12. Lia
Chapter twelve
Lia
The music is something no one in the world has heard before, and it’s a masterpiece. Ryn sent me her new songs a few days ago, and I’m completely in love with the one called Yearning. I feel like she ripped out my heart and laid it bare for all to see.
It’s strange, though, usually Ryn hires someone else to sing the songs for her when she sends me demos. But my cousin is singing these songs, and her voice is so husky and beautiful that it brings tears to my eyes. I sniffle and curl up tighter on the couch as the music reaches a crescendo. Ryn’s voice soars on alone, higher and clearer and more poignant than anything I’ve ever heard. The agony in it is clear as day.
We don’t talk about them.
Fate’s Choice, the band she works with. Or the Mirakill MC. We don’t talk about our feelings, but I think perhaps my cousin knows exactly how I feel.
I hear a sound, and I immediately forget about the song, racing to the front window to peer out.
The throb of Harley’s fills the air, and my excitement turns my body to an anxious wreck. From the road, I can see them pour down the driveway. I turn and race up the stairs, going into my secret room and climbing up on the window seat so I can press my nose to the glass and see what’s going on.
To be fair, they are like an addiction. It’s been five whole hours since they left me alone and went on their run. The dates were weeks ago, and I swear I’ve been detoxing from them, and then, like magic, they appeared this morning, saving me from myself. One glorious hour of food and teasing conversation, and then they were gone. I need to break free from this hold they have on me. But not today .
It takes three seconds to know something is wrong. Ranger is missing. I count over and over. Searching for him. My heart races and tears burn my eyes. I rapidly blink them away. Zaden is shouting, waving his arms. The whole MC is pouring into the property. The throb of their bikes has turned into a roar. I push up off the seat, no longer concerned with hiding but needing to see what’s going on.
Ianto and Valen get back on their bikes and three quarters of the twenty-five bikes that had just arrived turn and roar down the road again.
But not Zaden. No, his shoulders are tight, and his expression that I catch before he heads into the house is agonised.
Mills shouts out some orders, and then he turns and jogs into the house, too. I’ve never seen him look like this. Dangerous. For the first time, it makes sense why Mills is part of the pack.
I don’t hesitate; I sneak over there. Climbing up the tree and into the hidden door. I get to the bedroom and push, but it’s blocked. I frown, confused, before a horrified realisation strikes me.
They locked me out?
For a moment, I tremble in the dark behind the hidden door in the closet, unable to handle the rejection.
But I push it aside. I don’t care. Ranger is what’s important.
I go back down and enter through the back of the house. I’m silent as I approach Zaden’s study. No one sees anything as I slip inside and stare at him as he shouts on the phone.
He hangs up and spits out a curse that makes me blush. But then he inhales and looks up, his eyes turning fiery as he finds me straight away. In a pitch black room, I’m convinced Zaden would be able to pinpoint me every time.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Lia? Go the fuck home. I don’t have time for your games.”
The words lash at me, opening up tiny cuts on my soul, but I don’t let it deter me.
“Where is Ranger?”
He hisses and slams his hand on the desk so hard that I jump. “MILLS!”
I move in front of his desk, staring up at him, seeing the fear, the confusion, and the pain.
“Where is Ranger?”
“I DON’T KNOW!” he roars.
I don’t step back. I’m not afraid of him. All I want to do is go and crush myself to his chest and tell him it will be okay.
“What can I do- ”
“Go home, Lia! There’s nothing you can do. Nothing you could possibly do. So go home.”
I stare at him, my eyes burning. The rejection takes root inside me. But I don’t want to make things harder. “Okay, Zaden.”
I turn and meet Mills on the stairs. “I think you’re supposed to be escorting me home.”
Mills glances up the stairs, and I look back to find Zaden watching.
“Take her home, Mills.” His voice is crisp and unlike I’ve ever heard him.
“Sure, Alpha.”
Mills reaches out and takes my elbow, guiding me out of the house and past several members of the club. It’s humiliating. Painful. Where is Ranger?
We get to my house and I pause.
“Mills, can you just tell me what happened?”
Mills is torn. I can see it. I reach out and take his fingers in mine.
“Please, Mills, I need to know.” I hate that my voice catches, and the emotion I managed to hide comes bleeding out.
