Page 41 of Claimed By Shadows

“You’ve been a very bad boy, Adrian,” Roman tells him, his voice soft and chiding like he’s disciplining a child.

“And it’s time to face the consequences of your actions,” Hunter adds, stepping into the light, and even I want to shiver at the look of pure, unfiltered rage in his green eyes.

I know it’s not just for Lilly that he’s doing this, that any of us are doing this. In part, it’s because we can’t punish the one we truly want. Not yet anyway.

“Who the fuck are you?” Adrian demands, his voice shaking just a little as Roman and I step up beside Hunt.

“We’re just Shadows,” I whisper, my voice low with the pleasure that is thrumming through my veins. The promise of bloodshed always has this effect on me. It makes my blood sing like nothing else. Well, not until I made Iris bleed, then my blood positively roared. “We’re not the ones you should be afraid of tonight.”

“HEATHENS” BY TWENTY-ONE PILOTS

ROMAN

The scent of burning fills the air as Hunt, Rowan, and I watch the mansion Rowan and I have been spending most of our time at blaze, the fire lighting up the night sky around us. Tonight was finally the night where the Knights came to rescue Lilly, and their vengeance was a thing of fucking beauty. We even got to take part a little, which helped the beast within us all, given that we can’t hurt the man we all really want to.

“We best get going before the authorities arrive,” Hunt orders, striding towards our truck, which is parked a little bit down the driveway.

He has droplets of blood trickled across his arms and chest. We all do after that bonding session, giving the man a six-pack. Shots to each ankle, knee, and elbow, just like traitors to the Irish Cause received during the Troubles. Fingers will be so proud when I tell him.

“Come, brother. Tomorrow we can both surprise Iris when we visit,” I tell Rowan, who’s staring into the flames like they hold answers to all the questions in the universe.

“And then we let Nikolai blow up our club in six days’ time,” Rowan responds, his jaw tight as he tears his gaze away from the flames and turns towards the direction our truck is in. I sling an arm over his shoulders.

“Yeah, but it’s for Iris. To help keep her safe,” I say, tugging him down the driveway, our feet crunching on the gravel.

“And helps further his cause of taking over from his father. Don’t forget that,” he grumbles, and I pause in my steps.

“True,” I reply slowly, considering. “But I mean, it won’t hurt to be in bed with the Bratva.” A grin splits my lips at his huff of laughter. I thought my double entendre was rather clever.

“True,” he mimics my earlier agreement. “Though that benefits you and Hunt in other ways.”

“And Iris. Don’t forget she likes to watch, brother, and you can be there to take advantage of her arousal.” His skin flushes,his tongue darting out to lick his lips, and I know that he’s imagining all the ways he can indulge. He’s not bi, not like Hunt and I, although as far as I’m aware, we’ve only been with each other in that way, never another man. Well, until Nik, that is, and I cannot wait to finally get us all together. We will definitely need a bigger bed for that.

“Also true, and I suppose having to put up with the Russians is a small price to pay,” he muses, and I bark a laugh as we approach the truck.

He steps out from under my arm, opening the back door and climbing inside, leaving the front passenger seat for me. How considerate.

Something inside my chest loosens as I climb in, and then we drive off. We can now focus all our energy on Iris and her recovery, which, given what happened earlier, seems to be coming along in leaps and bounds.

Holding her again and feeling her fall apart at the seams was like a dream come true. Better than a dream, because it was real, and she is everything I’ve ever wanted and more. Especially with Hunt there.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“NOT AFRAID ANYMORE” BY HALSEY

IRIS

“Hunter is on his way. He said he’ll have breakfast with you in the room you saw him in yesterday,” Rufus informs me as I emerge from my room. My heart pounds as I walk down the hallway, turning at the bottom of the stairs to head in that direction rather than go to the dining hall. My steps are hurried, my sole focus on seeing with my own eyes that Hunter is okay and getting the story of what happened last night out of him. Did Lilly make it out okay? Are they all okay?

Hunt’s had breakfast with me a few times, not something that other residents seem to have experienced much of as it’s outside of normal visiting hours. Though Hunter Anderson seems to have some kind of sway here, allowing him to bend the rules a little, probably because of the generous donations to the centre.

Rufus follows behind me like he usually does, stepping ahead and checking the room before he allows me to enter. Then hewaits just inside the door as I pace across the plush rug, the room clean and made up perfectly, as if my tryst with Hunt and Roman didn’t happen yesterday.

I freeze when the door opens, then am rushing at Hunt, throwing myself in his arms with a small sob as my heart thuds wildly inside my chest.

“Shhhh, Peaches. It’s okay, we’re all okay,” he soothes in a deep voice, the sound of the door closing softly behind him reaching my ears. “Lilly is fine. She even got her revenge and was magnificent.”

My lungs expand, a warmth filling my stomach as I take in his words. Good for her. I’m glad she could get that closure and hope that one day I may be able to do the same. Make Sergi hurt the way he made me hurt. I’ve never been a violent person, but I am changed now, and a part of me needs to seek vengeance on those who have wronged me, starting with Sergi Petrov. Perhaps ending with my father, but that is for another day. One step at a time.

---