Rook and rebel, p.21
Rook & Rebel, page 21
My heart pounded in my chest as I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. I glanced at Evie and Harper, who both looked annoyed.
“I already called Rook,” I whispered. “They’re on their way.”
Evie grinned up at the guys holding onto us. “Oh, you’re fucked,” she said.
An older guy came into the room, and Evie scowled.
“Cross?” Evie said, stepping back. “Why did you grab us?”
“Now you know these guys?” Harper asked.
She gave a tight smile, leaning over towards us. “The guy I kind-of dated that mixed business and pleasure was Asher. He’s a competitor of this guy, so I inevitably know all about them.”
“How are they competitors?” I asked.
“They are both drug lords in Valeport and hate each other,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Cross hates us.”
“I hate you,” Cross interrupted, “because you sided with Asher when you shouldn’t have.”
“I don’t know. I think it worked out fine for us.”
“Wait,” I said, surprised I was saying anything. “What does that have to do with us?”
“I need your guys to look into the theft of my drugs, and they aren’t responding,” Cross said, not meeting our eye now.
“Then get the hint,” Evie said. “They don’t want to talk to you or work with you. You’re a snitch, and a pig.”
“They don’t exactly have a choice now. They have to come here to get you and then we can talk.”
“Asher isn’t going to love this, either,” Evie mumbled.
“Fuck Asher.” Cross sat back, looking us over.
“Can I get that on a recording?” she asked. “Just want to keep him in the loop.”
“Asher can go fuck himself. We all have shipments going missing and he doesn’t? You can understand why he is quickly moving up to the top of my list of who did it.”
“Like he would want your shitty ass drugs.”
“Shouldn’t you…I don’t know, be quiet or something?” I whispered to Evie.
She rolled her eyes again. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. He can’t kill us. He wants the guys to help him figure out what’s happening, and no one has the connections like we do. Rook and Aiden have been trolling this city for information for nearly ten years. They know exactly where his shipments are and he knows it. If we are dead, he’s dead with no information. Right, Cross?”
His lips tight in what I could only assume was supposed to be a smile. “This is a friendly meeting.”
I yanked at my arm that was still being held by Victor. “Then get your hands off of me,” I said, pulling again.
Rook stepped into the room, scanning it fast. His eyes landed on me, flicking once to Evie and Harper before turning back to me. Aiden, Mason, Hero, and Zack were behind him. Zack and Mason turned, facing the door they came through as the rest of them looked everyone over.
Rook pulled out his gun, aiming it with a steady hand and pulling the trigger without another word.
Victor fell, blood splattering on the side of my dress as he went down. My lips pressed hard together as I suppressed my scream.
And the bile rising in my throat.
“Rook!” Cross yelled.
“I will continue unless you get your hands off them,” Rook said. Hands dropped from Evie and Harper.
As if she didn’t care what was happening around us, Evie stepped out, walking across the room to stand by Aiden and Rook. I followed, and Harper sneered at Cross as we walked over with them. Rook’s arm snaked around my waist, pulling me hard against him before he shoved me behind his back.
“You’re fucking lucky I don’t kill you,” Rook said. “If you thought for a fucking second this would help your chances of getting our help, you’re wrong. I know exactly what you’re doing and I don’t give a fuck if your shipments go missing.”
“Rook, I need help. We have looked everywhere, asked everyone, and not a word.”
“And I’m going to make sure it stays that way now. You think you can bother them and I will suddenly do your dirty work? Go fuck yourself. The only reason I’m not killing you is to not start a war. Do this shit again and I won’t care.”
Cross went to stand, but Hero raised his shotgun with a grin.
Rook turned to us, nodding towards the door. “Go. Out of the room. Stay with Zack, Kane, and Mason.”
I grabbed his arm, pulling him back.“Rook, I’m—”
“I’m coming. Just go.”
Zack put an arm around my shoulders, smiling as we walked out.
“What is he doing?” I asked.
Evie walked up next to me, grabbing Zack’s hand and lifting it off my shoulders until he dropped it.“No need to touch her, Zack.”
He rolled his eyes. “I was walking her out, not feeling her up.”
“Close enough.” Evie linked her arm in mine again, Harper on my other side. “I can walk her out just fine.”
“Really? You managed to get yourselves all kidnapped, basically,” Zack snapped.
Mason came up behind us. “Just walk them out, Zack. No need to piss anyone else off tonight.”
I smiled back at Mason, but I looked over his shoulder once.
“They aren’t killing him, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I was more worried about them getting hurt.”
Mason smirked as we headed out front. “They won’t. You want on the bike or in the car?”
“I don’t have a helmet,” I said, heading to the car. Mason pointed at Rook’s bike, my helmet sitting on my seat.
“Oh,” I went over, seeing that he had mine strapped to the back.
It was less than a minute before Rook came out. “Riding with me?” he asked, not stopping as he swung over the bike.
“If you don’t mind.”
“I prefer it. Come on, Kane will take Harper home safe.”
I got on, relief washing over me as I held onto him.
