Page 80 of Tainted Saints

My feet follow him without thought, my body knowing the best way to avoid his anger is to obey without question. I enter the room behind him, my stomach in knots and heart racing as I look at the ground, not wanting to invoke any kind of anger.

The scent of lavender and leather washes over me, snapping my head up, and my stomach drops, my heart ceasing to beat altogether when I see Lan waiting by the large desk. I flinch as the door clicks shut behind me, my eyes never leaving the leader of the Saints.

“I’m not sure if it’s more insulting that you snuck behind my back, or that you thought I wouldn’t discover your deception,” the Ambassador says into the silence, and I swallow hard, tearing my eyes from Lan to look back at the man who sired me. He chuckles, but it’s a horrible sound, like the scratch of branches against a window in the dead of night. “Now, you both have a choice to make. You stop this foolishness and get on with your lives as if you’d never met, or I give my friends at the police department all the evidence I’ve gathered of the Tainted Saints criminal activity and you and yourbrothersgo down for a very, very long time.”

Pain lances my chest at his words that paint an all too vivid picture of Lan, Forest, and Blaine behind bars for the rest of their lives. Caged like beautiful beasts, never to be free, for I have no doubt that is what will happen. My legs feel weak, every breath I take like a rasp in my chest, burning and unable to really reach my lungs.

“You’re not the most powerful player on the board,” Lan grits out, and I swing my gaze to him, the skin on his face mottled, his lips pulled back, teeth barred as if he’s about to rip the throat of the Ambassador clean off.

The older man just chuckles again, goosebumps peppering my flesh. “Oh, you mean your mob ties? The federal government is very interested in those, having been after your uncle and his goons for years. What my team has on them will ensure swift and brutal punishment, not unlike what happened to your father.” My eyes widen, my heart cracking as Lan’s jaw clenches even more. “I'll leave you to make the right choice; this childish infatuation or your future.”

I’m frozen as the Ambassador leaves, shutting the door behind us. I don’t trust it, the space he’s given us, but I guess being faced with an impossible decision is punishment in itself. Just the sort of game he enjoys.

“We'll run.” Lan’s voice is deeper than I’ve ever heard it, and he turns to look at me, his midnight eyes fierce.

“He'll find us,” I breathe out, tears stinging my eyes, my entire world collapsing when the realisation hits me that there's only one choice.

“I don't fucking care, I'll keep running, Aspen.” His chest heaves, his voice choked with emotion as he steps closer.

“And Forest? Blaine? What happens when he catches them?” His jaw tightens once again, his fists clenching at his sides.

“So what? We just give up? We just let him win?” He throws his arms wide, his head shaking in denial, the whites of his eyes showing the panic that I feel to my very bones.

I can't fight it anymore, the need to be held by him is too strong. I go to him, pressing myself against his trembling body, and his arms immediately cage me to him, pulling me so close until there's no space between us. The devastation I've been holding back washes over me, drowning me, and for a few moments, I just sob as he holds me.

Somehow, I find the strength to rein it in enough to look up at him, finding his cheeks damp with his own sorrow.

“Tell them it was just a fling for me, just a rebellion against my father.” My voice is a broken whisper, the words cutting me and making me bleed as they leave my lips, hot tears trailing down my face.

“They won't believe me,” he tells me, his voice thick and broken. He knows that this is the only way, and I know he’ll do anything to protect his chosen brothers, his family.

“They will when they learn that I was engaged all along to Albert.” He rears back, but I grip the front of his T-shirt in my fists. “You have to make them believe it, Lan. It's the only way to keep them safe.” His jaw works, then he gives a nod, but his arms tighten around me to the point of pain. I don’t care though, it’s nothing compared to the fracturing of my soul right now.

“I will always fucking love you, Aspen Buckingham.” Fresh tears fall down his cheeks, and I have to force the words past the lump in my throat which threatens to choke me.

“I will always fucking love you, Landon.”

Then he leans down, placing his lips against my own and I taste the salt of our despair, coating us like a black mist that clings to your very bones and chills you to the core. All too soon, our kiss ends and he lets me go, taking one step, then another, turning around and striding from the room, leaving me more alone than I’ve ever been.

Then I shatter into a thousand tiny pieces as I crumple to the floor and wish my heart would stop beating.

ChapterThirty-Three

“The Good Die Young” by Elley Duhé

FOREST

She won’t even lookat us. Every fucking day this week I’ve tried to gain her attention and it’s like we don’t exist, Albert’s hands all fucking over her as she hangs around with his crew, even ignoring her friend, the Irish one.

When Lan came back from that party, his eyes red, and told us what the Ambassador had said, what she’d tried to convince him to tell us, I was all for ending her father right now.

I wasn’t angry at our girl, she was doing what she thought it took to protect us, but how many fucking times did I tell her that we can take care of ourselves? I guess we just have to show her.

My phone pings as I sit on our couch, knowing that this Friday evening no knock will sound on the door.

Wallace

Sacromant County Park. This Saturday, 9pm.

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