24. Dominic #2
I pinch the bridge of my nose, hard, fighting for control. “ None of that matters. We have four to the north, closing in. We have upwards of twenty to the south. While the south is stationary, we need to take care of the northern threat. Now . I don’t want them anywhere near Bristlebrook .”
Making the call eases some of the tightness in my chest. It clears my thoughts. Now isn’t the time to be hurting over my ex or fighting with the guys. We have a job to do.
A home to protect.
“ Beau , you’re with me. We leave at oh-four-hundred tomorrow. I want them cleared out by the following day.”
To my surprise, Beau hesitates, and my teeth click together. “ What ?”
“ It’s my night with Eden tomorrow.”
The whole room catches its breath.
That drowning sensation starts creeping into my chest again, like my lungs can’t get enough air. I could spit a dozen things right now, but for some reason my usual rage doesn’t come to save me.
Why is he pulling this now? We have bigger things to worry about.
“ I need you with me.” My voice is low but thankfully even enough.
I always need him with me.
Beau looks uncomfortable, one hand rubbing his chest. He glances at Jayk , at Lucky . Jaykob just smirks, starts trimming his nails with his pocketknife. That fucking knife.
Lucky clears his throat, offering, “ I can go.”
But my eyes are trained on my friend. Steady , dependable Beau . He’d really choose a night with some girl over watching my back? Didn’t he learn from my mistakes? Doesn’t he know the girl will only break his heart?
Sometimes I’m not sure what was worse—losing Heather , or losing Beau’s trust.
A pair of frightened, defiant gray-blue eyes wink into my mind. For some reason, they won’t stay out of there. The fear in them stirs me. The bravery...
It doesn’t matter.
She isn’t worth it.
She’s not worth the distractions. The risks.
She’s sure as hell not worth the cracks that are spiderwebbing across our friendship.
“ There are four of them. There’s a good chance we’ll need a medic,” I grit out, hating that a hint of panic laces my voice. “ Reschedule your damn date.”
Resentment , clear as day, flashes across his face. His square jaw is tight, set—but fuck him for that. I do need him.
Because he’s a doctor, of course, and we don’t know how that fight will go down.
And because Beau always falls too fast.
Why can’t he see that I’m protecting him, keeping him away like this? He doesn’t need to get hurt again.
After too long of a pause, Beau’s hand drops from where he was rubbing his chest and his expression closes over. “ Yes , sir. Oh -four-hundred.”
Relief crashes through me, and I reinforce my knees.
“ There are four of them. Will you need extra hands?” Jasper asks, sitting back and glancing at Lucky .
Jasper’s face is blank and serene as a glacier, but I know to watch his right hand. Long fingers worry his wedding band, which he now wears on his other hand. Round and round.
I force a grim smile. “ To handle four? Two is plenty.” And it is. Not a one of those four will have an ounce of our training. “ Jaykob is right, though. Something about this isn’t right. I’d feel better knowing we have people here watching the house. It could—”
“ Ah .” The surprised exhale from Jasper stops me short. His dark gaze has snared on a much smaller screen, set up on his laptop. He turns it. “ It appears we have company.”
There’s a touch of humor in the tilt of his mouth.
My eyes drop to the screen, and I freeze, rage licking at my insides. The girl has the nerve to—
“ Did you leave the bookcase open?” I demand of Beau .
His chin drops, face hardening. “ Of course not.”
She worked it out. The hidden latch that would open the hidden door in the bookcase.
She crept down the short corridor, lightly enough that we couldn’t hear her, and is now standing outside the door, studying the keypad panel with a small frown.
We watch as she appears to give up on that and presses her ear to the door.
Jaykob , of all people, snorts in amusement.
Anger spikes, but I hold it in check. Let it burrow deep into my bones, leak into my marrow. She’s trying to spy on us? We’ve given the spoiled brat everything—every single thing she could ask for—protected her against everything , and she does this? Useless , dangerous girl.
“ Dom ,” Beau says warningly.
I shake my head once, stalking to the door. I yank it open and grab her by the arm, ignoring her breathless gasp, and draw her into the room.
“ Get on your knees,” I tell her coldly.
Eden’s eyes widen until they almost eclipse her glasses. There’s tension in the air, snapping through it like electric currents. The others are shifting, hesitating. When she doesn’t move, I step forward and lower my voice.
“ On . Your . Knees .”
