Page 45 of Revenant

She caught all of us off guard.

I watch in awe as Rue yanks him off the ledge of insanity without even trying. We feared we were going to have to lock him up to keep him from burning the world around him to ashes. We even had a plan in place. If we hadn’t located Rue when we did, I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened.

A few flirty words from Jameson has Rue blushing like a schoolgirl, and her pupils dilate with lust. I love the effortless ability he has to turn her head with a few simple words…and jealous of it at the same time.

I don’t make the mistake of assuming that Jameson is magically cured. If anything ever happens to Rue, he will snap. But at this point, I think we all will. In such a short time, she became our everything. The truth of that was brutally pushed home to us when she was taken.

Now that we have her back, we refuse to let anything happen to her again.

Hicks stalks forward, not stopping until he looms at the base of the gurney, watching the couple impassively. While he may be a dick at times, he would give his life to protect us.

That now includes Rue, even if she doesn’t know it yet.

It doesn’t take long for a furrow to appear between Rue’s brows, and her cute little nose crinkles when she glances at him over her shoulder. Hicks only crosses his arms, raising an imperious brow. She reluctantly untangles herself from Jameson, then stands protectively in front of him. She narrows her eyes at Hicks and lifts her sassy chin, boldly challenging him. “What do you want?”

It amazes me that she never backs down or breaks under his fierce glower. Even hardened criminals have been known to flinch from his steely glare. “We need to know you’ll be able to keep Jameson in check if we remove his bindings.”

Rue blinks up at him in surprise and more than a little trepidation. It’s an impossible task, but if anyone could do what he asks, it would be Rue. Her critical gaze drops to Jameson, her gorgeous lips pursed as she calculates the probability of being able to keep him out of mischief. It shocks me more than a little that she’s not aware of her power over him.

Fuck…her power over all of us.

She only has to say a word, and we would destroy the world for her.

Since Jameson opened his eyes, he has yet to take his gaze off Rue.

I can’t say that I blame him.

I’m not sure how it’s possible, but she’s even more stunning than I remember. There is something different about her, a siren’s song that I can’t resist.

No, something I don’twantto resist.

Rue crosses her arms and sighs, cutting off my wandering thoughts. “Jameson.”

“Yes, my pookie?” All the anger from the past few months is gone, and he flashes her his most charming smile. I don’t doubt that his rage lurks just under the surface, but I can’t say that I’m any different than him at this point.

Tension eases out of my shoulders to see him somewhat sane. I didn’t think I would ever say it, but I missed the fucker’s chaotic, mischievous smile. Do I believe everything will go back to normal? Fuck no, but our family is back together, and that’s all that matters.

“I know you want to keep me safe, but the doctor will return in a few minutes. If you do anything upsetting, I will be punished. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Rue chooses her words carefully. Though she doesn’t treat him as a child, she does handle him like he’s a bomb about to go off. She’s smart like that.

Jameson scowls, a sulky expression on his face as he pouts. He twists against the restraints, the gurney rocking with the force, but he remains trapped. Thankfully, he’s not like his brother and can’t vanish into thin air.

At her words, even I feel a little homicidal. I can only imagine how he must feel. Jameson is fiercely loyal to his family, his protective instincts dropping into overdrive with Rue. I don’t think there was ever a time when I saw her that she wasn’t sporting new bruises.

For someone like Jameson, it has to be triggering.

“Jameson…” Rue touches his shoulder, and he instantly stills, his attention snapping toward her again.

“I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t make that promise.” He even sounds regretful, his expression apologetic as he pleads with her. “If he hurts you, I’ll snap. Ask me anything else. Please.”

I almost expect Rue to soften at his plea, so I’m startled when her expression hardens. She leans over the gurney and grabs hisface, leaving him no choice but to look at her. “If you act out, he will hurt me. You do something stupid, he will hurt me.” She takes a shuddering breath, her grip softening until she caresses his face tenderly. “If you are harmed, it will hurt me.”

Jameson stills at her plea.

Too still.

It usually means he’s seconds away from doing something stupid. Just as I take a step toward Rue, not wanting her caught in the crossfire, Jameson nods. His blue eyes are stormy, a muscle ticks in his jaw, but he agrees.

I stop dead, absently rubbing my hand over the IV site in my arm. We would lie, cheat, and steal from others without hesitation, the twins more than most. The only exception is the family. It’s an unspoken rule that none of us dare violate.

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