Page 25 of Cerberus's Branding

“Angel, Tombstone, got something to add?” Reaper asks.

“I want to know what the fuck happened between the two of you that we don’t know,” Tombstone demands.

“Same, but I also want to know what my niece has been hiding from us. That Reaper seems to know and hasn’t shared.” Angel glances at his brother. “Someone gonna share?”

“She’s not gonna talk about it with you,” I tell Angel, earning his attention once again. “She doesn’t talk about it. Told me only because she thought it would push me away.”

“I’m taking it didn’t, considering you’re asking what you’re asking,” Tombstone quips, one brow cocked.

“Yeah,” I confirm and look at Reaper briefly. “Out of respect for her, I won’t go into details of what I know, but I’ll tell you this, she has nightmares still of it. She hides them. I heard her screaming out and heard her words. Halloween night, after she left for school, she was attacked. Her attacker scarred her both physically and mentally. I won’t tell you the rest.”

“The person responsible for her attack has been dealt with. Dex and his club handled it,” Reaper adds quietly. “I don’t know it all, just what Ember shared.”

Tombstone and Angel take a moment to let all that we both shared sink in.

After a moment, Angel looks back at me. “Answer Tombstone’s question about what happened between the two of you.”

Sighing, I lean back in my seat and do just that. “Fucked up with her and she overheard a conversation between Azrael and me. She didn’t get to hear the full story, but enough to think I was playing her to get in with the club.”

“And is that true?” Tombstone growls.

“For the first hour of our first date it was. Fell for her and hated losing her. She and I have talked about this. She knows the truth. Knows I wasn’t playing games with her.”

“You get her to agree, then I’ll give my permission,” Angel remarks after another long, silent pause.

Tombstone nods in agreement. “You fuck up with her and you won’t live to regret it again.”

I let out a breath that feels like a weight has been lifted. “I won’t.”

“Good, then it’s settled.” Reaper grunts and jerks his chin toward the door while standing. “You still got to deal with her. I’ve got my own issues to deal with.”

“Ivy?” Angel grins.

“Yeah, seems my ol’ lady thought it was time to tell me this morning that she was knocked up again,” Reaper grumbles.

“Ivy’s pregnant, we all knew she was, Prez. Hell, you told us that already.” Tombstone laughs.

Reaper glares at him. “Yeah, but she decided tofinally tell me. After which I told her I already knew. Something funny about that?”

“I’m guessing she didn’t appreciate you knowing before her.” Tombstone smirks. “Makes you feel any better, Sutton is too.”

“Fuckin’ hell,” Reaper remarks, shaking his head. “Woman is going to be the death of me.”

“Hormones.” Angel snorts, shaking his head.

Getting to my feet, I listen to the two of them make comments about their ol’ ladies being pregnant and them being fucked. Though I get why Reaper would be irritated. With all the bullshit going on right now. He’s got a lot on his mind. Him having another kid is just icing on a cluster fuck of a cake that just keeps piling up.

The moment I step into the main room of the clubhouse, I scan the room, looking for Ember and don’t find her. She’d still been asleep when I left her in my bed earlier to go to church. I thought by now she’d be in here.

Going to my room, I open the door to find the bed empty, but I can hear the shower running. Grinning, I close the door, lock it, and strip out of my clothes, dropping them in the middle of my room. The onlything that gets set on the dresser is my cut. No way was I putting that on the floor.

Naked, I make my way to the closed door of the bathroom and into the steaming room. I spot the outline of my woman on the other side of the glass door. She doesn’t know I’m in here yet and is about to get one hell of a surprise.

My cock thickens at the thought of what I’m intending to do once I get to her.

Stepping into the shower stall behind Ember, I take in her backside, enjoying the sight of her bareness.

“What are you doing in here?” she asks, looking at me over her shoulder.

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