Page 73 of Scorching Lies

“Ryker!” West calls out.

Rushing to his side we climb into the ambulance with the team of EMT’s hauling us. Ally is moved to the side by G who is looking at us with a broken expression. Cole is his brother too. A young guy climbs in the back with us to check over Cole. They haven’t pulled the sheet over him so I allow myself to hope. Hope is a dangerous thing. It’s almost like fire. It builds and grows until you’re filled with it.

“Please don’t leave us, brother. We still need you here with us.”

He’s too still. A chill falls over me. I drop my head and pray for the first time since my father died. I can’t lose my baby brother. I won’t be able to survive this. I'm not strong enough. Looking out the open door, grey eyes meet mine. With a nod of her head she watches as the doors close, shutting us off from each other.

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

KENNA

The flashing lights start to fade when G steps up beside me.

“Ally’s waiting in the car around back. I’ll pull it around for you so you can have a moment to yourself.”

His voice cracks. Reaching for his hand I squeeze it before letting him go. It’s a silent comfort that I can offer him when I have nothing else to give. He walks away, leaving me standing in darkness, feeling like I did two years ago when I lost Paige and Alec. Only this time I’ll be losing so much more. Ryker will never be the same. I’ve lost a brother and the man who dug himself deep into my soul. Planting himself between my ribs making a home in my heart.

Hearing tires approach, I go to step forward when a hand closes over my mouth. Fighting against the hold my lungs scream at me. Unable to pull in a full breath, my head swims. My vision starts to fade, my nose burning with the smell of chemicals, I can feel my eyes drifting.

“I told you I’d see you soon, Princessa.”

That voice. It’s the one from my nightmares. My lips part to scream but I realize it’s too late when my body gives out and darkness consumes me.

The End

EPILOGUE

GIO

Two week later

“Where the fuck are you?” The voice on the other line snaps at me.

Pulling my phone away from my ear, my eyes fall to the screen, where the unknown number stares back at me.

“I’m already taking a chance by calling you. If the brothers knew I was reaching out for anything at all I’d be dead.”

The soft voice on the other end laughs. “I thought you were their little pet.”

Continuing my pacing around the beach house, I can feel my hand shaking around the phone.

“Me being family means this call is even more risky than if I were just another hands man. Letting someone know what’s going on behind the scenes?” I scoff.

Shaking my head, my toe digs a hole into the dirt, trying to calm my racing heart. Everything has went to shit the last two weeks. Cole… I don’t think I can process everything that’s happened with my brother. A brother in every sense of the word.

“Then why did you call me?” She says, relaxed.

My body coils tight at her lazy tone.

“Kenna Kingston.”

It’s the only name that will pull her from whatever the fuck she’s doing. Ryker can’t know I called her or anyone else for that matter, but it’s all hands on fucking deck. I’ve had my own reasons for what I’ve done in the past, but Kenna has always been safe with me. It’s the one reason Ryker and the others never gave me the call to put hands on her. They knew what the answer would be. A big fuck you and fuck no. What people seem to forget is the Stone brothers were raised to know loyalty and respect, so me standing my ground means something to them. It’s why I can tell them to fuck off and still have my tongue in my mouth.

“Talk to me.”

I almost forget she’s still on the line, my attention on the black SUV heading this way, speeding through the small street.

“I’ve got company.”

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