“No,” Liam replied calmly. “You’re an O’Brien. The only family you’ve got shares blood with me. And if you don’t remember that soon, I’ll happily relieve you of the distractions. I wonder what price your pretty little piece of ass would fetch at Royaume D'élite? It’s a shame you’ve broken her in really, virgins always sell better.”
I bit my tongue to stop myself from screaming and the line hung silent between us.
The eagle shrieked and took a dive out of the sky, plummeting towards the ground far below and taking the remains of my blackened heart with it.
“How soon?” I demanded eventually. He was nothing if not precise and I knew this threat would come with a deadline.
“Christmas. I’ll have you home for dinner with your family. You can bring the girlfriend too.”
“I don’t have a girlfriend,” I ground out. “I have girls to fuck when the mood suits me, I’ve got no interest in anything more than that.”
“I’ll be sure to tell sweet Tatum you said that when I see her at Christmas. I’m sure she’ll be glad of the invite. Seeing as the last member of her family is on the run and all, I doubt she has any other plans.”
The line went dead before I could respond and I pushed to my feet with a roar of rage.
I swung around and threw my fist into the rock wall I’d been sitting against, my knuckles crunching as blood flew and agony exploded through them.
I damn near launched my phone over the cliff face for good measure, but if he tried to call me again and didn’t get through, I had no doubt he’d follow through on those threats and send someone up here.
I balled my fists and paced up and down as the rage in me turned deadly and my thirst for blood made my skin itch. I needed to do something to counter the utter fucking injustice of this and turn my mind from fantasies of hopping on my bike and riding down to Liam’s house with my fucking bat to cave his skull in along with those of all of my uncles. Some days I was certain that that was what this would come to in the end. If I wanted to live my own life, the cost of it was theirs. But the size and scope of their organisation meant that getting them all in one place for anything aside from a funeral or a wedding was practically impossible. But the next time they were going to gather I might just be tempted to host a fucking massacre.
Fuck my filthy blood and depraved family.
I ground my jaw as I tried to figure out what to do. Maybe it was time I faced my lies, my secrets. Did I really believe that Saint and Blake would turn their backs on me for what I’d done in that place? But if they did then I’d be left with nothing and no one and my fate would be sealed either way.
I cursed loudly and strode towards my dirt bike at a fast pace, leaping onto it and slamming my boot down on the kick start so that it roared to life. I ripped the throttle back and tore down the steep mountain paths way faster than was safe, enjoying the way the cold wind stung my skin and my heart leapt every time I came close to losing control of the machine beneath me.
I weaved around more and more thick tree trunks the further I descended, the bright midday sun lighting the forest all around me as the bike churned up mud and I dropped off of ledges and jumped fallen trunks.
By the time I reached the base of the mountain, adrenaline was coursing through my veins and my bad mood was almost lightening. But all it took was a single thought of that phone call to kill any enjoyment I might have been able to glean from the ride.
I tore up the paths that circled the lake and students screamed as they were forced to dive out of my way. I spotted Deepthroat falling on her ass as I nearly flattened her and laughed darkly to myself. Maybe a bit of Unspeakable hunting was what I needed. I was definitely starving for something to satisfy the monster in me.
I spun the bike off of the path as I neared The Temple then raced around the building towards the trees behind the church where there was an old outbuilding which Saint had gotten fixed up for me to store my bike. I’d make one of the Unspeakables come by and wash it later.
I rolled the bike inside and left it there before stalking back out and leaning against the stone wall of the little outbuilding.
I sighed heavily as I tried to decide what to do, pulling the pack of cigarettes from my pocket again and sparking one up as I kicked my foot back against the wall.
I closed my eyes as I inhaled the smoke and tried to fight against the desire to go and kick the shit out of anyone and everyone I could find. I wanted to feel the thump and thwack of my fists pounding flesh, feel the ache and burn of receiving blows myself and bathe in the blood of some deserving fucker who could put up a damn good fight.
I found myself thinking about the night we’d killed that asshole for Tatum. Trying to bury my rage in the memory of violence, but all it really did was increase my appetite. I really was a
