Page 22 of Falcon's Prey

The ride down to the elevator was quiet, and I could feel the unease that was rolling off Ember in waves. Her posture was stiff, she kept fidgeting, and I bet that if I touched that delicate vein in the arch of her nape, it would be strumming.

Interesting.

“Excited to see your father?” I asked once we made our way to the car.

“Sure.” She shrugged as she walked ahead faster.

She stopped by the door of the car, waiting for me to open it. Once I did, I touched her naked back and nudged her in. Since Marcus was with us, I let him drive.

As we made our way to the restaurant, both Marcus’s and my cell phones pinged. We looked at each other and then at Ember, who was oblivious to the change in atmosphere.

I pulled my phone out while Marcus kept driving.

“Change of plans,” I said as Ember turned to face me. “Your father and uncle have been in an accident.”

There wasa ninety-nine percent chance I was going to hell. Why, might you ask? Well, the first thought running through my mind should have been worry or sadness, not fear of who the hell was going to run Remington Enterprises since I was a fuckup, and the only thing I was good at was being a billboard on legs.

“Are they dead?” I asked.

Ren looked at me quizzically. His brows furrowed like he was trying to figure something out. I didn’t look at him; instead, I looked at Marcus through the mirror.

“Sam didn’t say,” Ren replied.

I nodded my head and closed my eyes as I let the guys take me to whichever hospital my father and Silas resided at. The city lights passed in a blur, and I kept my mind blank, not wanting to think about what was happening. Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

“Stay calm,” Ren’s deep baritone voice whispered in my ear soothingly, easing me a little, while his hand went to my knee that kept bouncing up and down.

I felt his cold palm like a million small nerve endings finding current and igniting me. I turned to look at him, and for the first time since I met him, I got lost in his eyes. They were like an endless abyss full of secrets that I wanted to reveal. Ren Falcon wasn’t a great guy—hell, he wasn’t even a good guy. He was an asshole, but he was worried about me.

I could count on one hand the number of times people had worried about me. I wasn’t a girl everyone liked; I knew that. I was an acquired taste, and that was my own doing.

“I’m fine,” I told Ren after I blinked back tears.

Marcus kept driving, and Ren kept his hand on my knee. I wanted to feel something other than the dread that had crept up on me. Slowly, without looking at him, I started to lift my leg, causing his hand to glide down lower. I felt Ren’s hot gaze on me, but I kept looking straight. I rested my leg in the middle, aware that if Marcus fixed his mirror, he would be seeing a lot more of me.

My heart stopped the moment Ren leaned up and grabbed a water bottle that was in the little fridge compartment by me. For a second, I feared he would stop, and I would be forced to face my emotions. Instead, he used the opportunity to move his hand to my apex. I opened my legs a little and let him feel the arousal he had created. When his fingers finally reached my pussy, the feel of his skin caused me to bite my lip. I wanted him. I made no secret of my want; I just didn’t think he would have given in so quickly.

Ren leaned close. I had a feeling he wanted to tell me something, so I made it easier for him. His finger kept teasing my entrance, not moving just caressing.

“You’re that much of a slut that you’d get wet at a time like this?” His voice was soft, but his words cut.

Grinning, he removed his finger and made a show of pouring water on it and wiping it clean.

Marcus turned at that moment and gave him a questioning look. “What the fuck are you doing?”

My heart stopped for a second to see what he would say. I’d felt humiliated a time or two in my life, and I hated the way my stomach churned. I didn’t look at Ren, but I heard his response.

“I touched something nasty. Wanted it off my skin.”

I heard the mocking in his tone, and I was glad I had a fucked-up childhood that I was able to control my reactions. Shortly after, Marcus parked at the front of the hospital. I didn’t wait for Ren to open my door; I got out and ran inside.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?” Ren barked, holding on to my arm.

“I don’t know? To see if I’m finally an orphan,” I spat.

Ren didn’t say more, and his hold on my arm lessened but not by much.

When we got to the front desk, upon hearing my name, the nurse sent us to the VIP wing of the hospital—you know, only the best for my family. When the elevator doors opened, my stomach dropped when I saw Silas. He was pacing the hall, looking undone. There was a gash on his head, but other than that, he looked fine, albeit nervous. I stopped walking, and so did Ren. The hand that was gripping my arm now rested on my bare back, and he pushed me gently as if he was giving me strength.

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