Chapter 21
KIERAN
Present day…
I ’m in a surprisingly good mood as we cross the bridge, despite having been dragged into another meeting with Conor and Miles. They wanted to renegotiate resources and guard rotation, which has been coming up more often over the last couple of weeks.
The day Conor canceled one of our rotations, Jude didn’t find anything.
Despite sweeping every building himself, there was nothing there, which made it more believable when Conor said he reallocated the resources elsewhere because he thought we were only doing sweeps around the valley.
Since then, Jude or Rohan have checked the schedules every morning, but we haven’t had any more issues.
We have seen some rebel activity, only confirming what I suspected: they are still out there.
A fact that doesn’t sit well with me. Combining that with the mild rumblings that Miles has reported from the mandatory searches and still no information being offered despite a reward, I feel on edge when it comes to the rebels.
They’ve found sympathy somewhere, and I'm determined to rip that rot from my city.
But I won’t let that get to me tonight.
I pull off my gloves and tuck them away as Lochlan pauses, bringing Rohan and I to a stop with him. “You sure you don’t want me to go with you tonight?”
He looks a little hesitant, and even Rohan is eyeing me, despite knowing he has to stay here.
I understand their reservations because I felt the same when I first considered the idea.
But I know that the crowds will work in my favor, and I trust Jude and me to keep Eden safe.
It will be good for people to see us—especially if the rebels hear that their little trick didn’t work—but more than anything I want her to have fun.
Over the last three weeks, we’ve both been making an effort.
I’ve avoided bringing up the past unnecessarily, and Eden seems to be trying to get to know me.
Given that we are more likely to argue than have a heart-to-heart, it’s been slow going, but it’s progress.
I’m getting pieces of my wife back, and she doesn’t even shy away when I call her that.
She’s also spent more time with Rohan and Lochlan, and I like seeing her fierce personality flare to life. She might not remember who she was before, but all of her same traits are still there. I’m just coaxing them out slowly.
The only thing that we haven’t held back on is the sex.
I fuck her hard, never going more than a couple of days without pinning her down and giving her an orgasm.
She doesn’t share my bed every night, but I’m convincing her to sleep there often enough.
It reminds me of what it was like just before she moved in.
But outside of the fucking, we’re still lacking a piece of our connection.
We don’t have the simple intimacy of gentle touches.
We haven’t even kissed, and I know why I’m holding back—I want it to mean something.
I don’t care if that makes me a pathetic fucker; it’s the truth.
I can only wonder if she’s been waiting for the same reason—since I’m not going to ask.
It’s why tonight feels important.
It’s so much of who we are, and foolishly, I hope that it changes something between us. I’m greedy as fuck when it comes to Eden, and I want all of her.
“Kier?” Lochlan prompts, and I shake my thoughts off.
“Jude will be with us.”
He still looks unsure. “It wouldn’t hurt to have me there, too, yeah?”
“If you want to come down for a night in the city, you are welcome to Lo.” I knock my shoulder against his as I start toward the house. “But I’m not letting her out of my reach. She’ll be safe.”
Lochlan doesn’t argue as I climb the steps to my front door, pushing it open. I start toward my room before I have to pause, not quite sure where Eden is. Most of her clothes are still in our closet, but she has been clinging to that damn guest room.
I turn as two people come around the corner, one with a wide smile and the other frowning down at her. Ash notices me first, her expression never wavering. “Hey, Kieran.”
“Ash, I need your help.”
Her hazel eyes light up. “Do you need me to escort Lochlan to the city?”
I chuckle. She’s always looking to get into trouble, and Lochlan is the most likely to drag her into it. “If he goes, Till will take him.”
The man next to her doesn’t even blink, even as Ash glares up at him. “I’d be happy to,” he answers in a rigid tone.
“You don’t know the meaning of being happy,” Ash huffs.
Till turns to her, and I see the spark of irritation he doesn’t even try to smother. Normally, Till keeps his composure better than anyone, but Ash somehow gets him to break. “That’s not true.”
“I don’t know if you realize this, Till, but if you’re happy, your face wouldn’t look like that.”
He opens his mouth, and I know this can go all night if I let it.
I’m not sure how, but Ash is the only person who seems to get under his skin.
