I was chasing her sister, racing behind her with a smile on my face when suddenly, out of nowhere, I watched as the game we’d become accustomed to tore apart our lives. It was an accident, that’s what I told Damien. The same story I told the cops. And in my heart, I believed I was innocent. But deep down, I don’t know if I was. I’m still eaten by the guilt of that night every single day, and I know it will never ease.
Shock. Fury. Fear.
The emotions took hold of me and didn’t let go. I just stood by. I knew if I went closer, if I moved toward her, I would be dead too. Self-preservation kicked in, and I stood back and watched.
It didn’t take long for the wail of sirens to echo around the thick tree trunks, and Damien pulled me away. Him and Genevieve were fucking or something, so they were always together. She, my former best friend, and I watched as her sister was mangled by a hunter’s trap, but Genevieve never forgave me for that incident. And I’ve never forgiven myself.
She glides past me on her way to the exit, but she doesn’t greet me, and I don’t acknowledge her, not verbally anyway. Keirin’s gaze locks on mine, a satisfied smirk tilting his lips. He’s fucked her.
I close the distance between us, stopping in front of my brother. “You taking leftovers to your bed now?” I ask, knowing I’m going to piss him off with the question. He knows Damien and Gen were a thing before D moved to London.
“Fuck you, Creed,” my brother says, but he’s smiling like the fucking Cheshire Cat. “I needed to get my dick wet. She was available.”
“She’s always available. You know she’d jump on anyone’s dick just to say she’s been laid by a Haven or a Thorne.” Damien Thorne, my former best friend, and his youngest brother have had the feisty redhead in their beds. It’s only the middle brother she hasn’t managed to seduce. Yet.
“Are you worried about me catching something, Creed?”
Shaking my head, I chuckle. “Not at all, brother. I know you wouldn’t put your mouth where your wrapped-up dick goes. Just be careful.”
“Always.” His promise is one I trust. Yeah, we may have our disagreements, but the two boys I grew up with will always have my back. “Did you get the cage and maze approved?”
“Yeah.” The smile on my face says it all. It’s only a few more days before the party, and a few more days I can spy on my little mouse before I take her for my own. “I think it’s going to be our best year yet.”
“Do you think Cass and Finn will come?” Keirin asks with a hopeful lilt to his voice. Cassian and Finn Thorne are practically family. Their ancestors, along with ours, founded this town, hence the name Thorne Haven. We grew up as best friends. It was only Damien and I who fell out, but Keirin and Brody and the two younger Thorne brothers are as loyal as I would expect them to be and keep to themselves over the bust up.
But even so, we still attend parties at each other’s houses. We tolerate each other, but I can tell Keirin misses Cassian. They were thick as thieves growing up.
“I don’t know. Maybe you should go up there and ask him.” I shrug, but I know he’ll take my advice and go before the sun sets tonight. “Where’s Brody?”
“In his room. Busy with . . . something.”
“Something or someone?” I ask, making my way down the hall. Our youngest brother has taken up residence in one of the far corners of the monstrous castle that’s been our home since we were little.
“Who knows?” Keirin winks before he leaves me in the hallway. Shaking my head, I get to my room and shut myself inside. I’ll talk to Brody later. I can’t deal with more of my brothers’ fuck buddies.
I make a beeline for my desk. Opening my MacBook, I log in and open the browser. By the time I’ve logged into my email, I find the message from Dad with the information that I asked for. He’s been forthcoming with anything I request, rightly so, because this is all his doing.
The subject line catches my attention first, Micaela McCray, daughter of Irish Crime Syndicate Leader, Eagan McCray. So, my little redhead is Irish with a bad daddy to match. When I think about her, about the violence she must’ve witnessed growing up, I ponder just how innocent she really is.
My eyes scan the first few lines of the email, and I can’t stop the smile from spreading on my face.
Micaela McCray, nineteen, studying her final two years in Thorne Haven due to a mishap with her ex-boyfriend. She was sent to Thorne Haven to hide out until her father’s dealt with it, but perhaps we can do something about that. Looks like your girl’s got herself mingled with the wrong kind of guy. Interesting enough, there are photos of her on social media, but none with the two of them together. She hasn’t mentioned anything about him in her updates, and even now that she’s suddenly disappeared off social media for a few days has been suspect. But the moment I questioned it I found her father’s team have continued posts on her profiles which link to a burner based in New York where she’s from.
Her dad is trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes. I know we will find out what and who this ex-boyfriend is, so patience is something I need to learn to have. I have another couple of days to watch her, learn
