Page 93 of Fallen Princess: Shadow Stalker

“Eden,” the expression on Jagger's face is a clear signal for me to enter.

I’ve never seen these four in a fight, but I know they’re not afraid of getting dirty and using their knuckles. I’ve seen the calluses on Callum’s and Asher’s knuckles. I don’t know what they’ve been up to in the last decade, but I know you don’t get such a thing from picking flowers in a field. Obviously, they partake in activities they’ve never cared to discuss with me.

I should be worried, but I’m not.

Asher seems the introvert of the group, but I’ve always known he’s possibly the most lethal because everyone expects obvious bad boy Callum to be the one they should watch out for.

Pulling on Storm’s leash, I reluctantly head towards the door and shut it once inside. All our equipment lay unattended in the hallway, so I assume Storm’s heavy barking led them outside.

I gather everything together and pile them up as they’re blocking the only fire escape.

“Where are the boys?”

I turn to find thesilver foxbar owner. He’s nice-looking in a rough older man kind of way, but despite what I said earlier, I definitely am not attracted to older men. The guys know it, and that’s why I have someone like Rick trailing my ass.

“Taking care of business out back,” I won’t divulge details. The glint in his eyes suggests he knows what that entails.

“Come on then,” he tilts his head, beckoning me to follow him into the main bar area. “There’s a drink at the bar with your name on it.”

Except my mind is on what’s currently going on outside and that man’s T-shirt.

“And if I can’t entice you with the drink,” sensing my hesitation. “I’ll tell you all about how Callum Evans used to come in here and play for the crowd back in the day.”

My brow perks up. “Callum used to play here?”

He nods but stays silent, and I know I have to follow him back into the bar to learn more. Dammit, he has me now on the hook and is reeling me in.

“Come on, boy,” I say to Storm, intrigued to learn more, and we follow the older man into the bar area.

Chapter 24

The ride home wasfilled with silence and contemplation. After we finished dealing with those maggots in the back alley, we found Eden in the bar, and I came close to socking one at Frank for telling her about my past with the bar. I’m not embarrassed that I used to find my escape from everything by playing there, but there’s a part of me I’m not ready to release to her.

Although she found my secret life intriguing, she was also eager to find out what we discovered about the geezer with the printed shirt. There wasn’t much to go on with what he told us. He mentioned acquiring the garment from a free giveaway at Union Station, where someone was distributing them in a first-come-first-serve manner, eager to dispose of the merchandise. We put enough pressure on the two knobs to accept that whatever they had to admit was probably true.

They have no connection to Eden's stalker; it was purely coincidental that one of them received a free T-shirt with that particular design. They just happened to be in the bar when we played, and upon recognizing us, they saw an opportunity to approach Eden alone, hoping to corner her in the dark alley for a forced quickie or assault her with their minging knobs.

That last scenario unleashed something very dark and sinister with us four lads. We might be artists, musicians, or whatever creative introverts the public might see us as, but we’re men haunted by the shadows of a tumultuous past concerning Eden. We’re driven by an intoxicating cocktail of possessiveness and devotion towards her.

If they thought Storm’s bite was vicious, they were about to meet our wrath.

We felt the embers of anger ignite within us like a sinister flame when we saw the fear in Eden’s eyes and the relief on her face as we surrounded her.

Seeing her so vulnerable, the adrenaline surged through my veins, and a hot wave of rage consumed me. A primal fury coursed through me, an instinctive response to the threat that had dared to intrude upon someone I care for.

Her.

They dared to become a threat to her.

She might not be mine like she is to the other three, but that doesn’t mean the intense anger isn’t justified. It is this potent emotion that I harness, transforming it into a fierce, protective instinct.

Once Eden was inside the building, the lethal fury I held inside me unfolded, and my fists made their way to the two men. While Jagger and Haze skillfully extracted information through questioning, Asher and I ensured the mingers didn’t escape.

After our questions were laid to rest, the twats had nothing of value to us, so we unapologetically unveiled the harsh consequences reserved for maggots who dare threaten women. We weren’t merciful about it either.

As soon as we finished our mission, I made sure to get rid of the footage the bar’s security camera had recorded in that back alley. We were careful not to leave behind any evidence.

“I'll fetch the first aid kit,” Eden mumbles and disappears inside the house. I watch her walk up the winding staircase before joining the lads in the kitchen.

---