“It’s not your fault.”
“Brie, I need you to know that Sin suffered for what he did to Sasha. We didn’t go easy on him either.”
I frown at his words. “I don’t understand.”
He leads me over to the sofa and urges me to sit. I don’t, so he continues anyway.
“Rav was fucking furious—we all were at what Sin did to Sasha. He died slowly and painfully and if I’d known what he did to you, I would have flayed him myself.”
I jolt at his words, all the air getting stuck in my lungs. “Sin’s dead?”
“Yeah, baby. Has been for weeks.”
I take this news in, not sure how to digest the fact that the man who has haunted my waking moments is gone. I’ll never have to see him again, to face him or be afraid of him. I should feel guilty he’s dead, but I don’t. I don’t feel anything.
I peer up at Daimon and I smile. “Tell me how he died.”
19
Daimon
I peer down at her, not sure if telling her the gruesome details of his death will bring her closure or nightmares. I don’t want to pile more hurt onto her plate, but if I can ease even a fraction of her burden, I will. I’m not sure learning the truth will help with that, though.
I make a snap decision, deciding it’s best she doesn’t know what evil we inflicted on a man who we once called ‘brother’.
“Ain’t going to tell you the gory details, baby. I know you think you want them, but hearing it will change you.”
The disappointment in her eyes flays me. I don’t want to let her down, ever, but this is something I need to protect her from.
“I need to know, Daimon.” There’s desperation in her voice that feels like a kick to the balls.
I scrub a hand over my chin. This shit ain’t that simple. It’s club business—it’s Rav’s business—and it’s a dark sordid part of the Sons’ history that I don’t want to wade through. What we did to Sin was gruesome, cold, calculated and deserved. It’s something I didn’t think I’d ever be revisiting.
I rub her arms, relishing the feel of her skin against mine. I need the contact, need to reassure her and myself that I’m doing the right thing by denying her this last closure.
I sigh. “All you need to know is he didn’t go quick. For every hurt he put on Sash, we gave him that back.”
Images flash across my vision of us slicing at his exposed skin, of watching the blood pour down his flesh as he cried for us to stop. We didn’t. Not even Ravage heeded those pleas, just as he never gave a thought to Sasha asking him to stop, to Briella.
She must have been fucking terrified when that animal cornered her. Rav’s brother, a high-ranking member of the club, she must have truly believed she wouldn’t be listened to if she came forward. Before this shit happened with Sasha, I’m not sure she would have been. Our loyalty is first and foremost to our club brothers. Sin was a brother—one I would never have believed capable of rape. Now, I know he’s forced himself on two women I love and that’s shredding me.
“Daimon!” The frustration in her voice sticks in my throat like a claw.
“Ain’t telling you more than that, baby.”
She huffs and flops onto the sofa, her arms folding over her chest. The action pushes her tits up, which I try not to focus on, but I’m only fucking human.
“Ain’t doing this shit to piss you off,” I tell her. “You’ve been through enough, ain’t looking to add to that. What happened to Sin… it was brutal. That’s all you need to know. It’s all I’m going to tell you too. Just know we took vengeance. He suffered, baby. We made sure of it.”
Her big eyes watch me for a moment. “Sit with me.”
I frown at her, not sure it’s a good idea, not sure I can keep my hands to myself if I’m that close to her.
“Please, Daimon.”
I can’t resist that plea. She surprises the fuck out of me by reaching for the remote control before she snuggles against my side.
I feel like a teenage boy, unsure where the fuck to put my hands, but after a moment, I wrap an arm around her and pull her against my side. She wants this and if she wants it, I’m more than willing to give it to her. Hell, I’ll give her the fucking moon on a stick if she asks for it.
Brie puts some shit action flick on, and for the first time in a long time, I’m able to breathe freely. Having her against me unlocks the pain in my chest, makes me feel things I shouldn’t feel.
“I’m sorry,” she says after a while of silence.
“You don’t have shit to be sorry for.”
She moves so she can look at me. “I caused you and Levi to fight.”
“That ain’t on you.”
She peers up at my face, which is probably starting to bruise. “Does it hurt?”
The skin feels like it’s starting to tighten and my jaw is burning a little, but I shake my head. “I’ve had worse.”
Her eyes soften at my words. She knows about my past, she knows what my father was like, because hers was just as bad. If he hadn’t taught me how to take a beating, my time with the Sons had.
“I hate that for you,” she says, her voice quiet.
“You don’t need to feel bad for me, baby. I’ve got a good life now. The Sons gave me that.”
She twitches a little in my arms at the mention of the club and my stomach fills with lead. I brush her hair out of her face.
“Don’t want you scared of the club.”
“I’m not,” she whispers.
“Baby, I know you have reason to be afraid, considering what happened to you, but that shit’ll never happen again. I fucking swear to you.”
“You can’t make that promise.”
“Yeah, Brie, I fucking can. We ain’t good men, but there’s some lines even we won’t cross. We don’t hurt women, ever. What that cunt did to you can’t be undone, but the club ain’t bad. We just had a bad seed in it, that’s all. Sin’s gone. Ain’t ever coming back either. No one will touch you again, not while I have breath in my body. Do you trust me?”
Her beautiful eyes crawl over my face, as if trying to see the truth of my words. I don’t know if she finds what she’s looking for, but she leans forward.
“Yeah, Daimon. I trust you.”
Leaning forwards, I press her mouth to mine. She lets me take her, her body sinking against mine as her tongue timidly flicks out to meet mine. I lick across the seam of her mouth and gain entrance inside, taking control. I shouldn’t be fucking kissing her, not after what she revealed, but I need this as much as she clearly does. Since I found out about the rape my skin has been prickling like fire is licking up my body. She’s the water that can douse the flames, and she does. Already, I feel more at ease, more relaxed and when her hands snake up under my kutte to the skin of my back, I take a needed breath. She loosens all the tension in my chest, lets the air move in and out of my lungs freely.
I kiss her like she’s my reason for existing, and she kisses back with as much fervour. I don’t want to go too fast with her, but my control isn’t iron-clad. I tangle my fingers in her hair, wanting to drag her closer, but knowing I need to take things slow, at her pace. The groan against my mouth tells me she’s into it, so I pull her head back, deepening out kiss and I take her mouth, feeling need, desire, want race through me.