“He disappeared. We were ambushed, and he vanished. We can’t feel him through the bonds.”
I squeeze his hand. “He will be just fine,” I say with tears thick in my voice.
Mills looks so ghostly in that moment, like only a fraction of him is still in this world, the rest is stuck somewhere else.
He steps into my space, backing me up to my front door. The aggression is so strange coming off the usually chilled alpha.
“My world is full of violence, blood, and death. You are light and everything that is good, that I would ruin. We would destroy you.”
I want to protest. I want to tell him that I’m broken, too, that I’m not the perfect little princess they think I am, that no one wants me because I’m so ruined. That we could be perfect together.
But I don’t get the chance.
His lips claim mine, stealing something from me I would have willingly given. I lean into him, my balance gone, but he steps back and jerks his head at the door.
“Go. Inside now and stay there. No matter what you hear.”
I slip inside, but I don’t sleep until sunrise, and it's fitful. I stare through my window, watching the world play out around me. But no news comes.
Someone knocks really hard on my door, and a moment later, a van speeds away. I frown, watching the delivery van leave my house and glance at the time. It’s nearly midnight. Ranger has been missing for three days. Three painful days. Why is someone delivering things to my house at this time of the night?
I hesitate on the other side of the door.
Zaden would tell me not to answer it. I almost ring him, but then I remember his cutting words. I think about how much stress he’s been under. The yelling and activity that’s been happening next door. I’m frozen thinking about it all and I can’t do it. There’s no way I can distract them. I pull the door open.
I let out a cry. It’s torn from my heart and soul and all my worst nightmares.
I lunge forward and roll Ranger over, sticking my fingers hard against his pulse. I wait for ten heartbeats, just to make sure, and then I grab him by his arms and drag him into my house. The only thing that matters is just to get him safe. I pull him deeper and deeper until he’s in the panic room that serves as my own private space.
My body is trembling as I try to catch my breath. I glance back, searching the house, making sure we’re alone.
Only then do I really take him in. I kneel and check him over. He’s bruised and bloodied, and he’s got an oozing wound dragging down his cheek, but he’s Ranger, and he’s alive, and nothing seems serious. I can’t see any blood or bleeding that requires urgent treatment on the parts of him that are uncovered.
I need help.
“Ranger, oh, fuck, what did they do to you?”
I carefully check him, lifting his clothes, making sure he’s not bleeding from any wounds. Everything is bloody and bruised, but there are no stab wounds, nothing serious.
I lean forward and kiss him lightly. “You stay here. I’m going to get help.”
His eyes open, and he groans, reaching for me. “Lia-”
“Ranger, Ran, fuck. Just stay, okay, just stay. I’m going to get help,” I sob out and gently lay his hand by his side. “You’re safe now. No one is going to touch you here.”
He shudders, and his eyes roll, but he keeps breathing, and that’s enough for me. I leave the panic room and pull the door shut. No one can get in there, not even my mother. He will be completely safe. I turn, running as fast as I can. It takes forever, but I throw myself at the front door and push it open.
I’m caught immediately by an older man who growls. “You ain’t allowed to be here.”
I struggle free of him and lunge deeper inside. There are so many men here, they’re all standing looking at someone. I look up and find Zaden talking. He looks fierce. Dangerous. Deadly .
His eyes find me, and he frowns, glancing back. But he doesn’t come to me, not even when I wave. Valen and Ianto disappear into the crowd. I feel hunted. I just need to get to one of them. Any of them. I just need to make them listen to me, just this once.
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I’m thrown against a wall. “What the fuck are you doing here, whore?”
“I, uh, I need to see Mills.”
“He’s busy. We’re all busy.” The guys got dark hair with gray at the temples and pockmarks on his cheeks. His blue eyes are flat, and he’s all danger and anger. “Boss said you weren’t allowed here.”
I glance around, but he shoves my shoulder harder into the wall until I whimper.
He’s torn off me. He goes staggering, and when he shouts and whirls towards his attacker, a fist slams into his face.
“No one touches Lia, Malone, you know that,” Ianto says coldly. He turns to me and leans in. “Come with me.”
I try to protest, but he just drags into the kitchen. Mills and Valen are there waiting.
“Lia, what are you doing here?” Mills starts furiously.
“I have to tell you something important-”
“You shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous.”