“You know, you might never be in trouble with anyone else, but you currently are with me,” I said.
He groaned. “Alright, Rebel. Let me get you home and then give me what you got. I’ll take my punishment.”
I squeezed tighter once, not saying a word for the rest of the drive.
Twenty-Nine
Rook
She stomped up the steps as I slammed the door behind me.
“I just wanted to go out for one night. One damn night and someone is trying to kill me?”
“I told you I would go with you in case something happened.”
“I thought you meant if a guy was hitting on me or something. I didn’t think you meant in case you needed to shoot a man.”
“I can be more clear next time,” I said, stifling a laugh.
“Next time? You think there is a next time? You think me not being able to go out for girls’ night without you tagging along so I don’t die is okay?”
“It doesn’t have to be me if you need a break from all my charm. Zack could go. Or Mason. He likes to get out sometimes. I’d offer Hero to go, but he would start a fight on purpose if nothing happened. Aiden is already one step from Evie’s full-time bodyguard, so he’d like to keep a night off.”
“You think this is funny? My dress is covered in some random guy’s blood. Am I supposed to pay to have that dry cleaned? Or scrub it out myself?”
There was no shortage of money in this room, let alone the house, but I still smiled. “I will pay to have your dress dry cleaned. Or buy you a new one. I would like to add, though, that I was there to save you. Sometimes it gets a little messy.”
“Messy?” She nearly yelled the word, but her mouth snapped shut as she screamed against her sealed lips. “You are insane.”
“You’ve said that before,” I said, sitting back on the bed.
She disappeared into the bathroom. The shower turned on, and I waited.
“Do you need help in there?” I yelled out.
“If you so much as step foot in this bathroom, Rook, I will cut you.”
“With what?”
“Oh, some dumb man left a giant knife in my room after he tried to kill me with it, and I was so freaked out that it was a murder weapon that I hid it. I can reach it from here. Don’t even try me.”
“You put it close enough that you can reach it from the shower? Interesting choice. You’re really getting good at this threatening thing, Rebel. Before you know it, you’ll be running a damn empire, making men scared of you without them even meeting you.”
When she stomped back out, my chest tightened. She was still mad, but now she was wet, wrapped in a towel, and as beautiful as ever.
“Don’t be condescending.”
I held up my hands. “I’m not.”
I liked when she was mad. I liked to see the wild woman she hid away and gave just to me. I didn’t think it would be just for me for much longer, though. She was born to be in charge, and I didn’t think her temper would last long inside these four walls when she knew she could let it out. She seemed comfortable with me now and had no fear in facing me to tell me exactly why she was mad at me.
I was in her room and she was comfortable to shower and get ready for bed with me here. It was so domesticated and, with her, I loved it. I wanted my woman with me every night, telling me about her day or asking about mine. I wanted someone who was at my side and would help me run our world. I knew it would include getting yelled at by her sometimes.
“I called you to help me tonight. It’s not like I took care of it myself,” she said, the sadness in her tone making me upset.
“And?” I asked, stepping closer now. I reached up, running a hand down her jaw. “You are a fucking queen. And just like a queen, you don’t have to fight battles on your own. You have a damn army behind you. Maybe not a big one, but I promise, we are enough to fix any issues you have with anyone.”
“And I’m just supposed to rely on you to always show up?”
“We can teach you how to defend yourself more. Or you can learn how to shoot. Whatever you want, but I will always show up. You can always count on me showing up.”
Her face fell, and she looked away. “I’m supposed to count on that? I’m supposed to believe you just truly want to protect me? Or is your solution going to be asking me to not go anywhere or do anything for my safety? Will I have any say in anything? Or will you just say you’re more powerful and get the final say?”
“Never. It’s not an option for me. Do you know what a rook does in chess?” She shook her head, and I wrapped my arms around her. “He protects the queen. He can’t take her down, he can’t win against her, he only protects her. If you want to be queen of it all, I will cut down anyone in your way. I won’t stop you or lock you up, and yes, I would happily kill anyone who bothers you.”
Her lip curled. “You shot that guy.”
“I fucking did and loved watching his hands drop from you.” I leaned down, kissing along her neck as I pulled at the towel. I loved the moment he fell, the second his hands stopped touching her. I groaned. I liked her being mine, and I was pretty sure I would do just about anything to keep her to myself. “I would do it a thousand times over.”
“You’re serious,” she said.
I stepped back, looking at the bed and back at her. “I’m very serious. You know, there’s something I’ve wanted to do since I met you. Could we do it now?”
She stepped back, pulling the towel tighter again. “That sounds like you’re about to tell me some weird kink you have.”
“What counts as a weird kink?”
Her eyebrows furrowed, like she was thinking about it. “Maybe anything illegal?”
“Oh, then yeah, I for sure have some weird kinks,” I said, heading to the bed.
“Okay, I’m going to need to know what they are before either of us gets even a foot closer to that bed,” she said, the horrified tone nearly making me laugh.
“I was just thinking about exhibitionism, but I think your mind went somewhere really gross.”
