Page 96 of Heartless Legacy

He chuckles. “So you’re basically gonna stalk and chase her again?”

“Basically.”

Chapter 57

Holden

One of the first things I ever noticed about Thea is how perceptive she is. The minute she sees us, she says to Finn, “Don’t bother wasting your breath, Finn. I still don’t care about your new scheme to manipulate the companion process.”

To me, she says, “I’m not interested in being chased. Wecan’tjust pick up where we left off, and there isn’t any way to move on from here.”

I don’t believe that and I don’t accept that. I tell her, “There are plenty of ways to move on. We just have to find the option that works best for us.”

“There is no us, Holden. I did a lot of thinking when I was away, and coming back and seeing how everyone moved on has been enlightening. It’s proven that we’re all on different paths and want different things out of life. You two need to accept that whatever we had, whatever we were trying to be, is over.”

Finn shakes his head. “You’re only saying that because you’ve lost faith in us. I get it. We made a mistake in just assuming you left. We should’ve questioned things sooner, and should have dug around more. You’d think we’d have learned our lesson from the last time, but we didn’t. We were idiots. Just be patient withus, Thea. This is still happening, and we’ll do better. We’llbebetter than the men we were when you first met us. Better than we were last year. We can do this. We can be whatever you need. This isn’t over.”

“You’re not listening, Finn. I don’t want that, and I never asked you to change for me. I just want you to leave me alone.” Her brows furrow. “Why are you smiling?”

“You don’t want us to be better men for you?” I ask.

That little crease in her forehead deepens. She’s so cute when she’s confused. “No. I’m not responsible for what you decide to do with your life. You’re the ones who have to live with the consequences of your actions.”

“Then we won’t be better men. We’ll be exactly who we’ve always been. Men who overstep boundaries and take what we want.” I say, taking a step towards her. “Men who use our power and influence, and threaten people to look the other way.”

Finn circles around her, adding, “Men who are willing to kill and could get away with murder.” He stops behind her, leaning his chin against her shoulder. “Do you have anyone you want me to murder, Pet?”

“Other than yourselves?”

“I would gladly flatline for you if you promise that when the doctors bring me back, you’ll climb onto my dick and ride me until I feel like my heart’s ready to give out again.”

She rolls her shoulder, shoving him off. “Back off, Finn.”

I do the opposite of what she’s said, crowding her, forcing her back against his chest. I nod at him and he grabs her arms, holding them behind her back.

With my hand at her throat, I say, “If you don’t want us to be nice guys, then we’re more than happy to continue operating at our worst. I’m glad you want it to be this way. There are so many things I can and will do to you. So many ways to make you beg me to stop. To have you screaming my name. You talked aboutconsequences. What are the consequences for you if you come back to us?”

That fear that she tries so hard to hide flashes in her eyes. Her body trembles, but she tries to hide that, too. I rub my nose along her chin and up to her ear. “I told you before that there shouldn’t be anything in this world you fear more than me. I’m going to have so much fun reminding you of that fact.”

“Get the hell away from her.” I snap my head to the side and snort at the guy approaching us with his hands clenched into fists, like he’s ready for a fight.

I step away and Finn releases her arms. Not because we give a shit about the threat in his voice, but because I see what Thea doesn’t want me to see. She gasps for air and says, “It’s okay, Ryland. They were just leaving.”

He’s looking at us like he’s ready to murder us for breathing the same air as her. That’s irritating and comforting at the same time. I like that Thea has someone looking out for her, and I hate that he thinks he has a right to get between us. I don’t know enough about him to engage. My shoulders brush hers as I walk by. My parting words are, “Stalk you soon, Thea.”

I’d planned to give Thea a few weeks to get used to the idea of me lurking in the shadows, but it’s been two days andI’m already stalking her around town. I couldn’t stop thinking about her reaction. There was a moment of genuine fear and panic when Finn and I crowded around her. But there was also a glimmer of interest in her eyes when I mentioned hunting and holding her down. No matter what she says about us being over, that spark of attraction is still there. She’s still intrigued by the thought of being prey and narrowly escaping danger.

I used to give her warnings and set limits, but that was when I was trying to moderate my behavior and be better for her after her attack. By her own admission, she doesn’t want better, so she’ll get me going on pure instinct and need from now on.

It’s late afternoon in the annex, with plenty of light left in the day. She and LJ have gone into a few stores but came out of each one empty-handed. Every few stores, Thea looks around, scanning the crowd for something, as if she senses me.

When she stops, I meld into the bodies, letting them hide me from sight. Sometimes I get close to her. When I do, I feel the nervous charge in the air. I don’t want her scared. Not yet. This is just a warmup. A little nudge to help her remember how much of an adrenaline rush the hint of danger can be.

I smile as she pulls LJ to a stop in front of a window, using its reflection to spot what she’s correctly identified as a tail. I remain in place, letting her get a glimpse of me, before disappearing into the crowd.

Chapter 58

Thea

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