Page 69 of The Devil's Wrath

I grinned unrepentantly. “What can I say? I couldn’t help myself. You’re just too irresistible.”

He shook his head, a smile tugging on his lips. “Flattery will get you everywhere, little bird.” He leaned down to kiss me softly. “But as much as I’d love to stay here and ravish you all day, that call was important. I need to go take care of some things.”

I pouted at him. “Do you have to go right now? Can’t it wait a little longer?”

He sighed, brushing a strand of hair from my flushed face. “I wish I could stay, baby. But this is urgent Brotherhood bullshit that requires me to do some illegal activities with my laptop.”

Curiosity piqued, I sat up on my elbows. “Brotherhood business and illegal activities. Sounds enriching.”

“There are some high-value targets who we believe are involved in business with The Collectors. I need to do some digging and some reconnaissance for a bit.”

“Reconnaissance? Sounds riveting,” I teased.

“We think The Collectors are planning something big—anauction.”

I sat up straighter, my post-coital bliss evaporating. “An auction? What kind of auction?”

“The human kind.”

I laughed, then quickly realized he wasn’t kidding. “Wait, you’re serious?”

He nodded grimly. “It’s not just weapons and drugs. They trade in flesh too. Young women, mostly. They kidnap them or lure them in with false promises, then sell them to the highest bidder.”

I swallowed hard, trying to process this revelation. “So this auction . . . when is it happening? And what are you going to do about it?”

“That’s what I need to find out. Kai’s girl, Haven, mentioned hearing about it, but she isn’t sure about the details. Typically, they’re very secretive, and the guest list is highly confidential.”

The reality of human trafficking hit me like a punch in the gut. It was one thing to hear about it on the news, but to know that it was happening so close to home that Theo and the boys were actively trying to stop it . . . it made it all too real.

“Jesus,” I breathed. “That’s heavy.”

“The Brotherhood . . . we’re not just a bunch of rich, entitled assholes playing at being vigilantes. On the contrary, none of us are the good guys. We’re just trying to be less bad than the worst guys out there—to stop the real monsters.”

I could see the weight of responsibility and obligation in his eyes, the burden he carried as a member of The Brotherhood. It was a side of him I’d never fully grasped until now. The depth of his commitment ran deeper than I’d realized—no matter how morally black it might be.

I reached up to cup his face. “I understand. Just be careful, okay?”

He turned his head to press a kiss into my palm. “Always.”

With a sigh, he reluctantly pulled away, slipping out of me. I immediately felt the loss of his warmth. He helped me off the table, steadying me on my feet. My legs felt like jelly as we quickly cleaned the kitchen, righting the dishes and wiping down the surfaces. I couldn’t help but blush every time my gaze landed on the table, our hot sex still fresh in my mind.

He disappeared into the bedroom to dress, emerging a few minutes later, looking every inch the imposing Brotherhood member in black jeans, a fitted black T-shirt, and his ever-present leather jacket.

“Will I see you later?” I asked, trying to keep the hopeful note out of my voice.

He pulled me into his arms and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. “I’ll do my best to wrap this up quickly. If I do, maybe I can swing by the hospital and take you to breakfast after your shift?”

I smiled up at him. “I’d like that.”

One more kiss, and he was gone.

TWENTY-THREE

WRENLY

The next couple of weeks passed in a blur. Between the extra shifts I picked up at work and trying to keep up with school, I barely had time to spend with Theo. And when I did, we were both so exhausted, there were times we fell asleep in each other’s arms, and one of us would be gone by the time the other woke up. He would leave me handwritten noteson the nightstand with quotes from my favorite books like,“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope . . . I have loved none but you.”or tweaked a bit like,“Whatever our souls are made of, yours and mine are the same,”. Other times, he would send a text telling me how excited he was to fuck me later. Sometimes, “later” was the same day; other times, it wasn’t for a couple of days. I felt the ache of his absence in my core, a deep longing that consumed my every thought. I daydreamed about his touch during lectures, my mind wandering to the feel of his lips on my skin and his hands exploring every curve of my body. The anticipation of seeing him was maddening.

When he couldn't be around me, he sent one of his Brotherhood buddies, Cavan, to "keep an eye" on me and escort me to and from work. He was also Theo's boxing trainer. He had been friends with Theo since they’d been little boys and was only a few years older than him. He was handsome enough, with dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes.I could tell his nose had been broken multiple times, and he had a scar that cut his right eyebrow in half. He was friendly in his own way, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was being babysat or spied on. I tried to make small talk with Cavan during our drives, but he always kept the conversations brief and impersonal. It was clear his loyalty was to Theo and I was just an assignment to him. He had a quiet intensity about him, a watchful gaze like Theo that comforted me.

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