Page 33 of Grave Games

Yeah, no kidding. Clearly he’d rolled back into my life for the sole purpose of chasing me out of Chicago. Then as far as he was concerned, that would have been that—no more kid sister to worry about. Never mind that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else to go, or a job waiting for me in some other random city or state. As long as I wasn’t a problem for him to be bothered with, that was as far as his thinking had gone.

And to think I’d believed he was my hero.

Geez.

Was it any wonder I had trust issues?

“Shiloh.” It was amazing, how the faint wheedling in his voice made me want to stab him. Too bad I’d already put the knives I’d used to cut up the chicken and veggies in the dishwasher. “Come on, don’t be like this. I need you, okay? I don’t have anyone on my side going into this.”

“Then you know how I’ve felt the past four years.” I heard the flatness of my tone, the unyielding coldness, and wondered if that was what I’d become. In that moment, the answer had to be a resoundingyes. “You said you kept track of me. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Then do you know Mom and Dad blamed me for you dropping out of college and joining a frigging motorcycle gang?”

He blinked. “What?”

“Yeah. They thought the same thing I did—that you’d traded yourself to save me when I was stupid enough to fall into their clutches. Dad… he was my childhood hero, you know? He had always been so wonderful, the amazing man who could fix anything with either his handyman skills, or his gentle words of wisdom. But do you know what he called me when I was finally dropped off a block from our house and I managed to stumble my way back home? A fallen woman, whatever the hell that is, who, quote, acted like a whore and ruined the family, close quote.”

Josh flinched.

“Why do you think Dad said that, Josh? I was eighteen, a late bloomer, and I didn’t know anything about the world. All I did was go out on a date withyourfriend… and suddenly I’macting like a whore. What on earth did you tell them?”

“I just… didn’t tell them anything, except that you had gone off with Marvel, and that Mom and Dad shouldn’t call the police because we knew where you were. I don’t remember what I said exactly, but I may have made it sound like you wanted to be where you were, because I didn’t want them to worry.”

I felt sick. “Oh God, Josh.”

“I was a kid and I made mistakes every step of the way, but I swear I finally figured things out, Shiloh, okay? Hades wanted me, not you, so I manned up and did the right thing. I traded myself for you.”

“Eventually. Thanks for that, I guess. But by then, of course, it was too late. I’d lost my virginity, my sanity, my hope of ever feeling clean again. I wanted to die. And then the cherry on top was Dad calling me afallen womanwhose actions had lost him his perfect, brilliant son. Fucking unbelievable.”

Josh winced. “Shiloh… shit, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Well, now you do. I haven’t seen Mom or Dad for four years, Josh. Did you know that? I don’t even want to. Our family ties dissolved long ago, and up until today I thought it was all my fault. I’m sure Mom and Dadstillthink it’s my fault. Honestly, it’s like we’ve never had a single moment where we were just an ordinary, happy family who loved each other, and the loss of that is so sad I can hardly bear the heartbreak of it.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement in the doorway, and I turned my attention back to the cookie sheet. “Not that any of that matters now. Put on your game face, because you have other fish to fry.”

“Fried fish sounds good for lunch, but whatever’s cooking in here smells even better.” A massive mountain of a man appeared with Romeo in the doorway, and I knew right away this had to be the president of the breakaway renegade chapter known only as the Gravediggers. Nearly six and a half feet tall with shoulders a linebacker would have been proud of, he lifted his chin at me, his jaw-length dark blonde hair slicked behind his ears, matching a beard manicured so short it could almost be considered scruff. “Name’s Tyr. Looks like Chef’s little sister can cook as well.”

Annnd, that was all it took to make me hate his guts. “Soup plates are on the counter along with the spoons and Cheddar Bay biscuits,” I said, deadpan. “Sodas and water are in the fridge, and there’s a fresh pot of coffee in the coffeemaker next to the creamer and sugar. Cookies will have cooled down enough for you after you’ve finished lunch. I’m going to my room and turning on some music nice and loud, because club business is your business, not mine. No need to say goodbye when you all leave. Just… leave.” With a polite nod I’d perfected at my waitressing job, I didn’t look at anyone as I left, wondering if I’d ever see any of them again after today.

Probably not.

Clearly there was no reason for me to cross paths with the man named Tyr again. My brother had proven himself to be a destructive force that put hurricanes to shame, so I was more than happy to keep my distance from him. And Romeo…

Damn.

Romeo.

My throat tightened as I closed my bedroom door, flicked on the portable speaker sitting on my dresser, then focused on changing out the sheets and making my bed. It was obvious now why Romeo had been so determined to stay in my life. It hadn’t been because he’d been obsessively hot for me. God, no. The straight-up fact was that my brother was a valuable commodity. Josh had been right to laugh at how Romeo “just happened” to cross my path. Like Marvel before him, Romeo had done everything in his power to use me to get his hooks into Josh.

Damn all bikers everywhere, I silently raged while humiliation pounded through me like poison. Damn them to hell. I hated,hated, them all.

Just as I shoved the dirty sheets into the hamper located inside the closet, the bedroom door opened and Romeo stepped inside. “Shy, baby, you should eat something. This is probably going to take a while.”

It took everything I had to not look at that heartbreakingly handsome face. If I did, I might allow myself to believe the lie that he actually gave a damn about me. He didn’t. Of course he didn’t. “I’m not going back out there until you all are gone.”

“You all?” In a handful of strides he planted himself in front of me, practically standing in the closet so he could grab my chin and force me to look at him. “You saying you want to seemegone?”

“I’m saying you being gone from my life is exactly what’s going to happen now that you’ve got what you wanted, Marvel. Oops, I mean Romeo.” I gave him a sharp smile, wishing it was sharp enough to cut him down to size. “Sorry. My bad. The two of you are just so alike, it was an honest mista—”

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