She shuffled back towards the bed again, grabbing a t-shirt to throw on before sliding back under the covers. “Okay, well, we aren’t in public, so what is the thing you want to do?”
“I want to lie down in this ridiculously big, comfortable bed and watch your endless episodes of Dateline.”
“That’s it?”
“For now? Yeah, that’s it.”
Thirty
Regan
Rook stood next to the bed, pulling off his hoodie with a heavy look in his eyes after he asked me to lie in bed watching my favorite show with him. I didn’t know if it was a ploy for anything else, but I didn’t think I cared either way.
The shirt came off next, and I took a deep breath. I loved looking at him. He made himself a canvas, each special piece telling a different story about himself. The dark swirls over his skin came together into one beautiful piece of art. The left side always caught my eye. The scarred side of his torso had to be a constant reminder of the fire that took everything. The scars were rough and uneven, a stark contrast to the smoothness of the rest of his skin. But they only made him more interesting, a beautiful imperfection that I could appreciate from any piece of artwork. Each time I saw him like this, I couldn’t help but feel in awe of every part of him.
He had said nothing, but he smirked when he realized I was staring at him.
“Come on,” he said, kicking off his boots. “Turn it on.”
“You really just want to watch TV?” I asked, already clicking it on as I lay back.
“Yes,” he said as he undid his belt. His eyes stayed locked on mine as he kicked off his shoes and jeans until he was standing in front of me in nothing but boxers. “All those nights I was here stalking you, this is what you did. Well, up here or in the living room, and I was dying to come inside and lie down.”
“I thought you were bored out of your mind watching me?”
“Oh, I was, but it was nice. I run around chasing the worst types of people doing the worst types of things. We don’t stop. Most nights, we don’t sleep. Even when I do get to bed, I don’t sleep much. I have so much on my mind that I can’t.”
“What type of stuff do you have on your mind?”
“The type of work you don’t want to hear about,” he said with a smirk. “Then Maverick Moto work, and now we are kicked out of the place we were living. Apparently, enough people complained about our bikes.”
“Don’t you have enough to get a new place?”
“More than enough. But it’s hard to find somewhere that houses seven or more people with loud bikes. A place that’s also private and can be discreet as far as our names on it. I guess we have to buy a place, so we are working on it.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
“Realize that I don’t just go around killing people and actually do have a house?” he asked, laughing quietly.
“Yeah, I guess so,” I said, laughing along with him. “You just don’t go around talking about your home life or anything, so I didn’t have any idea about it.”
“I do have a home. I mean, usually. And I sleep sometimes. I’m not a vampire. Although, that would make my life easier.”
“For the killing part or the not sleeping part?”
“Both.” He laughed again, pulling me against him now as he rolled under the covers next to me. “Are you still scared of me?”
“No. I don’t know how much I was truly scared of you. Maybe a time or two, but there’s no reason to be now. You’ve had plenty of chances to hurt me.”
“I promise you will never be safer than when you are with me.”
“I think tonight proved that is a lie. When I am with you, people die.” I almost laughed, but stopped myself. It wasn’t a joke. That was truly what happened.
He rolled over until I was pinned underneath him.
“No one will ever hurt you if I am with you.” He bit at my ear before kissing down my neck. “I will kill them. It doesn’t even take a second to think it over. That’s why people die when you’re with me,” he said with a grin, “because I won’t be giving them any chance to hurt you.”
“Why?”
“Because you are mine, and I will protect what is mine until I die.”
“That’s gross and almost sweet.”
“I’m a monster, Regan, but I can be your monster. And in these four walls, with you, I only want to be sweet. I only want you to feel safe because I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“Then tone down the murder talk.”
“Then tell me how the beginning of your day was before you thought going out to party with my sister would not end in a murder,” he said, kissing along my neck.
“You really want to hear about my day?”
He nodded against me, running his hands over my hips again and again.
I told him the little I had done before going to the shop to meet with Evie, and he murmured his questions and answers until I could hear the drowsiness in his tone.
How could someone kill a man and then crawl into my bed to talk?
I talked a little more about my drawings and hanging out with Harper, but when I looked back over, his eyes were closed and he was asleep.
His face relaxed, every part of him finally calm and peaceful. Black hair fell over his forehead, and I stared at the tattoos that ran on the side of his neck.
One tattooed hand laid across my stomach. His knuckles were red, with one split open. I didn’t know when he had gotten into a fight, but it had obviously been a few days. He hadn’t told me about it. It had to hurt, but he gave no sign it bothered him.
I ran a hand down his face, surprised when he nuzzled into it.
“Hey, baby,” he murmured.
“I thought you were asleep. You look so much less dangerous when you’re sleeping.” He smiled, his eyes still closed as he turned and bit at the palm of my hand. “Ouch,” I whispered, smiling.
“Still dangerous.”
“I’m terrified.”
“You keep saying that.”
“You keep doing things to make me terrified.”
His eyes were heavy as he nuzzled against my hand again. “You’re the first person I haven’t wanted to be terrified of me, but I still have to be me. Do the things I do.”