“Just listen!”
“Go home!”
“LISTEN TO ME!” I shout.
The three of them fall silent and stare at me. “Someone dumped him at my house fifteen minutes ago.”
Valen straightens like he’s been electrocuted. He rushes out of the room while Mills grabs my hands and drags me out of the mansion. Ianto follows right on my heels.
I run, barely able to keep up, and when we get inside, I lead them to my nest, I mean, panic room, and open the door with the combination lock and thumb print.
Ianto rushes in and crouches over Ranger, checking him over. He pulls out a penlight and shines it into his eyes.
“Who dropped him off? When? Where?”
“A van appeared. I thought it was weird, I was going to call Zaden, but he said not to bother him…anyway, I opened the door and found him, dragged him here and came to get you. Oh, and I checked to make sure he wasn’t stabbed or bleeding.”
I frown, and now that Ranger is safe; the adrenaline is fading, and I feel sick and woozy. I lean against the wall, and then my legs collapse out from under me.
I stare at Ranger, unaware I’m crying, until Valen crouches and pulls me into a hard hug .
“You did really good, Lia. Really good.”
“Is he going to be okay?” My voice comes out in a harsh whisper.
Ranger rolls his head towards me. “Lia, come here.” He sounds terrible, but I crawl towards him. I curl up beside him and hold his hand.
“Ranger.” I can barely say his name.
“Shh, I’m okay. I’m okay.”
Zaden arrives and freezes in the doorway. I can see his shadow before he comes around Rangers’ other side and grips his hand.
“Brother!”
Ranger smiles a little. “I’ll be good in a couple of days.”
“Idiot,” Zaden growls. “You scared everyone.”
“Just wanted to cuddle with my beta.” Ranger teases and pats my hair.
I sniffle and swipe at the tears.
Zaden looks at me and closes his eyes in defeat. “You can’t come home, Ran.”
Ranger seems to understand in an instant. “Really?”
I have no idea what they’re talking about.
“There’s no other way.”
He nods, but he doesn’t look upset as he turns his eyes on me.
“What’s going on? What do you mean, he can’t go home?”
Ianto shifts his attention to me. “Ranger and I are going to need to stay here for a few days until he’s feeling better. Is that okay with you?”
I sit up and nod. “That’s fine. Are you sure?” I ask nervously. I’ve never had people stay here before, I mean, other than my cousins.
Mills reaches out and takes my hand. “No one is going to hurt you, Lia. We just need to keep Ranger hidden until he’s no longer vulnerable.”
I jerk my head in a nod. “Okay.”
Valen picks me up. I wrap my arms and legs around him as he carries me out of the room and back down to the kitchen, setting me on the island.
“I’m not going to be here, but I’m just there. You ring this number, and I will be over. You do not do anything that puts your safety at risk. The first thing you do is call if anyone arrives. Lia, I’m not joking here. The people who hurt Ranger might come back, so I want you to take all the precautions. This is a really dangerous situation.”
I stare at him and nod.
“I need words, baby girl.”
“I hear you, Valen.”
“Good. Now, what happens when you call this number?”
“You come. ”
“I come guns blazing, ready to kill anything that moves,” Valen says into my mouth.
I’m frozen, his breath in my lungs. A strange heat arrows through me, and I lean forward, closing the distance, desperately needing to taste him. He tastes of rain, those long rains in the middle of winter. I shudder and slip my tongue into his mouth.
“Lia,” he moans and kisses me hard, taking control before he drags himself away from me.
I pant, staring at him. The heat is an inferno inside me, turning my body languid and heavy.
He frowns and sniffs the air.
“What?” Zaden growls when he walks in. He looks between us but decides not to comment.
“I smelled marshmallows. It was strange.” Valen looks at me, and his dark eyes burn into me like he’s trying to discern some deep mystery. But it’s all I can do to catch my breath.
It’s all I can do just to stay where I am because, right now, I want to throw myself at the alpha and rub up and down him like a cat in heat until he smells like me.
Until everyone knows he’s mine.
But that’s just weird…right?
I shake it off and, before long, the strange feelings fade, and I’m back to worrying about Ranger.
“We’ve got this,” I confirm to Zaden, Valen, and Mills.
They murmur goodbyes and go back to the club rooms. But this time, I’m not alone.