Page 15 of Ruthless Legacy

Her laugh draws my attention back across the room. Some idiot from The Prides is standing over her. I recognize him. He’s the one who was crawling at her feet. Fucker cannot take a hint. A hand clamps down on my shoulder. I shrug it off, stand, and stalk over to her table.

Her jaw tenses, and she glares at me as I get closer. “Didn’t I tell you to stay away from her?”

I notice Thea linking her arm through his, pulling him closer. She stares pointedly at me and then at my table, while he has the audacity to smirk at me. It takes everything in me not to pull him away from her, but I know Thea well enough to know how she’ll respond if I do.

“This isn’t over.”

He chuckles at my warning. Idiot. I wasn’t talking to him.

Chapter9

Deacon

Just when I thought I had enough reasons to hate The League of the Daggered Ravens, life hands me one more. I want nothing to do with them and would end our working relationship if I could. Outside of business, I try to avoid coming into contact with the members. My grandfather’s company often supplements security for events attended by the legacy families. They like to keep tabs on changes within family dynamics and business relationships to pinpoint possible threats.

My family and I are all too busy doing our own things, but we’ve made a monthly basketball game a priority. Even the family members who don’t play show up to cheer the teams on and we have a huge spread of food waiting for us afterwards.

It was during our feast that my grandfather brought up Joshua Laurent, casually announcing that he’s done the one thing I’ve been trying to prevent, since the moment I found out Thea was fighting in Syl’s underground club.

The League knows she’s a skilled fighter and somehow the Laurent bloodline is now designated as a Guardian line. Thea’s being fast-tracked for MISTIC. I don’t get involved in league business, but I understand how it works.

They issued Thea a provisional title of legacy student. The Laurent family line was frozen, so thawing it out was easy. After jumping through some stupid hoops to prove loyalty, it’s all paperwork signing for the senior male of the bloodline for reinstatement.

What the fuck happened that The League changed tactics? Laurent knows what The Guardians do. He knows what they are. Why the hell would he agree?

I set my clipboard on my desk and scrub my hands over my face. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t shaved in two days, and I have back-to-back training sessions today. I might need to sub in for someone’s sparring partner, because I need to hit something.

Thea. Aguardian.I know she’d be amazing in that role, but I also know she’d have to give up her life, and her dreams, and pledge herself to whatever family line she gets assigned to. Or she’ll have to take a job with Andor Reese. A third option is actually joining the military and working for the Department of Defense, but the structure of it all would drive her crazy. Someone would get hurt, and they don’t give conjugal visits in the brig at Miramar.

Laurent’s a fucking idiot. It’s not just Thea’s life he’s binding to The League. Her kids and grandkids wouldn’t get a choice in it either. Assuming she wants kids. Does she want kids? We’ve never talked about it. And why am I even thinking about it right now? Why am I thinking about it at all?Shit.I shut down my impending thought spiral about kids and focus on what’s happening in her life right now.

The League made their decision. Laurent has made his. Now, all I can do is explain to Thea what’s about to happen and make sure she’s prepared, just like I do with all the other MISTIC students.

I walk into the gym, just as Thea’s walking through the doors, her bag slung over her left shoulder. She’s healed, but when she fights, she’s still favoring her left side as if she’s afraid to test the integrity of her right.

“You’re late.”

With a roll of her eyes, she says, “My session starts in ten minutes.”

“Yes, but that only gives me ten minutes to do this.”

I lean down, kissing her hello. “I wish I could have done this, this morning.” I say, nibbling her lips.

I’ve given up all semblance of pretending there’s nothing between us. I don’t know what it is about this girl that makes me want to throw my self-control and professionalism out the window.

She pulls away, crossing her arms across her chest. “We need to talk.”

“Talk while you’re warming up, so you can properly gauge your perceived level of exertion.”

“Come on, Wolfe. This is serious.”

“Who’s kidding? You need to rebuild your stamina and since we’re not gonna do it with my cock buried inside of you, we’ll do it on the treadmill.”

She walks over to the machine in the middle and starts off at a brisk walk. I slowly up the speed and incline until she’s running. “Okay, what do you want to talk about?”

“I want you to tell me about The Guardian program.”

I’m careful not to react. For one, this isn’t a conversation we should be having in public. Two, I don’t want my personal opinions to influence her decision. “What about it?”

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