Part 7 (1/2)

Kissing Aria wasn't to distract her, not really, not if I were honest with myself. h.e.l.l, there were a hundred ways to do that if that was my purpose. Some part of me wanted to come clean. To confess. To tell her everything and see where I stood. But, even more than that, the urge to kiss her when she'd run screaming into my arms had been overwhelming. I'd wanted her. I'd wanted to protect her, to make her feel safe, but more than any of those n.o.bler desires, I'd simply wanted to have her. To claim her. Just like I had that night six years ago.

f.u.c.k.

I would not let my father manipulate me again. I'd had time to think about what he'd said as I'd run. I was still Alpha's son. Even if I turned my back on him, on all of them, part of me would still, would always, belong to them. And by claiming Aria, taking her as my own, I'd be picking up where Derek left off. I could unite the packs, if they didn't destroy us first.

He'd said he hadn't ordered the kill on Bryan. He still denied that. Was it possible he was telling the truth? Had he been trying to save the son to make amends for killing the father?

I was getting a f.u.c.king headache. And on top of it all was Aria, the one person I should have stayed away from and the one person I couldn't get out of my f.u.c.king head. Not in the six years I'd been gone.

Fly shook his head at me when I walked behind the bar.

”What the f.u.c.k are you doing, man?”

I twisted the lid off a bottle of beer. ”Not a clue.”

”Well, you'd better figure it the f.u.c.k out and fast. That girl is going to get you everything you do not need. Everything you've been trying to steer clear of.”

I drank half the bottle. ”What happened that was so urgent?”

”You mean that I had to interrupt your love fest?”

”f.u.c.k you, Fly.”

He shook his head. ”Wolves. They were after her. Not sure if it was to scare her or what, but when I realized she wasn't in your office, I went out there - luckily in time. Scared them off.”

”f.u.c.k. Any chance they were rogue?” If they'd acted outside of a pack, it would be easier to deal with.

Fly shook his head. ”I think you'd better a.s.sume they weren't. How was your meeting with dear old dad?”

I took another sip of beer. ”He's grooming Ace to take over.”

”He's his enforcer and next in line by blood, even if he is a p.r.i.c.k. Why are you surprised by that? And, more importantly, why do you give a s.h.i.+t?”

”I don't.” It was a lie, but I didn't want to give a s.h.i.+t. Didn't that count for anything?

Fly's eyebrows went up.

”He still denies having anything to do with the murders. And he claims the rose wasn't from them,” I said.

”You believe him?”

”He knew where she was for two years. He could have done it then. It would have been easier to off her then, so, yes, I do.”

”All right then, let me ask you this. You sure Cain's the man in charge over there?”

That made me pause. ”What do you mean?”

”Ever consider that Ace may be running the show?”

”No. No f.u.c.king way. Not from what I saw between them today. He wants to, but no way.”

”Maybe behind Cain's back?”

”How? Who would be stupid enough to go against the Alpha? Sentence is death. Every time.”

Fly picked up a towel to wipe the bar as a customer came up to order. ”I know Ace, maybe better than you,” he said, glancing back at me. ”He's bad news, Z.” He turned his attention to the customer.

”Who's Ace?” Aria stood on the other side of the bar. Her eyes were red, but I didn't need to see them to know she'd been crying. It was in her voice, her demeanor. She doubted, she questioned, she wanted to trust. I saw it. I understood it. Yet, I had to keep her in the dark, and she stood a little smaller because of it.

”No one.”

She shook her head, tears building up again. ”Stop this. Stop the f.u.c.king lies and non-answers. I have a right to know. Is he Obsidian? Is he the one who killed Bryan and my mother?”

Fly's gaze burned into my back as the bar quieted just a little. Walking toward her, I took her by the arm and walked her into my office, grabbed her jacket and a helmet, and took her out to my bike. Straddling it, I handed her the helmet.

”Get on.”

”No. Not until you tell me what the f.u.c.k is going on. I don't get you, Zane. I don't understand you, and you may not believe there's value in understanding, but I f.u.c.king do. You're not the man I remember. What happened to him? He was good. He gave a s.h.i.+t. Even if he did f.u.c.k up, he gave a s.h.i.+t. You? You're different, and not in a good way.”