I expect her to look to the others, to turn those big, pretty eyes on them and beg for help. But her wary gaze stays on me, tracking my movements the way a gazelle side-eyes an approaching lion.
But there’s nowhere for her to run.
Interestingly , beside her nervousness lurks a touch of her own anger that she doesn’t bother to hide. It intrigues me—just a little—but I push that feeling away.
Swallowing , she lowers herself gracefully, like she’s done it a thousand times. Like the movement is a memory, preserved in her flesh.
As she does, Jasper releases a long sigh, the way people do when sipping spectacular wine or watching a breath-catching sunrise.
Her breathing settles as she sits back on her heels, hands folded neatly in her lap. Mine settles too, until we’re breathing in the same rhythm.
It’s always been like this for me. The more control I take, the more controlled I feel. The more they submit, the more the awful, discordant tunes of the world begin to bleed into something pleasing. It doesn’t stop the fury—it’s buried too deep now—but it takes the edge off.
I walk around her, enjoying the way she tenses, how her head turns, just a tilt, trying to keep me in view.
“ What were you hoping to achieve by breaking into our private rooms and sneaking outside our door?”
“ Answers .” Then she lifts her chin and adds, “ Obviously .”
Lucky sucks in a breath and, behind her, Jayk sticks his tongue in his cheek, seeming to hold back a smirk.
My eyes narrow on the girl. That tone... She should be gagged for that alone. Gently , I brush my fingers over her hair, down to her jaw. Her whole body goes motionless.
Crouching beside her, I study the side of her face. Then wrap my hand around her throat in warning, arching her head back slightly so she has to look at me out the corner of her eye.
“ You spoiled brat. Must be hard sitting here in safety while we take risks to protect you.”
Her pulse thunders under my fingertips and there’s no helping how hard I’m getting. It would happen to anyone like me, holding her like this. Nothing to do with her, not really.
“ I can help,” she pants.
As if she’d know how.
I feel the urge to tighten my grip, watch the nervousness grow in her eyes. I want to swallow her fear.
If Beau and I head off tomorrow, we’ll miss my night with her as well, I realize. Not that it matters. I have no intention of touching her—it’d only encourage Beau’s fantasy, and I’d rather spend the time fixing our shit than setting us both up for failure again.
I’ve failed more than enough already since the strikes.
I release her.
Don’t push me , I warn her with my eyes.
She should pay attention. It’s the only warning she’ll get.
“ We’re going tomorrow morning. There’s a small problem we need to deal with. Beau and I will be back in two or three days,” I tell her, the picture of calm control.
The others watch me closely. I wonder if they’d leap to her defense if I pushed her now.
Or if they’d help me hold her down.
My words catch Eden’s attention though, and her head whips around to look at Beau . Surprise and no small amount of disappointment tightens her expressive features.
“ Oh . But —” Her teeth tug at her bottom lip, a hint of color pinkening her cheeks.
As if his earlier distance with me was a mirage, Beau’s smile for her is slow and warm. That peach-sweet, cowboy smile has been melting hearts since we were seventeen. Biting back my scowl, I move in front of the girl, between her and Beau so she can’t see that damned stupid grin.
“ Look , we have bigger priorities than licking your pussy. But if you stay on your knees and beg, one of the others might oblige—makes no difference who does it, right?” As soon as the crude, stupid words leave my mouth, I want to reel them back in.
Beau tenses again, and I just stop myself from grimacing.
This isn’t how I do things. She’s just a girl. A civilian. An ungrateful one, sure, but what else is new? I’m here to keep her safe and to get on with my life.
I don’t need to resort to this kind of petty bullshit.
I don’t know why she’s getting under my skin like this. It must be Beau . She’s causing problems between us and that’s why she’s pissing me the hell off.
Eden’s nostrils flare delicately at my insult, her lips pulling in like she’s biting back her words again. She did not like that. Not one bit. The tiniest twist of curiosity tugs at me. I wonder if I can make the little librarian snap at me properly.
I wonder if she ever feels rage like mine under all that politeness.
I rake my eyes over her, then shrug one shoulder dismissively. “ Though it’s only Beau you’ll really be missing— I wouldn’t have touched you either way.”
“ Oh , fuck you ,” she hisses.
There it is.
Lucky whistles.
“ Dominic ,” Beau warns again.
“ Beaumont ,” I mimic. My eyes are locked on Eden .
One hand flies to her mouth, like she’s shocked herself. Her eyes flicker to Beau then, looking for help.
Mistake .