Page 134 of The Ecstasy of Sin
Ryker grins like it’s a compliment. “Love you too, you sadistic fuck.”
Torin uses pain and violence to level himself out when shit gets too dark for him, but Ryker needs it for another reason entirely.
Ryker blames himself for not being strong enough to stop the shit we endured in the foster system. He takes pain like it’s penance, like punishment he owes for the helplessness we all felt.
He’ll never admit it, though. Which is exactly why he is constantly pushing our buttons, hoping we lose our shit and wreck him. Hoping we make him suffer the way he thinks he deserves to.
He doesn’t. None of us do. What happened to us was out of our control, and no one’s fault but the adults who were supposed to protect us, and the system that failed us.
Torin may have gotten the worst of it, but all four of us were starved, beaten, neglected, and made to believe we were weak.
“Is everything okay?”
Wren’s voice cuts through the tension. I blink out of my thoughts and realize I’m still standing, fists clenched.
I nod toward her and hold out my hand. Ghost gives me a parting slap on the shoulder before sitting back down. Wren slides her hand into mine, her touch immediately calming me.
When I sit, I pull her into my lap, her weight anchoring me like it always does.
I glance at each of my brothers, then fix my attention on Ghost. “The priority is finding Dimitri. When we do, he’s mine. He will suffer and he will bleed for what was done to Wren.”
Ghost nods. “I’ll find him.”
Wren shifts in my lap, a yawn parting her lips as she rests her head on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around her, grateful that she feels safe enough with my brothers to relax like this for me.
“Ryker, set up a meeting with Killian Kinahan. Soon.”
Ryker dips his head in acknowledgment. “I’ll set up a meeting at Blood Siphon after hours.”
I scan each of their faces, their loyalty as solid as the walls surrounding us. “Don’t think for a second that there won’t be repercussions for this. Bratva men will come from Russia, and they’ll be looking for revenge. Thankfully, we have the greatest assassin in the world in our brutal little brotherhood.”
Torin inclines his head, his expression stoic. “Consider them all dead.”
Ghost leans back, crossing his arms. “I’ll have software monitoring air traffic from Russia to Canada. If any of the Bratva land on Canadian soil, I’ll be notified.”
Wren’s breathing deepens. I glance down to look at her, my chest aching with the intensity of my love for her. Her eyes are closed, her full lips slightly parted, the warmth of her breath brushing against my throat. She’s exhausted, especially after the hour-long brain scan with IV contrast.
I shift slightly, holding her more securely, and turn back to the others. “This place is safe. You all have keys. I’d rather you move in so we can take care of each other, but I’m not going to force you.”
All three of them nod.
“Anything else we need to address?” I ask, my voice lowered as my arms tighten around Wren’s sleeping body.
Ryker’s eyes flick to mine. “You want off the roster for awhile?”
I nod once. “Yeah. I’m going to take some time to train Hunter, and get Wren…” I pause, searching for the right words. “...comfortable with her new life.”
Ghost grins, and Torin lifts a brow.
Ryker smirks. “What he really means to say is he’s staying balls-deep in her pussy and never leaving bed again.”
I tense. “Watch your fucking mouth, Ryker. Last warning. You may be my brother, but if you ever talk about her body again, I’ll rip out your tongue.”
Ryker lifts his hands, palms up in surrender. “Easy there, King Kong.”
Ghost sighs, then grabs Ryker by the collar of his jacket and yanks him to his feet. Ryker doesn’t resist, doesn’t even crack a joke or flash his usual smirk. He’s silent as Ghost shoves him toward the sparring ring.
“I’m gonna level this motherfucker out,” Ghost snaps, already rolling up his sleeves. “He needs a goddamn attitude adjustment.”
