Page 56 of Don't Look Away

“The guys and I will handle him…”

And I don’t know why, but the way he says that sounds so damn ominous…

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Roman

I’m pacingthe length of my bedroom, waiting for Lux to finish with the ritual, and come up. Pure, undiluted anger snakes through my veins like poison, and I feel it so deeply that I struggle to breathe. I could kill every one of my brothers downstairs for what they did,especiallyLucas.

The fucking betrayal.

They knew I didn’t want Lux initiated, so they just went behind my back instead, citing some dumb-ass law from a hundred-plus years ago.

Fuck them.

There’s a knock on my door. Lux doesn’t usually knock, but maybe under the circumstances, she feels like that’s safer. In two strides, I’m across the room, ripping the door open. On the other side, standing in the doorway, are Jackson, Christian, and Lucas.

My gaze immediately locks on Lucas. “You fucking asshole,” I spit, lunging at him. I manage to get ahold of his collar before the other two pry me off him. Lucas takes a step back into the hallway, and shakes it off, straightening his shirt.

“We came to talk,” Christian says, his grip on my right arm solid.

I shake Jackson and Christian off me, then return to pacing, turning to point an angry finger at mysupposedbrothers. “You’re all fucking cunts for what you just pulled downstairs. YouknewI didn’t want her initiated. You fuckingknewthat.”

Jackson holds his hands up, palms out. “Whoa, dude. Lucas told you why we had to do it. She foundyourbook of bylaws. We had no choice.”

“No choice,” I repeat, still pacing. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”

“Bullshit?” Lucas repeats, incredulous. “Those are the rules, Roman, and you fucking know it.”

I pause, turning on him. “Fuck that. We could have kept this between us, the Sons. No one would have known.”

“And if she’d talked to non-members about what she saw?” Jackson asks.

I scowl at him. His hypothetical scenario is ridiculous. “She wouldn’t have talked.”

“The only way to guarantee that,” Lucas says, “Is to initiate her. You know that, Roman. Protect the society at all costs. That was our oath.”

These assholes are getting on my last nerve, and my fucking veins feel like they’re on fire. Turning to the wall, I slam my fist into the plaster over, and over, andover,until my knuckles bleed.

It’s Christian who finally pulls me away. I shrug him off and start pacing again, like a lion in a cage. Energy crackles inside me, and all I want is to shove my fist into someone’s face.

“We have something else to tell you.” Jackson leans against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He never really gives anything away, but I can tell, whatever he’s about to tell me isn’t good.

I stop my pacing and pin Jackson with a hard stare. “What is it?”

Jackson glances over at Christian for support.

“Just fucking tell me,” I bite out impatiently.

Christian pushes out a harsh breath like they might as well get this over with. “We asked Lux to crash somewhere else for the next few days.”

I narrow my eyes at Christian. The rage I felt just a few minutes ago is nothing to the fury that bubbles up inside my chest now. I flex my hands at my sides, stretching my fingers out, then balling them into fists, over and over. “I’m sorry,” I manage to say evenly, tilting my head to the side. “You didwhat?”

Jackson and Lucas step forward to shield Christian, who takes a step back. He lifts his hands in surrender. “You’re not yourself, Roman. You need a couple of days to chill and get your emotions under control.”

I step forward, my gaze fixed on Christian’s pretty boy face, and I envision shoving my fist right through that cocky smile. “And who the fuck areyouto tell me whatIneed?”

Lucas shoves the palm of his hand into my shoulder, trying to stop me from advancing on his twin. “Don’t forget who we are, Roman,” he says. “We’re your fucking brothers. We’re on your side. We’re not the enemy.”

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