Series: Lords of Rathe Series by Meagan Brandy
Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
His gaze scans the room once, landing on the expressions of his brothers, then snapping to me.
“Why does everyone look like they just saw our mother?” he asks, voice low, roughened, dragging over my nerves like smoke.
He doesn’t break stride. He hooks two fingers into the front of my jacket and tugs, pulling me into the line of his body. His scent puts a thorn through whatever argument I had been piecing together.
London exhales sharply, stepping toward us. “Haide is…developing,” she says, flicking a glance at her brothers. “Her senses sharpened and she reacted to a perceived threat. A knife appeared at Sinner’s throat.”
“Wow, London. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were being a snitch right now.”
“It’s not personal, Haide.” She shakes her head, and her tone tells me she’s not having fun, but it is what it is. “They’re my family now.”
Family.
The word sends a sharp ache through my chest, but I push it down.
To want is to lose. Stop forgetting that.
“We sure developing is the right word?” Sinner raises a brow. “Seemed pretty effortless to me.”
Legend’s arm goes instantly rigid around me. His muscles coil beneath my palms as he shifts me partially behind him in one smooth motion, barricading me.
It’s…hot, his show of possessiveness.
Insanely hot.
And also dramatically unnecessary.
“What did you do?” Legend demands.
“I might have played a little game,” Sinner drawls.
Legend’s jaw flexes but doesn’t even turn his head. “You lost.” Legend’s words are a statement, not a question. His certainty warms a part of me that I try to ignore.
“I did,” Sinner acknowledges without shame. “Not entirely, though. Now we know she’s got more skill than she pretends.”
I snort. “If I could call a knife without meaning to, you’d have figured it out by now. I probably would’ve sliced Creed into pretty little pieces ages ago.”
Creed surges forward, eyes flashing. “This isn’t a fucking joke, you lying, siphoning little bit—”
Legend starts to growl but Knight steps between the two, cutting Creed off with a single, razor-edged look.
“We can deal with this shit later. Let’s not forget why we’re here.” His attention snaps to me, steady and unblinking. “Talk, wannabe demon,” Knight says, voice a quiet command, not to be argued with. “Tell us about the black-thorned flower.”
“It’s called the Isle’s Kiss.”
London pulls herself up onto the bar top, crossing one leg over the other. “You said you discovered it on the island. How?”
“How does anyone discover anything? I found it when I was walking through the old caverns.”
Creed crosses his arms. “And?”
“And went to find the witch.”
“What witch?”
“I don’t know, royal. We just call her the witch because she is “the witch.” She’s like the eyes and ears of the island. If I missed something, she saw it. If something was lost, she found it. If there was something you needed to know, she had the answers. Sure, you had to solve stupid riddles to figure them out but still. Answers.”
Knight and Creed share a look while Legend’s fingers dig into my hips, his free hand coming up, knuckles pressing beneath my chin. Our eyes meet and he smirks.
“We need to know what you know, my little monster. What did they deny you?” His long fingers wrap around my throat, squeezing slightly.
The second his fingers tighten, something inside me kicks awake—hot, reckless, a creature digging its hooks into my ribs as if it’s been waiting for him. I press into his palm and his pupils flare.
“I’ll give you what you want, baby. Always.” Those blue eyes are on fire, and it spreads through me. “I don’t give a fuck what you ask for, it’s yours. So tell them, if only to get your way.”
My way?
If I had it my way, I’d be impaling myself on his cock right now ’cause fuck me. No literally, fuck me.
Please.
Legend’s smirk is knowing, his chuckle sending a shiver down my spine. “Let me give you what you want.” He leans closer, whispering in my ear. “Both the things you want.”
“I want to help find your murderer.”
Legend’s features shift fast. His smirk is swiped away, a deep-rooted glare in its place.
Sinner chuckles somewhere in the room. “Changed your tune real quick there, brother.”
“Mind your fucking business.” Legend’s jaw ticks, his eyes locked on mine. “Fine. I’ll take you.”
“The hell you will.”
“Absolutely fucking not.”
“Fool.”
Knight. Creed. Sinner. Their responses pop off at once and I couldn’t hold in my smile if I tried.
London sighs, sliding off the counter with all the grace of someone who’s used to cleaning up Deveraux disasters. “You’re all wasting time,” she says, dusting her hands. “If Haide has information, then we move. Now.”
Creed snaps his glare to her. “She’s unstable.”
“So are you,” London fires back. ”Difference is she’s actually useful right now.”
“Yes. Because she is the only common denominator here. Everything that is happening started when she came back,” he argues. “Just look at Legend! She’s sucking the life out of him!”