Page 194 of Tempting Little Thief

“Shut up!” Bass shouts, not impressed with my lie or speaking out. So the drive was no more than a few hours, and I wasn’t even conscious during them. That’s not the point. We had a fuckingdayand we’re here. “What, you know you’re thinking the same thing!”

He jerks around then, warning in his gaze, letting me know I’m doing nothing to help here. “I said—”

“Yeah, yeah,” I stop him before he starts again, dropping back in the seat and rolling up the window.

But I watch and strain my ears a few moments longer because I suspect I have the sister’s attention.

“Who is that?” she wonders.

“Don’t.” He swiftly shuts her down. “Get in the car, Brielle. Now.”

But she makes no move and the words that leave him next have my muscles stiffening. “You don’t belong here, Brielle. Let’s go.”

There’s a shift in his tone the moment the words leave him, and I swear I know exactly what he’s thinkingandfeeling as it does.

They’re words he’s heard time and again, words he knew were true but never thought he cared about because “fuck the world.” Then I spat them at him in a room full of people who thought they were bigger and better because their name claimed they were born to be.

They weren’t—aren’t.

As I knew it would, his gaze, as brief as it is, flicks to mine.

I was wrong, love. You were meant to be mine.

Bastian’s brows crash and he faces forward, battling his own inner turmoil as his conscience forces him to consider if he, too … is wrong. If Brielle does belong here, in this place where she has clearly found a home.

My phone dings, alerting me of the call I missed from my sister amid the fun, so I tune them out, texting her back.

Me: I’m fine. He’s dealing with family shit and then we’ll be headed back to deal with ours. Dad okay?

She responds instantly.

Boston: I need to talk to you.

What the hell?

Me: Why? What’s happened?

Boston: Are you alone?

My head pops up on reflex because, no, I’m not alone, and the moment I look toward the others, Brielle’s eyes move this way, meeting mine for the first time. I offer a simple wink.

I’m not the bad guy here, girl.

She says something, though I’m not exactly sure what, and then Raven moves closer to where Bastian stands. Her eyes narrow as she speaks, and my hand darts out to wrap around the handle as my phone begins to vibrate in my other one. Then something softens in her gaze and I don’t like it. Notwhen it’s pointed at him. Like she knows or understands or is somewhat fond of him.

I yank on the handle, the door clicking open, but I hold still when, in the next second, she spins, heading back inside.

Once she’s out of sight, I softly close the door and look back to my phone.

Fuck it. I call Boston back, but after half a ring, it goes to voice mail.

Frowning, I try again, but then the roar of an engine sounds, and I whip around to find a car flying up behind us.

I rush for my weapon, eyes flicking from the vehicle to Bastian to gauge his concern, to see if I need to hop in the driver’s seat so we can make a quick getaway, but then his gaze locks with mine. He gives a small shake of his head and I let out a deep breath.

Sai would always—

The burn of betrayal boils in my gut and I close my eyes a moment, but when the door is yanked from the frame, they fly open to find Bastian sliding into the front seat, his face hard and calculating.

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