."

He hangs up before I can react.

With a sigh, I turn to Alexis as she stirs beside me. I gently trace a thumb over her cheek, kissing her forehead to wake her gently. "I have to step out, doll. Ezekiel needs me at his place. I'll be back as soon as I can."

She nods sleepily, her hand resting over mine before letting go. I pull on clean clothes, grab my keys, and head straight to my car, driving through the morning streets toward Ezekiel’s estate.

When I walk into his private study, Ezekiel, Malachi, Levi and Elijah are already standing over a large map laid out across the desk, their expressions lethal.

"What do we have?" I ask, stepping up to the desk.

"One of my top informants inside Devlin's inner circle just came through," Elijah says, pointing a finger at a highlighted marker on the map. "Nolan is pulling his remaining loyal soldiers together. They're gathering at an old Devlin riverfront estate just outside the city perimeter."

Ezekiel leans over the table, his eyes dark with grim focus.

"Large crates of heavy weapons and high-grade ammunition are being moved in as we speak. The informant says Brendan and Lachlan are both expected to join him there by tonight."

I stare at the map, my jaw tightening as the picture becomes clear. "He isn't going into hiding."

"No," Ezekiel agrees, looking up at me. "He knows we're closing in on his operations. Nolan isn't fortifying a hideout—he’s mobilizing for a war. He’s planning one final, massive attack on us before we can strip away the rest of his strength."

"That’s not a threat," I say, my voice dropping into a cold, dangerous calm as I lean over the map. "He’s giving us a gift."

My brothers look at me as I point directly at the riverfront estate.

"Think about it," I continue, my eyes locking onto my brothers'. "Nolan, Brendan, Lachlan, and every last soldier still dumb enough to take their money—all gathered in one single, isolated location outside the city limits. No civilians. No city council eyes. No place for them to run once we hit them. This is the exact opportunity we've been waiting for."

Elijah slowly nods, a dark, vicious grin spreading across his face. "He’s practically lined them up for us on a silver platter."

"We don't play defense," Ezekiel says, his knuckles whitening as he leans heavy on the mahogany desk. "If Nolan wants a war, we bring it directly to his front door. Once Brendan and Lachlan step foot inside that estate tonight, we seal the perimeter. Not a single Devlin leaves that riverfront alive."

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

ALEXIS

The morning sun spills warm and lazy across the duvet, trapping me in that peaceful, half-awake fog. The scent of Cain still lingers on the sheets, thick and comforting, and I stretch out, letting myself sink into the quiet safety of his bedroom.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, vibrating against the dark wood.

I roll over, reaching out to check the screen. Grandma Milly. A fond smile touches my lips as I swipe the screen to accept the call and press the receiver against my ear.