Page 52 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

Axel whirls his head around to me. “Looking for something to eat. Don’t you have anything in this damn place?” He continues to slam my cupboards, nearly taking them off the hinges.

“Yes, but not for you.” Or even me really. This was the place I slept in to keep up appearances for King. I never kept any of my priceless possessions here or anything that was the real me. They were mostly hidden around the hotel in vents and small storage rooms.

I never really lived here, and it showed. The walls were bare, the colour scheme a drab white and grey.

Apart from the closet full of expensive dresses two sizes too small, the apartment looked bare.

“Well, if I don’t find anything, I’ll start eating the fucking furniture.”

“Be my guest.” I point to the ugly dark charcoal one-seater.

“Start with that one, I fucking hate it.”

He didn’t need to know the reason I hated it was because King made his men hold me down and slice me up until my skin was slick with blood soaking into the chair. Apart from a small stain, everything had been scrubbed cleaned.

King never left any evidence that could fall back to him. He never did anything without an ulterior motive.

Leaving the chair was one of the many mind games he likes to play. He wants me to know I am under his control and always will be.

Of course, no one would ever believe me. I have no blemishes or scars on my skin. But my scars run a lot deeper than the surface. I am no longer whole, too broken beyond repair and even after everything, the guys deserve someone who can give them more than what I am.

“I know of a snack we can both share,” Jax murmurs loud enough for us to hear, his eyes drinking me in.

He better not be implying what I think he is. I narrow my eyes at him.

His smirk grows, the heat in his eyes like flames.

“Not now, Jax.” Luka sighs looking drained.

It makes me pause. I look at him, really look at him. His hair is all over the place, as if he’s been running his hands through it all morning. His clothes are rumpled, wearing the same ones from yesterday. He has dark shadows under his eyes and there in the depths of them he looks lost.

Checking over all the guys, none of them fare any better, finding similar looks of exhaustion and worry.

“What’s going on?” The slight rise in my voice makes them lose any attitude or hostility and get down to business.

“We need your help,” Luka says slumping on the sofa. Pulling at his hair he glances down to the floor.

Help? What would they need my help for?

My heart stutters and stops. Maybe King…

No! He couldn’t know.

I’m about to go into full panic mode when Luka speaks up.

“Someone we… care about, has been taken. We need to get her back before it’s too late.”

I release a harsh breath. King doesn’t know. They’re safe. At least, for now.

The realisation of what Luka said finally hits in, my heart kicking into overdrive.

I mean, of course they have someone they care about. They were all sex on legs, every inch of them created to make every woman’s dream come true.

The mate bond could be a powerful force, pushing together an unwanted joining. I knew from my mother that having a mate didn’t mean everything would be full of sunshine and rainbows.

The only thing between us was lust and misplaced emotions from when we were kids, nothing more.

I just wish the heavy lead now sitting in my stomach would get the message.

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