Page 128 of Unholy Bonds

“She has to get over it. She will. It’s not your fault. You’re not the one to blame.”

“I still feel guilty,” I said, biting into the delicious sandwich coated with cheese.

“Don’t. You’re not responsible for any of these deaths, Yara. You can’t… let this take over your life,” he said, running his fingers up and down the back of my hand.

“Ryden?”

“Yes?”

“Will you take me to bed?”

The serious, somber expression melted away, replaced by a dark, lustful smile.

“I could never say no to you, but are you sure, Red? This isn’t the…” He stopped when I stood up and walked toward him. He groaned when I went to my knees. When I looked up, his mouth was half open, and his eyes were flashing.

“I want to feel something other than regret. I want to be in control. Suddenly, I feel like Logan Jones is running my life, ruining my life, and I don’t like that feeling.”

I had always been in control of my life.

I unzipped his pants and took his cock out. The bed was too far away. I wanted him on my tongue right now.

“Yara,” he groaned when I slid my finger up his hard cock. He jerked forward when I tightened my grip before taking him between my lips. The familiar taste of him comforted me, aroused me.

“You taste so familiar…” I whispered as he pulled me forward. “You taste like mine.”

“Fuck,” he cursed, grabbing my hair as I greedily swallowed his cock.

The grunt that came out of his mouth was more animalistic than human, and it made me feel grounded. I didn’t feel so aimless, so untethered anymore.

As he came inside my mouth, spilling his cum, I knew I’d use Ryden as long as he’d let me use him.

When I stood up, he wiped my chin and smiled.

“You look so beautiful wearing my cum on your skin, baby,” he groaned, slamming his lips against mine. “Oh.”

We both jumped apart when his phone rang.

“Ignore it,” he mumbled, as he continued to kiss me, but whoever was calling him was not giving up. I finally pulled away.

“What if it’s Enzo and he wants to talk about Irene?”

Sighing, he grabbed his phone with one hand while he pressed the other against my breast, and then his hand on my breast fell limply to his side.

When he hung up, he was frowning.

“What’s it? Is it about The Strangler?”

Ryden shook his head, his eyes conflicted. He was thinking whether he wanted to tell me this thing he had just heard on the phone. He finally took in a deep breath as if he was preparing himself for what was to come.

“It’s Reah. It’s about the woman who killed Victor.”

Fuck to the no. Not now, Kat hissed.

“You’re still chasing this phantom woman?” I asked, moving away from him. “Why?”

“She’s real. I met her.” I shook my head with a dubious look, and he exhaled loudly. “You asked me why I was looking for Victor’s killer,” Ryden said as he stared into my eyes, and I felt a cold trickle up my spine.

He looked like he was ready to give me answers, but fewer secrets would mean we were slowly going to a place I feared to go.