”Well, I'm the only one who has any answers, aren't I? And, somehow, I seem to have become responsible for you.”

”Screw you! You're not responsible for me. I came back thinking I'd have someone to help me, an ally. Someone who would want Obsidian dead as badly as I do. But, no, turns out you're just a selfish a.s.shole who thinks he can play with me one minute while pretending to want to keep me safe the next. f.u.c.k. You. Coming here was a mistake. Wasting four years looking for you was a mistake. And that night six years ago? My biggest mistake yet. But don't worry, you won't have to face your s.h.i.+t again. You can tuck tail, run and hide like the f.u.c.king coward you are. I'm done. You won't ever have to see me again.”

Getting off the bike, I grabbed her before she could get far. Where the f.u.c.k she thought she'd go, I had no idea, but I, too, was done.

”Get your a.s.s on the bike, Aria. I mean it.”

She struggled, but it was useless.

”Why? Tell me why I should do anything you say?”

I closed my hand around her throat and shoved her up against the wall, crus.h.i.+ng my mouth over hers so hard, it f.u.c.king hurt. We both gasped for breath when I ended the kiss.

”Because all I've been doing for the last six years is trying to keep this s.h.i.+t away from me. Trying to keep everything that happened out of my f.u.c.king head. Trying to keep you out of my head. But turns out I can't, so just get on the G.o.dd.a.m.ned bike and shut the f.u.c.k up because you're right. I was a f.u.c.king coward. And if you think I haven't regretted leaving you alone to deal with that s.h.i.+t, well, you're wrong. I regret it every single day of my life.”

She stared up at me, and I realized what I'd said. But she stopped fighting, and I took the helmet from her hand and put it on her head. She straddled the bike behind me, and I took off faster than I should have, faster than was safe, but I liked her arms wrapped around my waist. Liked her body pressed up against mine as she clung to me. And I didn't want to lose this thing between us. I was running headfirst into trouble, but just like that last time I'd had her in my bed, I was powerless to resist.

We didn't speak when we got to the house. We'd need to do that, but I needed to do one other thing first. Taking her by her wrist, I dragged her up the stairs and into my bedroom.

”Zane?” she asked, stepping back when I released her and closed the door.

My answer came in the form of my stalking toward her and her retreating from me until she was out of s.p.a.ce. I didn't care if I scared her though. I didn't give a s.h.i.+t about that, and, quite frankly, I liked her a little scared.

”In my office, I wasn't trying to distract you.” I kissed her roughly, pus.h.i.+ng her jacket off her arms before dragging her s.h.i.+rt over her head. ”In fact, from the first minute I saw you, all I've wanted to do is this.” My hands went to the b.u.t.ton of her jeans while hers pressed against my chest. ”Boots, Aria.” She moaned against my mouth while working them off, and once they were gone, I lifted her up and carried her to the bed, peeling her jeans away as soon as I released her so she lay in bra and panties. ”The other night,” I said, straddling her thighs, feeling the heat coming off her as I tore my T-s.h.i.+rt off, my c.o.c.k aching to be released. I reached behind her and unhooked her bra, pulling it free, taking in her small, round b.r.e.a.s.t.s, the dark, pebbled nipples begging to be sucked. I took one into my mouth and the other between two fingers. I wasn't gentle. It wasn't who I was. Instead, I sucked hard, drawing her nipple out between my teeth, sliding my other hand down over her belly and into her panties to find her shaved p.u.s.s.y. Her hands wrapped around my head as she lifted herself up a little. I figured she was on the edge of pain when I released her and took the other nipple into my mouth. ”The other night when I undressed you,” I continued, although I wasn't sure she was following as she tried to draw me down onto her again, lifting her hips into my hand. ”I wanted you then, too. I wanted to strip you f.u.c.king naked and taste every inch of you. I wanted to stand over you and take my c.o.c.k into my hand until I came all over you. I wanted to own you.”

”Zane, please.”