Page 35 of The Oath We Take

She nods as if everything suddenly makes sense. “And that’s why we’re here. I’m officially a cockblocker and feel very proud of that status.”

I can’t help but laugh. It eases the tension I’ve felt since he arrived. “You are, indeed, a cockblocker. He kissed me. Before he left for Sturgis.”

Raven grips my arm. “So, your feelings are reciprocated? He just can’t act on whatever feelings he has for you?”

“I don’t know what he has for me. He didn’t seem very happy when he was looking at the video from last night.”

“Of course he wasn’t.” Raven places her glass on the breakfast bar. “I wouldn’t want to see you get assaulted either.”

“It wasn’t that. It was Rocco. Atom was mad before he even saw the Russians.”

Raven grins. “So, tell me more about your date. Tell me about Rocco. How did it go?”

The men choose that moment to head back into the apartment, but I answer the question. “The basics are he’s tall, dark hair, gorgeous eyes. Built more like a swimmer than a bodybuilder. Works for his father’s property development company. And most important, he took the initiative. Asked me for my number and when I gave it to him, he messaged me. He organized the date, picked me up, and brought me home. And was willing to step into the line of fire for me.”

Raven buries her grin by taking a sip of wine. She knows I’m deliberately speaking loud enough for Atom to hear.

“Didn’t stop you from getting hurt, though, did he?” Atom says.

“Better than leaving her to deal with it on her own, though.” Wraith looks to Raven. “I gotta go, Blue. Be about eleven before I’m free to take you home.”

“That’s fine,” she says. “The sitter said she’d stay until twelve if we needed her to. Ember and I have a lot to talk about.”

Wraith pulls Raven to him and kisses her in a way that should likely be reserved for their private bedroom activities. And I find my heart burns at just how much this man loves his fiancée and doesn’t care who knows it.

I want a piece of that for myself. Not with Wraith, obviously, but…

I look at Atom and find he’s watching me, not them.

11

ATOM

“How on earth did you pick this book?” I hear Ember say when they all finally sit down to discuss it.

I’ve been sitting at the breakfast bar for the last hour. Catfish went to my house and picked up some things I need: additional weapons, clean clothes, and my laptop.

At first, I was messaging with Vex and sending him all the files so we can find as many details about these men as possible. It was hard to get hold of him, at first. Still in Sturgis, the New Jersey brother was throwing back the beers. Took Vex a while to answer, even longer to sober up enough to help.

When the members of the book club first arrived, there was a lot of concern about whether Quinn and Ember were both okay. They’re both really shaken and scared. The feeling we somehow let our small town down doesn’t sit well.

Wraith told me that Sheriff Tanner Radcliffe was in Butcher’s face earlier, telling him to stay out of his way while he investigates. Butcher told him he stood a better chance of becoming a professional pole dancer than of us staying out of it.

“Hey, if we have to read a romance book about secret soldiers mixed with animal DNA to make them fighting machines that also like fucking humans, you do too,” Dawn says as she grabs a cracker from the platter Raven brought.

“That’s a succinct summary of what we just read,” Quinn says.

Raven tucks her feet beneath her on the sofa. “Yes. But look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t love it.”

I glance back to my laptop, but I hear Ember laugh. Sweetest fucking sound. “Fine. Yes,” she says. “It was hot as all hell. And I’ve already queued up book two.”

Hearing her say something was hot as hell is like an adrenaline shot to my dick. So is being in her orbit. Over the years, I’ve done my best to stay away from her. Even when we lock down at the clubhouse or at one of the family cookouts.

But now, I’m fully immersed in her. I’m in her apartment, amongst her friends, sleeping in bedding that smells of her laundry detergent.

I need to remember I’m here because I’m the one her father trusts to keep her safe. I’m the one mypresidenttrusts.

“I’m on book three,” Raven says. “We’re so bad. But given Wraith was supposed to be away, I was happy to have a series to binge. Fen asked me what I was reading, and I sort of lied to him a little. He said it sounded boring, then shot back to the den to play with the Legos Wraith got him before he left. The unfortunate thing about parenting is sometimes you want to yell that books about humans bred with lion DNA who become man lions that have big tongues and purr when they go down on you are amazing, not boring. Yet you have to keep that all inside and simply nod.”

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