Chapter 47
Walking into the lounge area was such an odd experience. My heart thundered, and I stared down at the white carpet. Weeks had gone by since I’d knelt there, begging for their help.
“Are you okay?” Kyan asked from behind me.
“I’m fine,” I huffed, crossing my arms. I was still butthurt over his notes on my article. A few minutes into my anger, I recognized he was right, but that made me even angrier.
He was right, but I didn’t want to admit it at this moment.
Sure, my rhetoric needed a little more background.
And sure, I did have a few run-on sentences. And maybe it did sound too personal, but . . . There were no buts; he was right.
Kyan had been walking on eggshells since I’d snapped at him to leave my room this morning after we’d fucked.
Then there was Sinclair. I shuffled over to the glass pane to look down at him.
Sinclair had been in a mood all morning. Doors slammed behind him with extra force; his silence, the scowl on his face, all of it made it very obvious about his mental state—the man was upset.
He sat at the bar, surrounded by a mess. Tables tipped over, chairs bent at odd angles, glasses on their sides.
Sinclair whipped his head up and looked directly at me, that sneer on his face. He raised the glass of amber liquid and tossed it back.
A woman approached him. She was dressed in simple, pink workout outfit, her hair loose and wavy, but from a distance, I couldn’t tell much more. Sinclair’s mouth moved like crazy.
Watching him talk to someone made me feel some type of way, and I hated it.
“Don’t go letting yourself overthink that he’s in any way interested in another woman.”
“I wasn’t,” I blurted, turning to him.
Kyan cupped my face, and I leaned into his touch.
A soft gasp filled the room.
“He can touch you now?”
“Elias,” I gasped.
Hope bloomed on his face, and he approached so quickly, it caused me to freeze. He reached for my hand. As soon as our skin touched, searing agony sliced through my veins, and my knees buckled. Kyan caught me, pulling me away from Elias.
He flinched, pulling back. I struggled to catch my breath.
“Oh.” In that single syllable, there was so much pain.
My heart squeezed.
“I have to go handle something.” He tripped over his words and took a step back, as if there were weights tied to his ankles.
“Wait,” I half-shouted. I cleared my throat, pulling away from Kyan. “I should probably tell you guys about this.”
Elias’ brows furrowed. I shuffled over to the rug, struggling not to focus too much on the awkwardness.
Using my knee against the couch, I shoved until the blood smear was visible.
Elias looked at the stain and then at me.
“That was from when you were shot,” Kyan whispered.
I nodded.
“Anyway, sorry about that.” I shrugged.
Elias’ lips twitched. Did he feel the spike of guilt through our bond?
“It doesn’t matter, Briar,” he murmured, a soft chastising edge to his tone.
“Don’t stress over it, Elias. It’s a good sign that I can touch her now,” Kyan offered.
Elias’ lips twitched even more.
“I’m finishing up telling them what we want packed and what’s for donation.”
“Packing up?” I interjected. “Why are you packing up?
Elias frowned. “We sold The Bordello.”
That was news to me. I gawked, struggling to spit out words.
“Why?” I finally managed.
“I don’t want you hurting,” Elias said. “I want nothing to make you doubt me.”
Emotion clogged my throat.
“I will always doubt you.” But I wasn’t sure how true that was anymore.
His crestfallen expression pinched my heart. I gritted my teeth, turning away from him.
“I’ll go finish up.” With those final quiet words, Elias retreated.
Guilt throbbed in my stomach, making a point. Kyan squeezed my shoulder.
“He really does hate himself for how he’s treated you,” he said it softly.
“I know.” I bit my lip, rubbing my arms.
“Are we ready to go?” Being here was messing with my head.
“Let’s go home. Whatever else we have to handle can be done via phone.” He urged me forward gently.
I descended the stairs into the hall that led to the one with numerous doors. Once we turned the corner into the main room, a small woman with vivid pink hair let out a gust of air from her lips. She sniffled.
“I heard what he said to you, Leah. Are you okay?” Another woman, much taller than the first, grabbed her arms, slightly shaking her.
“I’m fine, it just took me by surprise.” She sniffled some more. “I never thought he’d fall for anyone,” she sobbed and fell into her friend’s arms.
Kyan gripped my waist and cleared his throat.
Both of them whipped around.
“Kyan,” the taller one gasped, her thin nose wrinkling. “Sorry, Mr. Greymont, I was just telling her about what we were assigned to do for the Auction.”
Pink hair turned her head to the side, choking on a sob.
“You’ll do fantastic work on the floor.” He guided me past, and the woman kept her smile fixed on her lips.
“Oh, Mr. Greymont!” she exclaimed. He slowed so we were beside her. “Um. Mr. Sin-Sinclair Greymont is wasted on the main floor.”
“Thank you for the heads up, Candace,” he murmured and tugged me away. “Will you tell him we’re all set to go?”
“Sure,” I mumbled, slipping away from him. I couldn’t help but be a bit leery after hearing the two women.
I went down the slight ramp and headed for the bar. Sinclair leaned forward, his sleeves rolled back to his elbows, displaying the smoke and candle tattoo.
He drank down another as I stepped onto the main floor, heading directly for him. More and more workers filled the area, cleaning up the mess. He was too busy drowning his sorrows that he didn’t see me approach.
