Page 29 of Revenant

I’m so distracted by the white specs in his blue eyes that I almost don’t hear him.

Almost.

“What secrets?” A pit grows in my stomach, and I brace myself for the worst.

“You asked why we came to rescue you?” A mask descends over his face, one he uses to keep the rest of the world at bay. Despite any misgivings I might have about their secrets, I hate that he feels he must protect himself from me. “The guys and I have unique skills we use to protect ourselves. You’re one of us now. You deserve the truth.”

My brows scrunch up in confusion, and I can’t take the suspense anymore. “I don’t understand. Are you part of the mafia or something?”

A tiny smile quirks the corner of his lips, amusement dancing in his eyes for a second before it fades. “Nothing so dramatic. We mostly just do small jobs to protect ourselves. Liberate a few stolen objects from crooks. A bit of corporate espionage against some not so good people. That type of thing.”

He shrugs, and I can only gape at him. Part of me is shocked, but it also explains so much about the guys. How people are so deferential to them. Their comfort with money. Why they have no fear of anything. No wonder they were so suspicious of me when we first met—they could probably smell my lies from a mile off.

Jaceson shifts uncomfortably at my silence, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Hicks is our leader and investment guy. Ellis is our computer genius. He usually finds us the jobs and helps us plan them. Gunner is our enforcer. Jameson is our charmer. I’m the…” A hint of a blush darkens his cheeks, and he clears his throat awkwardly. “Spy and thief. There isn’t a building or lock that can keep me out.”

Their roles are so clear in my mind that I can’t believe I didn’t guess the truth sooner. I mentally dissect every interaction with them and suddenly feel foolish. “Was it some sort of game to befriend me? The innocent, naïve girl next door? To what end?”

My throat thickens at the thought of everything between us being a lie, and speech fails me.

“What?!” Jaceson stumbles back as if I struck him. “Of course not.”

But I don’t miss the shadows darkening his eyes. It’s like my soul is slowly unraveling, numbness creeping over me until I feel nothing but cold. “I think you should leave.”

He grimaces, his expression twisting with remorse. He takes a step toward me, reaching out to touch me, and my powers explode out of me in a burst of bitterly cold wind. Jaceson flies out the door with enough force that he hits the wall with a brutal thump.

He almost lands on his ass, barely managing to stumble to his feet at the last second, then he straightens with a determined expression. “It’s not what you think.”

Just as he takes a step toward the door, it slams shut with a resounding thud that feels permanent. I don’t move as I try to figure out how my life got so fucking complicated. Where did I go wrong? I was supposed to be free, living my best life.

So how did I land in this hellish nightmare?

Chapter Ten

JACESON

The instant I opened my fucking mouth, things went from bad to worse.

It always does.

That’s why I let my twin speak.

I stand to my full height, groaning when the bones of my back pop. I glare at the door separating me from Rue, fighting the urge to tear it into kindling. I wish I could say I didn’t deserve to be tossed across the room, but that would be a lie. Any of the others would’ve been able to handle the situation better.

That doesn’t mean I’m giving up.

I refuse to leave until I untangle the mess I created. I hover outside her door like a creep, then I close my eyes and press my head against the cool metal in defeat. “When we first saw you exit the house, every single one of us was transfixed. I’m not sure if you know this, but teenage boys can’t look at a girl without thinking with their dicks.

“You were never a game to us.” I take a deep breath, then admit something I’ve never said out loud, not even to mybrother. “You can probably guess that I’m not very good with people. I’m even worse when I talk to girls. While I can look at a girl and admire their appearance, I don’t feel any emotional attraction toward them. Absolutely no desire to know them better.”

I break out into a sweat, barely able to admit the truth to myself. “I thought something was wrong with me…until I met you.”

I wait for any sign of reaction from Rue, but her room remains ominously silent. I thump my head against the door and blow out a heavy breath. “For the first time in my life, I understood my brother’s obsession with women. No, not women. Woman. Just one. Just you.

“It’s like the world suddenly came alive.” My fingers twitch with the need to pick the lock, and I hold back from sheer will alone. I can’t risk sending her running. “You were never a game. We were each so incredibly drawn to you that none of us were willing to back off. We ultimately decided we wanted to keep you. You are one of us now. Some of us just knew it before others.”

My heartbeat is racing so much that it’s like I’m speeding down a windy highway at a hundred miles an hour. Being near her is exhilarating in a way I’ve never experienced with anyone else. I can’t lose that. It would be like living only half a life, always from the outside, but never participating.

It would be hell, especially since I now know something better is out there.

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