Page 245 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

“Baby, your eyes. They’re black.” Jax moves in front of me.

“Scared?” I ask him hesitantly.

“No.” He moves right up to me. “More like fucking turned on.”

He slams his lips to mine, showing me just how much he isn’t afraid, and kisses me like he can’t get enough, like he’shungryfor me, and I’m all he wants to consume. It’s wild and reckless, with so much passion and love. It’s everything that makes Jax the boy I became friends with and the man that made me fall in love.

He sees the world differently, sees it the wayhechooses, and doesn’t hold back when he wants something. And it’s something that makes me love him even more.

My mind slows, the doubts and fears slowly drift away as my senses envelop him whole. With the thought of wanting him closer, wanting to absorb the feel of him against my body, my dark shadows swirl around him, pulling him into me. I feel his deep chuckle as he runs his hands up my back.

“Damn,” a whispered groan sounds out just before a knock on the door breaks us apart.

Luka adjusts himself before opening it. I look over at the rest of them, finding their heated stares on me.

“Talk about bad fucking timing,” Jax mumbles, narrowing his eyes on Jazmyn as she storms in, a wild look in her eyes as she searches the room.

Finding me, she stops. “What the—”

“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence,” Jax warns her.

Jazmyn rolls her eyes. “I wasn’t going to say anything bad. She looks fucking badass.”

She gives me a tentative smile, unsure of where to go from here. She wasn’t exactly the hugging type, and even though she was the closest thing I had to a friend back in King’s tower, I didn’t know if I could call us that either. But she looked out for me, and that’s not something I’ll ever forgot.

She opens her mouth to speak, but Kane walks in, scanning the room before his eyes finally land on me.

“Kiarra…” He moves to take a step toward me, but Axel steps in, blocking his way.

“I just wanted to see if she’s all right.” Kane frowns, trying to look around Axel.

Axel scoffs. “You can see well enough from where you are.”

“Axel, it’s fine,” I tell him, trying to step past Jax. He takes my hand, pulling me back to his side.

“Nope. Not happening, baby. Kane is included in the‘no looking or touching rule.’”

“Guys, come on. It’s Kane.” I give them a baffled look. It should be damn obvious I see him as nothing but a friend.

“I wouldn’t try to make sense of their crazy if I were you. They only seem to make sense of the sound of their own voices.” Jazmyn shakes her head at them.

Jax scoffs. “You’re one to talk.”

She narrows her eyes on him, opening her mouth to reply to him when Kane moves around Axel. He only gets so far before he’s blocked again.

“Look, I know it’s never going to be enough, but I’m sorry, Kiarra.”

I don’t understand why he is apologizing to me. It wasn’t his fault. “You don’t have to—”

“I do… I should’ve looked closer at everything, instead of focusing on my own mess.”

“No. It wasn’t your job to look out for me.”

He shakes his head, not hearing me. “You were just a fucking kid when he took you there. I should’ve done something. Paid closer attention.”

“We all should have,” Kai tells him, glancing over at me.

The guilt and sadness choke the room as it spreads out among the guys.

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