Page 2 of Ruthless Reign

“And if Damien doesn’t do it?” Becca pressed, her eyes shining with anxiety in the backseat as she leaned forward, crushing her hands between her knees.

Kaleb bristled. “He’ll kill another one of our crew.”

“Well, what about Diesel and his crew up in Thorn Valley? Can’t they help?”

I saw Kaleb nod quietly to himself in the driver’s seat. “Maybe.”

I shook my head, knowing Dad wouldn’t involve them in this. Or at least he’d involve them as little as possible. We weren’t dealing with the usual riffraff here. Séamas was another breed. Someone who’d already wiped out The Warden’s entire crew. Who planted explosives at a safehouse full of women and children.

No.

Dad wouldn’t risk getting Diesel or his sons, the Crows, hurt. Not over territory. Not unless there was absolutely no other option.

So, we’d need to make sure we had some options for him by tomorrow for the meet at his house.

“We’re going to need you to stay with us for a little while, Vixen,” Kaleb added after a beat of silence as we turned onto our street. I sat up straighter, eyes scanning the shadow soaked streets, my hand tightening on the grip of my gun in my lap.

“It’s either that or we can get you out of the city,” he offered when she didn’t reply.

She bit her lower lip, looking out the window like at any moment she expected to see an unfamiliar face on the other end of a pistol.

Maybe she should leave.

I clenched my teeth, hating how the idea of her not being in my immediate airspace made me shake with some unnatural feeling. Made my nostrils flare and my stomach twist.

Who was to say they wouldn’t find her wherever she went?

Nowhere was safe. Not from someone like Séamas. Becca was ours now. Our responsibility. And the only way I could ensure any bullets meant for her hit Saint bones instead was to be with her. Close.

“No,” I said and Becca’s dark eyes lifted to meet mine in the side mirror as we pulled into the driveway. “She stays.”

A muscle in her jaw flexed.

I dared her to argue while Kaleb shut off the engine.

“Man, you can’t just?—”

“You don’t dictate my life, Hardin,” she said, interrupting Kaleb, her tone full of venom.

“You’re staying.”

I stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind me.

Her door opened a second later, and I ignored her shouting protests as I made for the front door, checking the chamber for a live round, ready to sweep the house.

Something hard hit me square in the back, and I whirled, my eyes slitting as I fixed them on her tiny form standing next to the Bronco. Becca’s teeth were bared. Her chest heaved.

“I’m fucking talking to you, asshole!”

There were so many things I wanted to say. To shout. To fucking scream. Instead, I only stared, willing her to see—to understand—that if she tried to leave I would drag her ass back here. I’d chain her to the fucking floor if I needed to. She wasn’t leaving our sight. And she could be as angry as she wanted about it.

“Say something!”

“Becca, come on,” Kaleb said, putting a gentle hand to her lower back to guide her forward, but she jumped away from his touch, her arms trembling as she glared at him. “Don’t touch me.”

“Becca.”

“No! I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want to be involved in this bullshit!”

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