Chapter 14
Rev
I grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white, foot pressing the accelerator closer to the floor.
The SUV roars down the empty road, streetlights flashing past in rhythmic pulses.
Beside me, Kai stares out the window, his profile sharp against the darkness, one leg bouncing with barely contained energy, his fingers drumming an erratic rhythm against his armrest.
"Slow down before you kill us both," he mutters, but there's no real force behind it. He's just as worried as I am.
"She wasn't there when we woke up," I say through gritted teeth, taking a curve too fast. "She hasn't slept properly in days. What the fuck was she thinking?"
The text message had come through twenty minutes ago—coordinates to the overlook with a simple message: She's safe. I'm with her.
No explanation. Just those coordinates and five words that did nothing to calm the rage building inside me since I woke to cold sheets where our girl should have been.
"Hudson said she's safe—"
"Safe now, maybe. But going out alone, in her condition? After everything that's happened?" I cut him off, fear gnawing at my gut.
"You know how she gets," Kai replies, running a hand through his hair. "When she's like this, she can't sit still. Can't process from a distance. She has to see, has to touch."
I know he's right, but it doesn't make me any less furious. The past few days have been a nightmare—the overdoses, the sabotage at the Playground, the fire at the coffee shop. Someone's systematically targeting everything we've built, and Rylan's response is to throw herself headfirst into danger.
The road winds upward as we approach the overlook.
It's a secluded spot with a view of the entire city, far enough from civilization that we've used it for private conversations that couldn't happen elsewhere.
In the distance, I can see the lights of our empire spread out below, beautiful and vulnerable.
"There," Kai points as we round the final bend. His motorcycle is parked near the edge, gleaming under the moonlight.
I pull the SUV alongside it and kill the engine. We're both out of the vehicle before the echo of the engine dies, scanning the area. The bike is empty, no sign of Hudson or Rylan.
"Where the hell—" I begin, but Kai grabs my arm, pointing toward a cluster of trees about twenty yards away.
That's when I spot them. Hudson is sitting with his back against a large oak, looking out over the city. And cradled in his arms, head resting against his chest, is Rylan. Even from this distance, I can see the steady rise and fall of her chest as she sleeps.
Something in me unclenches at the sight, anger giving way to relief so profound it's almost dizzying. I approach them quietly, Kai following close behind.
Hudson looks up as we near, his expression guarded. He doesn't move, careful not to disturb Rylan's sleep.
"Thanks for sending us the message," I say, keeping my voice low as I crouch down beside them. I brush a strand of teal hair from Rylan's face, noting the peaceful expression that's been absent for too long. "How'd you manage this miracle?"
Hudson's mouth quirks in what might be a smile. "I may have helped her reach the end of her rope."
I notice the faint bruising around her throat then, the small marks peeking out from beneath her chin. The scent hits me next—sex and sweat, them, mingled together. I'm not surprised. We've seen this building for years, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife.
"She's going to be furious with you when she wakes up," I observe, running my thumb lightly over her cheek.
Hudson gives a half-shrug that speaks volumes. "Don't care. As long as she gets some fucking sleep, I can take her fury."
I grin, unable to help myself. "I bet you can.
" My eyes flick meaningfully to the marks on her skin, the rumpled state of her clothes, the way her body fits against his like she belongs there.
Not that we care—hell, we were the ones to encourage it in the first place.
Some things need to burn themselves out, and the fire between these two has been smoldering for too long.
Kai crouches on Hudson's other side, his expression a mix of amusement and concern. "How long has she been out?"
"About half an hour," Hudson replies, his arm tightening slightly around her sleeping form. "Dead to the world the moment she went under."
"You know she's going to try to kill you for that little trick," Kai says, though there's no heat in his voice. "She hates feeling vulnerable."
"Let her try," Hudson murmurs, his eyes dropping to Rylan's face with an expression that makes my chest tighten. It's the same way Kai and I look at her—like she's the center of our universe, like we'd burn the world to ash to keep her safe.
"Did she see the coffee shop?" I ask, settling more comfortably on the ground.
Hudson nods grimly. "That's where I found her. She was about to cross the police line when I intercepted her."
"And you brought her here instead of home?" Kai raises an eyebrow.
"She needed to break," Hudson says simply. "Somewhere away from everything. Somewhere she could let go without worrying about appearances."
I understand immediately. Rylan never allows herself to be weak in our territory—not where others might see, not where it might undermine the image we've carefully constructed. Out here, miles from the city, she could finally surrender to the exhaustion that's been dogging her for days.
"Smart," I acknowledge. "We should get her home, though. She'll be more comfortable in her own bed."
Hudson hesitates, looking down at her sleeping form. "I don't want to wake her. She needs this."
There's a protectiveness in his voice that I recognize—it's the same fierce devotion that drives Kai and me. It should make me jealous, this man holding what's ours, but instead, it feels right. Like a piece clicking into place that we didn't know was missing.
"We'll carry her to the car," I decide, standing up. "You can ride with her in the back seat. Kai will take his bike."
Kai nods his agreement, already heading toward the motorcycle. Hudson rises carefully, cradling Rylan against his chest. She stirs slightly but doesn't wake, her face pressing into his neck as if seeking his warmth even in sleep.
As we walk back to the SUV, I can't help but study them.
The way his arms cradle her so securely, the way her body fits against his like she was made to be there.
She is so tiny against him. There's something primal in the sight, something that satisfies a part of me I didn't know needed satisfying.
"You did good," I tell him as he slides into the back seat, still holding her. "With her. And with all of this. We couldn't have handled it without you."
He looks up, surprise flashing across his face before his expression settles back into its usual stoic mask. "Just doing my job."
I laugh softly, shaking my head. "No, you're not. And we all know it."
I close the door before he can respond, circling around to the driver's side. Through the window, I can see him adjusting his position, making sure Rylan is comfortable against him. His hand strokes her hair in a gesture so tender it makes my chest ache.
As I start the engine, I catch Kai's eye in the side mirror. He's already on the bike, watching the scene in the back seat with the same knowing expression I feel on my own face.
We've been sharing Rylan for years, Kai and I. But something tells me our duo is about to become a trio, and I'm okay with that. More than okay.
Because anyone who looks at our girl the way Hudson does—like she's simultaneously the most precious and most dangerous thing in his world—deserves a place in our fucked-up little family.
I put the SUV in drive, heading back toward the city that's tried so hard to break us. Let them try. With the four of us united, they don't stand a chance.
As we descend from the overlook, Rylan stirs in Hudson's arms, her eyes fluttering open briefly. She looks disoriented for a moment, then her gaze locks with Hudson's. I watch in the rearview mirror as confusion gives way to recognition, then anger.
"You bastard," she murmurs, but there's no real heat behind it. Her voice is thick with sleep, her movements sluggish as she tries to sit up.
"Go back to sleep, sweetheart," Hudson says softly, his hand continuing its gentle stroking of her hair. "We're taking you home."
She blinks slowly, her gaze drifting to the front seat where she spots me watching her in the mirror. "Rev?"
"Right here, little bit," I confirm. "Kai's on the bike behind us. Everything's under control. Just rest. Please."
She seems to consider arguing for a moment, but at my ‘please’ she lets the exhaustion win out. Her eyes drift closed again, her body relaxing back against Hudson's chest. The last thing I hear before she succumbs to sleep again is a whispered, "Still gonna kill you when I wake up."
Hudson's soft laugh fills the car. "I'm counting on it."