Page 31 of Tainted Saints

“I can say shit like that, and more,” he grits back, grabbing her wrists and pulling her to him, her soft body falling into his. “The Saints take care of what belongs to us, and you, Aspen Buckingham, fall into that category.” And before she can deny it, he slams his lips against hers.

She tries to pull away, but his grip is too tight, and he just hauls her closer until not a sliver of air is between them. Fuck, it’s quite possibly the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, and I can’t tear my gaze away as he claims her until she sags against him. I watch as all the tension leaves her body, and with a sob, she kisses him back, her fingers clenching against the bare skin of his chest, digging in as if she is desperate to keep him.

After a moment, he finally pulls away, his eyes glazed and both their chests heaving as they stare at each other.

“You. Belong. To. Us,” he states again, panting. “And nothing, fucking no one, will stand in our way.”

They stay locked, staring at each other for several long moments, and my heart races, waiting to hear what she says.

Her chest rises with a deep inhale, the exhale loud in the silent room.

“Regardless, I have to go back. Tonight, and you can’t be seen,” she tells him as a smile tilts my lips. She didn’t deny it, that’s a fucking win in my books. “If only I had my phone, I could call Bobby,” she muses, breaking their stare, her hands still resting on Lan’s chest, like she can’t bear to pull away just yet.

“I know Bobby’s number,” Blaine confesses in that quiet way of his, and her head whips around to him.

“How?” A chuckle escapes me at the look of confusion across her pretty features.

“He’s a cousin of my mama’s,” Blaine admits, his jaw tensing at the mention of his mom. Fuck, the wound he has for not being able to save her is still raw and bleeding, even when it wasn’t his job as he was only a fucking kid.

“Oh,” she remarks, her brows still furrowed, and I pray that she doesn’t find out we put him in the position of her family’s driver in the hope of gathering intel about her shit of a father. Not sure how well that would go down. “Can you get him to pick me up please? I don’t think he would tell the Ambassador…” Lan lets go of one of her hands to smooth the deep lines between her brows as she trails off.

“We’ll make sure he doesn’t,” he assures her, and although I can see the question in her face as she gazes at him, she doesn’t ask.

The low rumble of Blaine on the phone is quick, then he turns back to us. “He’s on his way.”

I hate the way her body tightens, the way she straightens up as if preparing for a battle that she knows she will lose. Striding over to her and Lan, I push the still damp hair away from her neck, not resisting my urge to kiss her soft skin. Fuck, she smells good. It’s a mixture of us and her own floral scent that makes me feel like anything is possible.

“Let’s get you dressed again, sugar,” I murmur against her skin, wanting nothing more than to get her in one of our beds and keep her all night, sandwiched between the three of us as we worship her stunning body.

“Okay,” she answers in a voice so small that my heart aches with the sadness buried in it.

Lan releases his grip, and I lead her to the pile of clothes that Blaine carefully folded on the back of the old armchair. He took more care than he usually does, but she's worth the extra effort.

I help her take off my hoodie, then Blaine’s T-shirt, and finally, Lan’s sweats and socks. Jesus fucking Christ, I will never get used to seeing her naked, thin as she is. I hate the way her bones jut out, but with Lan’s cooking, we’ll have her curves back in no time.

It’s a lesson in self-control that I’m sure I will fail every fucking second, getting her dressed in her own clothes, minus panties of course. Those are in my pocket and I’ll be keeping them for later, which only makes me think of being balls deep inside her wet heat, and the desire that runs through my veins makes me feel as though I’m on fucking fire.

All too soon she’s covered up, and Blaine gets a message from Bobby telling him that he’s waiting downstairs.

“We’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” I tell her, cupping her face in my palms and kissing those lush lips of hers before she can answer. I hate the fact I can taste salt, that her sorrow is nothing I can fix. Although, a part of me loves that she doesn’t want to leave us, that given the choice, she would stay. I never said I wasn’t a bastard sometimes.

“See you tomorrow, Forest,” she breathes out when I release her, and there’s a catch in her voice that has my soul screaming to not let her go. With a final, small peck on her lips, I use every ounce of willpower to step away, hands fisted at my sides to stop from snatching her back and keeping her here.

Blaine pulls her to him next, not saying a single word but the way he holds her like she’s the most precious thing he’s ever been allowed to touch speaks volumes. I watch as he kisses her deeply, her hands clutching his face like it’s her lifeline. My chest warms at the sight, at the fact that my chosen brothers, my soulmates, feel the same way I do about this beautiful creature that we don’t deserve but get to touch anyway.

They pull away, her eyes sparkling with the tears that she refuses to let fall. Then Blaine forces himself away, coming to stand by me as Lan takes his place in front of her.

“We will see you tomorrow, Duchess,” he tells her, and although his words are so simple, they are full of a promise that is deeper than their meaning. We will be there for her, no matter what.

He presses a light kiss to her lips, the bastard leaving her wanting more. Then he takes her hand and opens the door. With a command to Bolt to stay, he walks out, taking our heart with him.

ChapterFifteen

“365” by Mother’s Daughter

ASPEN

Lan leadsme down to the car, our usual black Rolls that is idling next to the pavement, looking completely out of place in this run-down neighbourhood.

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