Page 72 of Ravaged Saints

“Bryn, did Aspen say something?” Dante asks, his gaze steady.

“Not exactly,” I say, scrambling. “I think she regrets the whole thing.” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.

“What?” Knox’s tone sharpens, his hands tightening on the magazine, crumpling the edges.

He and Dante exchange a look.

“I mean, you, Max, and Dante—everyone’s making moves on her. She’s overwhelmed and told me she doesn’t want it anymore.”

Knox leans back against the couch, dragging a hand down his face. “Fuck.”

I hit a nerve. He cares about her, no matter how much he pretends she’s just a body to fuck. I’ve seen the way he looks at her.

Dante, though, keeps his eyes on me. It feels like he’s reading me, peeling back every layer.

“So Aspen told you that?” he asks.

“Yeah.” I shrug again, hating how defensive I sound. Why am I doing this?

“Bryn, babygirl,” Ethan’s voice comes from behind us. I shoot to my feet, spinning toward him.

“I was looking for you,” I say quickly.

Dante stands too, his posture rigid and commanding. “Ethan, get Max and Ryker. We’re having a meeting.”

Ethan nods, disappearing outside. Knox pushes off the couch, standing beside Dante in front of the couch, and I swallow hard. Shit, what have I done?

“Aspen!” Dante calls out to the stairs, and I hear her answer faintly, then the soft sound of her steps on the steel stairs. When she appears, her messy bun, sweatpants, and oversized shirt make her look younger and vulnerable. Her cheeks flush as her eyes land on Dante and Knox, who tower over the coffee table in the middle of the room.

Jealousy burns under my skin, and I hate it. Aspen is like a sister to me. I can’t be this person—not after everything she’s done for me.

The guys file in one by one, taking their seats. Ethan sits next to me, his presence grounding and possessive all at once.

“We need to figure this out,” Dante starts. “There’s a new dynamic with the two of you here, and we need clarity.”

Knox nods, stepping forward. “It’s been just the five of us since the plague. Now, we’ve got you two,” he says, his eyes lingering on Aspen. She shifts under his gaze, looking down at her hands.

“We need to know how this is going to work,” Dante says, picking up where Knox left off. “No one is going to force you into anything, but we need to know what you both want.”

Knox adds, “Do you want to be shared between us? Or do you want just one of us? If so, how is that going to work?”

“I can share,” Ethan says with a laugh, leaning back casually.

Knox’s jaw tightens. “It’s not your decision, kid. It’s theirs.”

Dante looks at me first, his expression softer. “Bryn?”

My throat tightens, and my fingers fidget in my lap. “I don’t have a problem with any of you,” I start, feeling Ethan tense beside me. I swallow hard, as I continue. “But I prefer Ethan.”

The truth is, I don’t even know what I want. Ethan’s possessiveness excites me, but there’s something darker under the surface I can’t ignore. I want to figure him out more than I want to mess around with the others, but then there is Dante. God, I’m so confused!

“So you want to be shared if Ethan allows it? Is that what you’re saying?” Dante’s tone is serious, but there’s an edge of amusement.

I nod, and Ethan smirks like he’s some kind of king on a throne only he wants.

Ryker chuckles from the other couch, a dangerous glint in his eyes I haven’t seen before. “So, he has given you permission to fuck me?”

Ethan answers before I can. “She wanted to, and I said go for it.”

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