Page 15 of All's Fair in Love & Chaos
Lena’s body hangs lifeless in my arms, and the last part of my beating heart freezes over as Rogue collapses to his knees, an animalistic cry echoing through the night around us, which causes everyone to stop in their tracks. Every step I take toward him, my resolve deepens, my plan for vengeance getting stronger. My plan for complete destruction.
Chaos takes over. Burying what’s left of Camden Young in his wake.
I stop in front of my patch brother, dropping down to one knee and carefully placing Rogue’s sister in his waiting arms. I let myself feel every ounce of his pain, let it seep through my pores and fill my bloodstream. It blends with my own rage, bubbling to the surface above all else. He screams and cries, rocking his sweet sister in hisarms while he pleads to the false gods of this world, begging for an exchange, begging for help. Help that won’t come. Not from any of them.
My men drop to their knees in respect, and I stand tall, unwavering. My breathing comes in steady pants, my bloodstream a violent, electric thrum. My molars grind together as I watch my family crumble, the house behind us finally collapsing, the roar of the foundation giving and the materials crashing to the solid ground, dust and ash consuming the air around us.
“Wh-where’s Lucas?” Rogue asks, his voice hoarse as he heaves air into his lungs.
I straighten my shoulders. “He can’t be recovered. They burned him alive.” The words taste like ash on my tongue, foreign and unwanted. I swallow roughly, the heat of the flames licking at my back.
“Fuck!” he screams, the pained sound piercing my ears like broken glass. My brothers stay crouched around us, quiet as the night, ready and waiting for orders. I never imagined I would be here. Worked my entire life to protect Lucas from harm, only to fail him when it mattered the most. Failed Lucas. Failed Rogue. Failed my Heathens.
It won’t happen again.
A strong kickto my thigh wakes me up from my night terror, the last images I have of Lucas permanently etched into the back of my eyes. I sit up quickly, heaving in a deep breath of air as if I was holding it in my sleep. I take stock of my surroundings, finding myself in my bed, in my room at the clubhouse.
“An old friend of yours?” A feminine, sultry voice breaks through the surface of my haze as my head snaps in the directionit came from.Saige. My heart rate picks up, as if it weren’t already beating out of my chest.
“Something like that.”
“Pinch the skin between your thumb and your forefinger. It helps.”
I look at her, taking in the soft features of her face that are so at odds with her fiery personality. She’s such an enigma.
“And how would you know?”
“You aren’t the only one whose past haunts them.” Her eyes are solemn, fluttering closed like she’s imagining something, a different life, maybe. My heart sinks in my chest. I should have recognized her strength for what it was. It’s a strength that derives from pain, a deep, soul-aching pain that is buried in its wake.
I’m moving before I realize it, throwing my leg over her body and straddling her. Saige’s eyes pop open, wide and searching my face for answers. Instead of saying anything, I lean forward over her, lifting the key hanging around my neck into the first cuff around her wrist. I don’t miss the sharp inhale she takes as I free her, taking my time to rub the redness around her skin with my thumb, being careful around the cuts from the previous cuffs, before freeing her other hand.
Saige gently lets her arms fall between us, her chest rising and falling at a steady rhythm. She’s so fucking pretty it hurts. But aren’t all snakes?
“You can use the bathroom; there’s a toothbrush under the sink.” Her head bops back slightly, as if I surprised her. With one last, longing look, I climb off her, standing on her side of the bed and offering my hand. She looks at it like it will strikeher, her body rigid and protective. “I meant what I said, Saige. I’d never take a woman against her will, I’d never hurt you. Even if you hurt me first.” My voice is low and calm, hoping that she can hear the truth reflected in my words.
She looks at me for a moment before standing on her own, refusing my hand and walking to the bathroom in silence, her head held high. Just as she tries to shut the door, I’m there, grabbing the edge with my hand, preventing it from closing all the way.
“I said I’d never hurt you, didn’t say anything about trusting you.”
“So, you’re just going to stand there and watch me pee?”
“I’ve got no interest in watching you, but I’m gonna stand right here with the door open. There’s plenty of things in here you could find useful to stab me in the eye with or hide in your clothes for later. Unless you want to strip down naked and stay that way so I know you’re free of weapons, why don’t you sit your pretty little ass down, relieve yourself, brush your teeth, wash your face, do whatever you need to do, so we can go back to sleep.”
“Fuck you, Camden.”
“Yeah, baby, you’ve said that already.”
I stand outside the door, trying to give her as much privacy as I can while also not putting my walls down. She’s dangerous, and as much as I’m attracted to everything about this woman, I don’t trust her, and until I can, she’s my prisoner.
When Saige is done, she marches up to me, looking a bit more human, and I’m sure feeling a helluva lot better. She’s removed her jacket, leaving her in nothing but a tank top, sans bra. Theoutline of her breasts is visible, and I trace over every inch of them. Her nipples are pierced, metal barbells pressing against the thin fabric of her shirt. My mouth waters to taste them, wanting to find out just how sensitive they are.
“Can I go now?”
“Not until you tell me why you tried to cuff me, and where the hell you were gonna take me.”
“Not gonna happen, so I guess we’re both gonna die in here.”
“No one’s dying,” I grind out. “Now get your ass back in bed.” Her arm moves quickly, pressing against my neck as she shoves me against the wall, her other hand grabbing a handful of my junk and squeezing just enough to get my attention. My hands move to her waist, my fingertips digging slightly into the bit of flesh there. My thumbs meet bare skin, and I swipe back and forth against her gently, just a firm pressure, enough to let her feel that I’m there.
