Page 126 of Ruthless Reign

“Have you shared your location with anyone else?” Aodhán asked, his forehead lined with worry, but I shook my head.

“No. Never. Not even with Hardin and Kaleb.”

He nodded. “Good. That’s good.”

Even filled with anxiety over my best friend getting hurt, I couldn’t help also feeling hopeful. If there was anyone who could turn this tide, it was the Saint’s Dagger—my best friend. And her lethal Crows.

I wouldn’t sick Rook on even my worst enemy.

Well, actually, I guess I would. And I was willing to fucking bet he was absolutely euphoric at the thought that by sunrise, he’d have sent a handful of more souls to hell.

“We should tell Dad,” Kaleb said, getting up, but I stopped him, gripping his hand.

“Maybe we shouldn’t,” I blurted. “Not yet. Séamas could be watching the roads. There’s no guarantee they’ll actually make it into the city. And if Diesel doesn’t know?—”

A muscle in Hardin’s jaw flared.

If they fought me on this anymore, then I wouldn’t stop them from telling their dad. My dad.

Part of me wanted someone to stop Ava Jade and the Crows, but I also just knew it in my bones that if they got here in time, there was no way we could lose. Maybe it was naive. Maybe it was completely idiotic. But I wanted to hold onto that feeling and not let it go.

“Okay,” Kaleb said. “We’ll tell him only if it becomes necessary. Good?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

The shift in mood dislodged something that’d been choking the atmosphere in the room, sweeping away all the gloomy cobwebs.

Kaleb let out a long sigh, tipping his head back. “I can’t believe this will all be over in a matter of hours.”

“If Séamas actually shows up,” Hardin said.

“He will,” Aodhán was quick to reply.

Kaleb ran the back of his knuckles down my arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “How about we save the doomsday talk for later, yeah?”

When I met Kaleb’s eyes, they were hot with burning silver. His lips curled into a wicked smirk. “I don’t know about you, Vixen, but I can think of a few things I’d rather do than sulk or fuckin’ sleep.”

My mouth went bone dry as a flush of anticipatory warmth rolled down my body, bringing life into every nerve ending. Making my nipples harden beneath the thin bra and black t-shirt I wore.

Kaleb’s eyes zeroed in on the soft peaks and reached out to softly take me by the ribcage, his thumbs brushing over the swell of my breasts.

“Yeah?” he asked me, some color in his face. Way more than there had been earlier. I swallowed, biting my lower lip.

“Yeah,” I replied. “But only if you promise to try to sleep after.”

He needed it more than the rest of us. He wouldn’t heal if he didn’t rest.

“Fair deal. I accept.”

His hold on me tightened, and he lifted me until I was seated back atop the lowest desk, the jolting motion making my breath catch.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling eyes on me. Not his.

Hardin’s.

Aodhán’s.

I didn’t know what the rules were here. If they’d changed.

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