Page 101 of The Piece You Stole

“I doubt that.” A thought suddenly strikes me. “They only send you to watch me when they go downstairs. Are they planning something?”

Maybe something to do with the reason I’m here with them and no longer with Rylan?

“Nothing as interesting as that,” Leandro purrs, his gaze lingering on my breasts in a way that tells me he hasn’t missed the fact that I’m not wearing a bra.

I pretend not to have noticed his look as I scoot to the edge of the bed and push myself up without using my hands because, despite my complaining to Kade that I can feed myself, my palms do still hurt a little when I put pressure on them. “Then you won’t mind if I go downstairs and see what they’re up to.”

They must know by now they’re in danger because Rylan will never let me go, and if they don’t know it, then I have to warn them. Something I should have done the moment I peeled my eyes open and realized where I was.

I take a step away from my bed and toward the door when Leandro is suddenly right there, making me jump at his speed. “But we have the room to ourselves.” His gaze dips to the bed behind me. “And it seems a shame to waste this opportunity to get to know each other a little better.”

It’s not the first time he’s flirted with me…and a painful death. The first time he came to watch me, he introduced himself as Leo and asked if it was warm under the sheets. Before he’d finished speaking, Kade had him pinned to the wall with his claws in his throat and a promise to show Leandro what his spine looked like before choking him with it, dripping from his lips. I’d assumed he’d learned his lesson, but it looks like he hasn’t. “You realize Kade can probably hear you, right?”

Leandro darts a glance at the door as if to confirm he’s safe, and then his smile widens. “You’ve caught the attention of three men.” His gaze darts to my sweatpants. Right between my thighs. “That’s not to say you aren’t beautiful. You are. But I’m curious if there are any other…talents you have I’m not seeing.”

I inch back a little. “That really isn’t any of your business.”

He’s not looking at me in the same way the cops at the station did, so I hope this conversation isn’t going to go the same way because Kade really will kill him.

“So, you haven’t fucked them?” Leandro’s tone is more than a little curious. It’s hungry. And for just a second, his eyes flicker, and a wolf is staring back at me.

I should have known what he was already. He’s Dariel’s brother. They resemble each other so much that they could be twins, and since Dariel is a shifter, it makes sense that Leandro is one too.

But somehow, the thought never crossed my mind.

Not until now.

I recoil, forget the bed is directly behind me, and go down with a yelp.

It’s just the bed I land on, and ordinarily, it wouldn’t hurt at all. But with a still healing left arm and palms that are still a little sore, a much louder cry than I was expecting bursts out of me.

Two seconds later, my room is full of people—and growls. I lift my head in time to catch Dariel forcing Leandro out with a hand locked around the nape of his neck as Kade turns to me.

Aden edges around Dariel and Leandro. From the deep frown creasing his brow, it doesn’t take him long to work out what must have happened.

Kade grips my hips and gently picks me up, sitting me on the edge of the bed with a blankness in his expression I know has to be hiding the full extent of his rage.

“I’m okay,” I reassure him. “You don’t have to kill him.”

Kade doesn’t say a word, just leans forward, presses a hard kiss on my hair, and rises.

I grab his arms to stop him, because yes, Leandro startled me, but he doesn’t deserve to die for it, only to hiss in pain because Kade's arms are solid muscle, and my palms are sore.

Kade’s eyes flicker from solid gray to liquid silver, and I know his wolf is peering back at me. But my heart doesn’t spike in fear because this is Kade, and I know he won’t hurt me.

He peels my hands away. “I’ll be right—”

Aden nudges Kade aside and drops into a crouch in front of me, his brow furrowed in concern. “Give me your hands.”

I consider lying. But since he couldn’t have missed my response, I place my hands in his, palm side up, with a heavy sigh. “I’m not bleeding.”

Aden peers up at me with a raised eyebrow. “And that means I should just ignore the fact you cried out in pain?”

Behind him, Kade takes another step toward the door.

Aden gently places my hands on my thighs. “Don’t go anywhere, Kade. I’m going to need your help.”

Kade pauses, his gaze flicking from me to the open door and back again.

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