Page 79 of Ravaged Saints

“Yes, four. If Ethan ever touches you, I’ll cut his hands off,” I say, my tone turning dark.

She smirks, her eyes still shut, and I pull her up to me.

Her legs tremble around me, and I know it—she’s going to be my damnation.

Dante

Idon’t even bother to knock; entering the room, I find Ethan standing while Bryn sits on the bed. She turns to look at me as I walk in. Her eyes roam up and down my body, and I try not to frown.

“Hey,” I keep my tone calm and friendly. Things don’t need to escalate even more.

“Ryker didn’t need to come at me like that!” Ethan snaps, his tone dripping with rage as he paces back and forth like a caged animal.

“He counted twelve boxes. Are you sure you didn’t move them?” I press. I trust Ryker with my life. We’ve been in the Bloodhawks for years, and he’s always had my back. Ethan wasn’t part of the original unit, but since we all got stuck together, he hasn’t given us a reason not to trust him. At least, not until now.

“He’s pissed at me because I didn’t hear the shot in town! I was in the fucking underground parking and couldn’t hear shit!” Ethan growls, his muscles tensing as his fists clench, his knuckles turning white.

“Tell them the truth, Ethan,” Bryn cuts in, and we both snap our heads toward her. She sits on the bed, her legs pulled up, hugging them close to her chest. Her long blond hair is braided, and her sharp blue eyes meet mine for a second before shifting to Ethan.

“Ethan,” she presses again, shaking her head. “He took the boxes to teach me how to shoot.”

“What?” I look between them, my brows furrowed. “We haven’t heard any shots lately.” If they were target practicing, we would’ve heard it. I know they leave the base to take care of the animals or gather fruits and herbs, but shooting? There’s no way.

“Silencer,” Ethan mutters, his tone defensive. “I knew you guys wouldn’t let me target shoot with Bryn, but she needs to learn. She’s not like Aspen, who knows her way around a gun.”

I glance between them, trying to make sense of this. What the actual fuck is going on? Something feels off, and I can’t shake the feeling I’m being lied to, but why would they both lie?

“So the two boxes that are missing?” I ask, focusing on Bryn, but her face is unreadable, like a stone wall. She hides her emotions too well, and it’s pissing me off.

“Why didn’t you tell Ryker that?” I demand, my frustration bubbling to the surface. Is this what gaslighting feels like?

“He’d be pissed no matter what I said,” Ethan shrugs. He’s stopped pacing, but his eyes keep darting to Bryn.

“Fuck, Ethan. Next time, just be honest, man.” I exhale deeply, dragging a hand through my hair.

I don’t know if I should buy this story, but I don’t have much of a choice. Ethan’s been with us for six years, and Bryn doesn’t exactly scream “evil mastermind.” Still, something doesn’t sit right.

“I’ll talk to Ryker,” I say, leaving. “But Ethan, don’t ever call Ryker by his code name again.” My tone sharpens as I glance back at him before closing the door behind me.

We all have code names since we went rogue and turned mercenaries, and only we get to use them when we feel like it. Ethan’s not part of that bond. Hell, I’d let Aspen call me by my code name every damn day, and the other guys probably feel the same. But Ethan? There’s a line, and he’s not crossing it.

I spot Max and Aspen coming from the bunker, and it’s obvious they’ve been fucking—not because of Max, but because Aspen looks like a sexy mess. Her hair is a wild disaster, even tied back in a ponytail. Her cheeks are flushed a deep red, and her lips look swollen. Did Max throat-fuck her?

Max glances my way, and I smirk. My eyes flick between him and Aspen, and the corners of his lips curl up in a knowing grin. So much for Aspen’s “let’s go slow” request last night.

“So?” Knox’s asks from behind me as Max and Aspen approach.

“He used the boxes for target practice,” I say, my gaze shifting to Knox. “To teach Bryn how to use a gun.”

“Hewhat?” Ryker asks, dripping with sweat, his shirt clinging to his chest and biceps. He must’ve gone for a run, probably pushing himself to the edge out of pure rage.

“He didn’t want to tell anyone. Thought we wouldn’t understand,” I explain, though I’m not fully convinced, but we can’t keep this aggression up. There’s already too much testosterone flying around, and with the girls here, things need to cool down. Everyone needs to chill the fuck out.

Ryker shakes his head, letting out a dark, almost manic laugh. “Fine. Whatever.” He strides past us into the building.

Max exchanges a look with Aspen, and she leans in, whispering something. He nods before heading after Ryker.

Knox grins as his attention shifts to Aspen. “So, pet, how was fucking Max?”

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