Baring my teeth, my attempt at biting him only earns me a dark, sordid chuckle that sends fear racing down my spine. His hold on me is so tight, my lungs struggle to work. And when he finally sets me down, he spins me so fast, I’m dizzy. My back hits a tree trunk and that’s when I come face to face with the dark mask that’s peering down at me.
My mistake is to open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Instead, my kidnapper slides his thumb along my lower lip, dipping it onto my tongue and pressing down hard. He leans in, his body pressing mine against the trunk, causing it to bite into my back.
I bite down on his thumb, and another dark rumble vibrates through his chest. Either he can’t feel the pain, or he enjoys it. My blood turns to ice when I look up into eyes that hold me hostage.
“Now what do we have here?” he coos into the mask before he tugs at the material and I’m met with a man who’s breathtakingly handsome, but there’s a sadistic glint in his eye. “I didn’t think I’d find something so delicious when I came out for a run tonight.”
He tugs his thumb from my mouth, and I let out a scream while praying Finn and Jarred hear me. “Do you always run with a mask?”
“Only when I’m hoping to find something delicious to satiate my hunger,” he says darkly, while his eyes trail over my face then to my lips, where they linger for a moment too long. There’s no doubt this man must be Creed Haven.
“Let me go, please,” I say, my voice breaking as fear takes hold of me. I know he’s known Finn for most of his life, but Finn never said they were friends.
“Why would I do that?” he questions, while tipping his head to the side.
“I’m Finn’s fiancée,” I blurt out, praying with all I have that he considers the man I’m going to marry somewhat of a friend. Even if they don’t like each other; hopefully, there is something human in him.
I’m about to make my case when I hear my salvation. “Creed,” Finn’s voice cuts through the darkness, and he appears like a mirage in the desert. “Leave her.” There’s a moment in time when I think Creed will refuse Finn. I see the war etched on his face. He wants me, but he knows that it won’t end here. Finn will kill him. Of that I have no doubt. The two words linger in the air long after Finn spoke them.
I hold my breath.
My pulse spikes when Creed runs his index finger over my lips once more before he pushes away from the tree. He steps back and turns to Finn. “Good to see you again, Thorne,” he says as he nears Finn. “You’ve got yourself quite a firecracker there.”
“I do. She’s mine.” The possession in Finn’s voice is nothing short of caveman-like. Both men stare each other down. Jarred stands to the side, but he doesn’t come to me. It doesn’t take long before Creed offers a wave and races into the darkness, his form disappearing quickly.
“So that’s Creed Haven,” I mumble, trying to break the tension.
“Did he hurt you?” Finn is on me in seconds. The fear that flickers in his stare is heartwarming.
“No,” I tell him. “I’m fine. He scared me a little, but other than that, he didn’t do anything else.” Thankfully, I add silently.
Both men tangle their fingers with mine. “I’m taking you home,” Finn says.
“I think you need a shower, and we can calm you down after that,” Jarred promises, and my body reacts as my pussy pulses with the need to be filled.
“It was fun,” I add, hoping to lighten the mood. Even in the dark, I can tell Finn and Jarred are tense. I’m sure it’s because of Creed. They clearly don’t trust him, but thankfully, they seem to be on speaking terms. If they weren’t, tonight could have gone a lot differently.
“There’s more fun to be had inside,” Jarred says with a wink. But Finn is silent. He doesn’t say anything else as we make our way into the house and to Finn’s bedroom. It’s in the shower that he pins me against the wall and grips my neck.
His long fingers wrap around the column, squeezing until I can no longer pull in air. His mouth is on mine the next second, and his tongue licks at my lips, his teeth grazing the flesh as he bites down hard on my lower lip. The sting of pain skitters through me, zapping every nerve-ending all the way down to my pussy, causing my clit to throb with desire.
And, once again, he makes the promise in a deep, husky tone, murmuring against my mouth, “Ours.”
25
FINN
When I reach the kitchen, I find Damien and Cassian sitting at the table, both with a mug of coffee in front of them. The girls aren’t here yet, but they’ll be down shortly, and I needed to talk to my brothers in private.
“What’s up?” I keep my voice light, but there is tension coursing through my veins.
“You’re chipper for someone about to join a secret cult that Dad never told us about,” Damien says, sitting back in his chair. He hasn’t aged at all. He still looks like he’s in his twenties. But there is a cool calmness that he has always exuded, and it’s present now.
“What can I say? I’m always game for anything,” I tell them with a grin, putting on the mask I’ve worn around them for years. For all my life, if I’m being honest.
“How is your fiancée?” Cassian questions, his teal eyes on me. He’s always been the quiet, silent type. One who observes rather than speaks.
“She’s fine.” I know I can’t put this off any longer, so I slip into the chair beside Damien and flick my gaze between my brothers. “But there is something I needed to talk to you both about,” I say, my voice tight with anxiety.
“Yeah?”
“I hope this has nothing to do with you leaving Thorne Haven. Dad mentioned that—”
“This is personal,” I interrupt Damien. “I… There’s been something I have kept from you both, and it’s time you knew.”
“Oh god,” Cassian groans, leaning back in his chair and arching a dark brow. “You haven’t fantasized about one of our women, have you?” For a second, I think he’s serious, but then he laughs. “I’m kidding. What’s up?”
I sigh, while rolling my eyes. Since he’s been with Kalyn, he’s been a different man. “Well,” I start slowly, “I’ve been seeing someone.”
“Okay?” Damien’s tone is filled with confusion.
“It’s been going on for a while, and I haven’t told anyone because I was afraid.” Emotion clogs my throat, the lump suffocating me.
“Dude, spit it out,” Cass tells me.
“I’m… I’m bisexual,” I finally spit the confession out into the room. “I’m bisexual.” I don’t know why I say it again, but I do. And it feels good.
“Is that it?” Cass’s question has me snapping a nervous gaze to him. “Brother,” he says, “I don’t care who you love, fuck, or want, you’re still a Thorne. You’re my brother.”
“What he said,” Damien tells me. “You’re blood. Nothing you say or do can change that. We are always here for you.”