Probably because she likes to have a good time—which is why she gets along so well with Mika and Eden—and Till is very uptight. She provokes him on purpose.
“You can sort it out with Lochlan,” I cut in, trying to redirect them. “Do you know where Eden is?”
“She’s in the guest room with Mika.” Ash wiggles her brows at me, and I watch as a vein in Till’s forehead pops. He’s dying to tell her it was inappropriate.
“Thanks, Ash.” I step around them. “Have a good night.”
I’m not even around the corner when their bickering starts back up again, but I don’t mind. I actually like my guards to have a personality to them.
Gale is standing in Eden’s doorway when I approach, not quite blocking it but clearly having been dragged into the conversation. She steps back with a shy smile when she sees me, and I nod my head toward her.
“I don’t know,” Mika hums as I stop behind her. “The boots are kickass, but do you think with that top?—”
“She looks perfect.”
They both whip around, my voice having caught them off guard.
But it’s true. Eden’s wearing a tight, midnight blue top that shows off her toned arms, and those black shorts that make it impossible to look anywhere else.
Her thigh sheath holds the blade I gave her, and I spot another tucked into the high top of her black boots.
She looks deadly, and nothing has ever turned me on more.
Her amber eyes slide up my body, taking me in as slowly as I did her. My outfit doesn’t change much, but the partially undone button-down that I keep rolled up to my elbows always has her gaze heating. And why mess with perfection when I know how much it turns her on?
“Woah.” Mika chuckles, looking between us. “I’ve seen people actually fuck with less intensity than what’s going on here.”
My lips twitch. “Can you blame me?”
“No, I can’t.” She twists back around. “He’s right. You look great, Eden.” She offers my wife a hug before heading toward the door. “I’m going to raid Lochlan’s kitchen. Try not to keep my husband out too late!”
I wait for that golden gaze to land back on me. “Ready?”
* * *
The cages are packed tonight, not that I’m surprised. The damn things could be on fire, and people would still shove into the building, eager for just one glimpse or a chance at the betting tables.
Normally, I love the chaos, but tonight, nothing is stealing my focus from Eden.
I’ve got her caged between my arms and walking in front of me, following Jude as he leads us to the back.
Her eyes are darting everywhere, taking it all in, and I can feel the energy buzzing off of her.
Eyes bright and a deadly smirk on her lips, she’s feeding off of the environment just like I thought she would.
It’s too loud for us to talk, so she can’t ask me anything as Jude clears us a path.
I spot heads turning in our direction, many noticing that we are here.
Our marriage has always been public knowledge—despite me not letting Lochlan turn it into a spectacle—and no one knew she was missing.
To most of the people here, they are getting a glimpse at the Elites that dared to come down from their mountain tonight.
But if any rebels see the broadcasts, we’ll be making a statement, too.
Jude forces the crowd around the back cage—what was once Eden’s primary domain—to part. The guard at the door lets us through, and I see Eden taking in the mat with almost frenzied enthusiasm.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
My seat sits in the center of the small crowd gathered at the mat’s edge, and Jude takes his position slightly behind it.
He’s just as on edge as I am tonight, scanning the crowd for any sign that Eden’s in danger.
Briefly, his eyes connect with mine, narrowing with warning, before going back to the frenzy outside the cage.
He already snapped at me that I was under no circumstances to join the challenges. I swore to be on my best behavior, knowing that there is a good reason I promised Eden and I would stay off the mats. Tonight isn’t about toeing that line. I have an entirely different goal in mind.
I take a seat, and Eden doesn’t protest when I pull her into my lap. She wraps an arm around my shoulders, leaning back into me but keeping her gaze on the screaming audience on the other side of the chain-link.
“I have so many questions,” she breathes, eyes bright.
I know she got a glimpse of the other fights on the way back here, and I have no doubt the bloodlust coloring her expression is from that. From the violence vibrating in the air and the broadcast screens showing off every cage.
They can take her memories, but they can’t rip away who she is. Violent, bloodthirsty, and dangerous? That’s my girl.
“Ask them.” I smooth a hand along her thigh, glad to have nothing covering her bare skin.
“Did I use to come here?”
It’s not the question I expected her to ask first. I thought she’d want an explanation of the gambling, of the fighting, of what we were doing here. But I think a part of her already has those answers.