“Sinclair, slow down,” I chastised.
He lowered the bottle, peering at me through his glazed gaze, and then his eyes widened along with a smile.
“My sweets, my beautiful sweets,” he crooned.
Suddenly, the wide smile dropped, as did his hand from my face.
“Why do you refuse to understand how I love you . . .” He reclined a bit and cupped his dick.
“And my cock is yours, you damn woman.” He bared his teeth as he said it, getting closer to my face.
The looming threat reminded me of our first days together.
My heart pounded in my ears with the rush of anger.
I slapped him across the face, hard enough to make his head jerk to the side.
He didn’t react; his face remained turned to the side, frozen.
Everyone around us gasped, but my attention stayed on him. “What’s your problem?”
“Everything,” he murmured. He stood and grabbed a full bottle from the other side of the bar, reaching over the empty tequila.
It took me a moment to turn around, but it was in time to watch Elias enter.
“You’re being an ass,” Elias snapped at Sinclair, who scoffed.
“I’ll be in the truck.” He tipped one of the bottles at Elias and left.
“He’s all drama when he drinks,” Kyan murmured. I jumped, having not noticed him walk over to me. “Don’t listen to him.”
I nodded absently. It was a peek into Sinclair’s pain. I was hurting him . . .
“Kyan, where did you put the fucking alcohol?” Sinclair’s voice boomed through the halls. There was a response, further away and more muffled. “You bloody twat,” he slurred, yet it sounded so close.
The entire drive, Sinclair lay back on the seat, gulping down most of the bottle of tequila. He must have finished the rest within the forty-five minutes since we’d arrived.
“Alas, alas,” Sinclair crooned, waving his arm out in a flourish.
The heavy scent of alcohol accompanied his arrival outside my room.
He was singing a BellRose song. Suddenly, he stopped, eyes wide on me, a gasp leaving his lips as if he wasn’t the one who’d walked into my bedroom.
“My precious Scent Match,” he whispered, striding over and dropping to his knees. He clasped my hand, bringing the back of it to his cheek. “I love you. Desperately.”
He swayed and fell to the side, temple smacking the rug.
“Sin!” I knelt, feeling under him to make sure he hadn’t bashed his head open. I felt around his scalp, but there was nothing concerning.
He’d passed out on my floor.
“Sin,” I snapped, shaking his shoulder. He rolled onto his back with a grunt, pushing my hand away.
“Don’t touch me,” he snarled. His body shuddered. “Only Briar.” The emotion in my throat throbbed. “Only . . . Aroha.”
I clenched my hands, digging my nails into my palm. The pinch didn’t make the agony in my chest any better.
I sighed and threw my hands up, leaving him on my floor.
“Fine, suit yourself.” He lashed a hand out, capturing my wrist.
He let out a gust of air, the sound choked.
“Your hatred burns,” he gasped.
I was speechless. All I could do was gawk.
His eyes focused for a split second, then blurred, the pupils flexing.
He sat upright, legs stretched out. “Why won’t you claim me?”
“Go get some rest,” I said instead of answering. “We can talk about—”
“No!” His voice was thick with emotion. “Please,” He touched his neck. “The one-sided bond will break.” He swallowed audibly. “I won’t rush you . . . but don’t hold back from me. Why?”
“You know why,” I blurted.
He exhaled and slid his palm over his head, his hair was a few inches longer than when I first met him.
“Say what hurt you so much,” he growled.
I looked at my lap.
“Say it.”
“You kissed someone, knowing I was yours?” I breathed out in a rush. I gnashed my teeth together. “How could you kiss her?” My words lashed out and met their mark.
“I—” He sputtered. “You—” His lips pinched into a thin line.
“No fancy words this time?” I asked, numb. “Humph.”
“Briar—”
“You think you can do whatever you want.”
“Pleas—”
“And there won’t be any repercussions?” I scoffed, standing. “Get out, I’m not going to claim you—”
“I regret it,” he bellowed.
He pulled me to the ground. I landed on him, his hard body cushioning me less than he thought, since his body was so damn hard. With a smooth roll, he was on top of me, forcing my legs open with his knees. The waft of alcohol and his chocolate scent overwhelmed my senses.
I smacked at his chest, shoving and yanking his shirt to push him off me, but his strength was greater. With a few tugs, he tore through my shorts, rendering my panties in half.
Sinclair moved the scraps of clothes out of the way, his movements harsh, and he slammed himself inside me, forcing his way into my channel. He groaned, his entire body shuddering. My pussy clamped onto him, always ready to take his knot.
My smacks at his shoulders slowed, and a moan crawled free. I bunched the front of his shirt, hiking my hips up to grind on his knot.
His mouth parted, bringing my focus to the scabbed cut on the corner of his lips. The remnants of his fight with Elias.
If it healed into a scar, it would match the one across his brow. He drew his cock out, taking his knot with him. I whimpered, my fingers hooking against his chest.
“I bloody regret putting my cock in anything that doesn’t belong to you,” he grunted, seating himself in me again. My legs lifted to press into his waist, pleasure licking through my senses. “Know that none of them matter, that you’ve destroyed me for anyone else.”
He pounded into me with hard, teeth-clicking thrusts. And I met his force head-on, biting down on the inside of my cheek to keep myself from claiming him.