Chapter 35 #2
Ink roughed his hand through his hair. “I know, man. It’s just crazy that we need to keep them down here like fucking cattle.”
“We need to end this war as soon as fucking possible.”
“And how the fuck do we do that? You know I love slicing Python throats, but you and I”—he gestured between us—“we can’t do this on our own. The more we kill, the more Slither recruits. This could go on for-fucking-ever.”
My phone vibrated, and I pulled it out of my jeans pocket, wondering who the fuck was calling me at this hour.
“Jesus Christ.”
Ink frowned. “Who is it.”
“It’s the goddamn PC.”
“Shit.”
I pulled my hand down my beard, staring at my phone screen. “I can’t deal with this right now.”
“You have to, man. PC will want to know how close we are to finding Alyx.”
I glanced at him. “And why his streets are currently soiled with Pythons.”
“That too.”
I swiped the screen and answered. “It’s a bit early for business, ain’t it, PC?”
“It’s been too long, Granite. Where’s my daughter?”
“Relax. We’re on top of it.”
“Don’t you tell me to relax.” I pulled the receiver from my ear and shot Ink a worried look. “My daughter goes missing, and suddenly I have a fucking war on my streets.”
“I told you it was going to get dirty, and you agreed.”
“That was before you fucking handed the Sixes over to those bastards.”
My spine chilled, and I bit the side of my cheek.
“That’s right, Granite. I know about your trade with the Pythons. These are my streets, remember? Nothing happens here without me knowing about it. Question is, what did they give you in return?”
I balled my fists and ground my teeth, wanting to crack the fucking concrete wall. Ink cleared his throat, distracting me, and pulled a face, telling me to keep my shit together.
I took a deep breath. “It’s all part of the plan.”
“What plan?” The PC’s tone was rubbing me the wrong way, and it took every ounce of control I had to not lash back.
“Just let me do my thing, okay?”
“You said you’ll get my daughter back,” he bellowed through the receiver.
“And I will.”
“We don’t even know if she’s still alive.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. With all the shit that was happening, I was too focused on Alyx and Neon and killing Pythons. I didn’t have time to think how to handle the PC.
“She’s alive. I guarantee it.”
“How? How can you guarantee it?”
Ink pulled out his phone and pointed at the camera before heading down the hall.
“I got pictures. I’ll get a messenger boy to deliver it in a few hours.”
“Granite,” the PC’s voice was hard yet laced with concern, “if I don’t get my daughter back—”
“You’ll get Alyx back. I’ll make sure of it.”
I hung up, and the urge to crush my phone in my palm was overwhelming. How the fuck did I lose control of everything so goddamn fast?
“Who was that?”
Jesus. I spun around, and Alyx stared at me with those innocent blue eyes.
“Who were talking to?”
“No one.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
Alyx squared her shoulders, scrutinizing me. “Who was that, Granite? And why did Ink just take pictures of me?”
“Jesus Christ!” I was on the edge of fucking losing my shit. There was nothing more that could possibly go fucking wrong in one goddamn day.
“Is that the PC’s daughter?”
Oh, my God. I got swallowed into a giant vortex of shit only to get spat out in the most fucked up situation ever.
Tanit leaned against the open doorframe, and I stood there, dumbfounded.
I bit my lip, suppressing a sentence that consisted solely of f-bombs.
“Okay,” I held out my hand toward both of them and glared at Tanit, “you get back in your room. And you,” I cut my gaze to Alyx, “that was your father on the phone, and yes, he wants his pretty ballerina girl back. But that’s not going to happen.
You can cry, you can scream, you can fucking starve yourself, for all I care, but you are not going back.
You are staying here with me, and I am going to get a grip on everything that is going fucking wrong right now, and I am going to make dead fucking sure that not one single person in this entire goddamn house gets hurt again. Ever.”
My heart beat like a jackhammer against my ribs, my nostrils flaring and head pounding. Anger, frustration, uncertainty—it was all swirling around in me, turning me into a goddamn ticking timebomb.
Alyx dropped her arms to her side, her expression unreadable. God, I didn’t mean to be an ass.
“Look, Alyx. I didn’t mean—”
She stepped right up to me, taking my hand in hers. The different shades of blue in her eyes flickered with something I couldn’t place.
My heart raced having her so close, the sweet scent of vanilla circling me. As she lifted herself on the tips of her toes, she guided my arm around her waist and reached up to cup my cheek.
She didn’t say a word. She simply stared at me like she could see something no one else could.
Her eyes were soft, gentle, compassionate—things a man like me didn’t deserve.
I had been inside this woman twice, but somehow this single moment felt more powerful, the seconds that passed ticking away inside my heart.
“I am yours,” she murmured. “I was yours since the first time our eyes met through my bedroom window.”
I closed my eyes and leaned deeper into her touch.
“Like you said, there’s no use denying it. And I’m done fighting it.”
I opened my eyes to look at her, and all I saw was warmth in her gaze. No tears. No remorse. No shame. But peace.
“It’s exhausting fighting this, Granite. Fighting us.”
I wrapped my other arm around her waist and lifted her feet off the ground. “You’re mine.” It wasn’t a question.
She looked down at me while I held her. “I am yours.”
Sweet lips brushed against mine, and I squeezed her tighter against me, wishing I could kiss her for days without end.
This woman was everything. After all I had put her through, the lies, the pain, the betrayal, she was still strong enough to accept her fate—a fate I had forced her into.
But I didn’t give a fuck. If having her meant I had to do everything all over again, I would, and I still wouldn’t give a fuck about a moral compass I didn’t even fucking have.
With her soft tongue lapping against mine, feeling her wet lips against my mouth, my cock hardened, and I was two breaths away from tearing through her tights and fucking her against the wall…until someone cleared his throat, interrupting what could have been an epic fuck.
I groaned, instantly annoyed and ready to break the skull of whoever the fuck it was. Easing Alyx down to the ground, I shot Onyx the kind of glare that could incinerate any grown-ass man.
“This better be fucking important.”
“Our crew got ambushed on their way back.”
My first instinct was to tell him to shut the fuck up until I got Alyx back to her room. We never discussed business in front of women. But the expression on Onyx’s face was downright grim, and it gave me the fucking chills.
I let go of Alyx’s hand. “What happened?”
“Texas called.” Onyx paled, his brows knitted and forehead creased. “Junkyard…” His voice trailed off, eyes searching like he was confused. “Junkyard didn’t make it.” Onyx pulled his palm down his face. “They killed him.”