Page 19 of Worth

He becomes all business, setting the bag of cookies on the table. “What did you find out?”

“Nothing really new about the Vetellas,” I admit. “But the blood she was covered in was Jack’s.”

It takes him a few seconds to process that, and then his eyes widen. “Your brother Jack?” he exclaims.

“She killed him with a fork. Stabbed him to death. And based on how bloody she was, she was at it for a while.”

Aiden cackles, then slaps a hand over his mouth before giving me a contrite look. “I’m sorry, man. I know you didn’t like the bastard, but he was still your brother.”

“You can laugh,” I chuckle. “I almost did when she told me.” He allows himself to laugh with my permission, but before he can say anything else, I blurt out, “And then she came on my hand.”

I almost groan at myself. I’m totally in control of everything in my life. It’s how things have to be to keep my calm. But somehow Blake has rattled me, and I don’t know if it’s because I’m honest-to-fuck attracted to a woman for the first time in a long time or if it’s because I know she murdered Jack.

Aiden freezes, his head still tipped back from laughing. Slowly, his gaze drags along the ceiling and down until he locks his eyes on me. “What did you just say?”

I clear my throat. “Look, things just got a little out of control. I spanked her because she was lying to me and it turned us both on, and before I knew it, I had my fingers inside her.”

His jaw works back and forth as he considers, eyes squinted at me. “And you didn’t force her?”

My expression hardens at his words, even as I feel the tiniest twinge of guilt because…well. I kinda fucking did. “The fuck, Aiden? You know me better than that.”

He sighs. “I know. I just...I like Kitten, Zander. She just feelsrightand I’m not going to let her go. I don’t care that you messed around with her as long as she wanted it. I don’t want her afraid of you. You’re my family.”

I swallow hard at his declaration. The two of us have only had each other to rely on and trust. I broke that trust by touching Blake and yet Aiden is essentially telling me he doesn’t care if Ihadburied my cock inside her. The lingering desire to hunt her down and fuck her until she’s screaming my name increases tenfold.

But I have something more important to deal with besides getting my dick wet.

I stalk forward. “Aiden,” I murmur, gripping his shoulder. “You can’t keep her. She deserves to earn her freedom and do what she wants with it. Just like we did.”

He peers up at me, even though I’m barely taller than he is. “Maybe she will want to stay with me. We can be a family—the three of us.”

My gut clenches at how hopeful he sounds. In that instant, I hate that I let Blake stay here. I hateher.

There’s no way in hell she’ll stay once she learns she can work towards freedom. Why would she want to stay with us—two men who kidnap Skins and put them to work? Sure, we offer them the chance to choose their work and buy their ticket out of being a goddamn slave, but we’re still the bad guys. We’re still the assholes who lease out Skins to people to earn a buck, even if we do send off every Skin who gets their purple card to re-enter society as free men and women with a nice little starter fund.

Aiden will keep holding out hope that Blake will remain with him and, when she doesn’t, he’ll be shredded apart. I already knew we could face that, but now, hearing how he’s already making plans, it’s going to be so much worse than I imagined. Anger eats through me at the thought of my brother—my true brother—suffering because he’ll be abandoned by her the same way he’s been abandoned by everyone in his life; everyone except me.

One thing I’ve never strayed away from when I’m enraged is punishing the person responsible—and, in this case, I’m going to make Blake suffer before she can do the same to Aiden.

I wake with a stretch, my post-orgasm nap exactly what I needed. It takes a few moments to process that there’s a warm body curled around mine. When I do, I immediately double up my fist and blindly strike at the intruder. My eyes only open as I make contact and I find Aiden’s amused expression as he rolls the shoulder I hit. But he doesn’t let go of me, one arm tucked under my neck and the other draped over my hip.

I narrow my eyes at him over my shoulder. “What are you doing in my bed?”

“Cuddling,” he answers with a grin that—dammit—it borders on adorable.

I stay suspicious anyway. “Why?”

His face falls a little. “Because you were asleep when I came in. I didn’t want to wake you up and you felt so warm.”

I study him, letting my reservations fall away. Realization dawns and I shift in his arms a little, facing him more fully. That hurt is still there in his eyes, but so is the grin. Although I know I went to sleep wearing no pants, he has made no moves to do anything sexual. He just wanted...to hold me; to feel human contact. I feel like it wasn’t even about me—it was about him. And, strangely, my heart goes out to him for it. I don’t even mind that he’s touching me, which surprises me more than anything.

“Can I ask you a question?” I whisper, halfway afraid of his reaction.

“Of course, Kitten.”

“Were you a Skin?”

Aiden’s muscles seize up, his arms squeezing me, but I’m relieved when they relax again and he sighs. “Yes. Zander and I both were.”

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