Chapter 3

3

BONES

T here's been plenty of times my brothers have interrupted me with a chick and each time has pissed me off or annoyed me. This time, I'd been grateful though I'd never admit it. In fact, I'd put enough distance between Sloan and me in the hope that none of them had noticed.

Cinder, the VP of the motorcycle club, and Reaper's right hand gave me a hard look while Blaze and Chainz greeted Colton then gave each other shit as they dropped into chairs at the table the club claims as ours. I refused to look away from the scarred demon, refusing to let any of the conflict in me surface. He'd said nothing, but jerked his head towards the table in silent order.

So I'd grabbed Sloan's lemon water and my beer and told her to follow me. The chilled, sweating glass of our drinks didn't cool me down but they kept me from reaching for her again. I sat her drink down towards the end of the table closest to the bar. I put two wooden chairs between us sitting next to Chainz, needing the distance. At our end of table, we're between Sloan and any of the exits. Not that I think she'd make a run for it. Especially not when she'd struggled to make her own decisions regarding food.

I grip my beer bottle tight enough my knuckles would be white if I hadn't tattooed them as I take a drink to buy myself another few minutes before Cinder lets me know what brought them here. I've known Cinder too long not to recognize the look in his eyes. Cinder rarely speaks, but he's got no issue letting us know his thoughts with the smallest movements.

I don't know what I'm feeling right now when it comes to Sloan. Her struggle was too real, the metallic scent of panic too strong. It pisses me off that I recognize every sign of living under the absolute control of someone else. That's got to be the reason why I acted without thought. Dominating her and the situation, enough to make her feel like I was in charge. I still forced her to make her own choices, just without as many options as a menu gave her and I refused to let her get caught up in her fear.

I shouldn't understand her, not when she's our prisoner. Because I have to be real, that's exactly what she is. She might not be in a cell or have her hands cuffed, but it just means our jail is more comfortable than the ones we'd been subjected to before escaping the Hells.

"So."

Cinder's scarred, gravel harsh voice interrupts Blaze and Chainz. Both of them shut up without complaint, shifting so they're facing our VP. Like me, the three demons are wearing Knights of Hades leather cuts, patches with their names and their position in the club on the front as badges of honor. Like mine, the back of their vests is dominated by the KoH emblem: a snarling Cerberus with his three heads in a circle of chains.

I set my beer down on the scarred table, fingers picking at the beer's Tartarus Taps label as I keet my attention on the man at the head of the table. Chainz is between me and him, with Blaze across from Chainz. Cinder's eyes flick up past us a moment before Sydney is there, dropping off mine and Sloan's food, beer for the three and a fresh one for me.

"Usual food orders?" Sydney asks, straight to the point. The dark-haired sharp witted bar owner knows what it looks like when we've got business to discuss. At their nods, she leaves us to get down to it.

"Stubs find anything new?" I ask, guessing that whatever Cinder has to say is connected to the woman at the end of the table. I grunt in frustration, ignoring the burger and fries in front of me for now. "I should be helping him. Can't do much while stuck at the clubhouse. My laptop doesn't have as much tech power as we do at HQ."

Chainz barks out a laugh and shoves a stolen fry into his mouth. "Shoulda thought of that before you saved the chick."

My lips press together, not responding. Blaze eyes me from across the table, Cinder watching all of us.

"You still haven't given us a good reason why you didn't take her out," Blaze comments, ignoring that Sloan is only a few feet away and can hear every word. It takes everything in me to not breathe in, to scent the air to find her reactions.

I grit my teeth and glare at Blaze. His mate, Kennedy, is the reason why Sloan is here in the first place. Kennedy had married into the mafia and ran when she thought she took out the mob boss--who happened to be her husband. Shitty for her and us, Enzo Santi Pastori had familial connections with the Light Justicars. An order of religious zealots created centuries ago by an Archangel, bent on eradicating every demon fleeing to earth from the celestial wars. A war still raging when Reaper lead our escape. A war we'd all been conscripted and forced into.

Blaze is right, though. I don't even know why I hadn't killed her, not really. I'd told Reaper and Cinder that something had stopped me when I'd heard Sloan's pleading for death.

"Stubs is following some leads," Cinder speaks up, preventing me from responding to Blaze's inquiry. The wooden chair, massive to accommodate our larger frames, creaks as he leans forward. Resting his forearms on the table and bringing his hands together, he looks directly down the table to Sloan. "Sloan Davis. I'd like you to answer some questions for us."

We all look at her and an ache builds in my throat at the terror in her eyes. A terror she quickly stamps down, wiping her expression clean until she's got her head bowed submissively. A subservient posture that comes too easily for her. Cinder and I share a quick look. Of all of us, he and I share the experience of abuse at the hands of our rulers.

Blonde hair falls forward, shielding some of her face from us. She's quick to tuck it back and settle her hands below the table. She's practically vibrating, she's so tense. Her food is completely forgotten in front of her.

Cinder frowns at her, not that she'd notice. "What can you tell us of your being a Light Justiciar?"

She rolls her lower lip, nervously chewing on it. I curl my fingers against my thigh, fighting the urge to tug the abused flesh from her and soothe it.

"What would you like to know?" she asks after a long moment, her raspy voice wavering.

We'd yet to ask her anything, hoping that she may open up on her own. Either because she'd grown comfortable with us or because she's so obsessed with her doctrine that she'd yell and rage at us. Instead, she'd been silent, retreated inside of herself.

Chainz grinds out, "Everything, girl. Why or how you joined them? Did you volunteer your abilities for them to use? Are you planning to slit Bones' throat in his sleep?"

I suffocate the reaction to growl at Chainz's scathing tone and Sloan's defensive flinch.

Sloan's head snaps up, enough to glare at Chainz with a shocking level of emotion in her eyes. "I didn't volunteer anything. I didn't even know about what I could do until Father Xavius."

"Explain," comes Cinder's sharp command.

The spark is snuffed from Sloan's eyes, her head bowing again. When she speaks again, her voice is monotone. "I was brought to them when I was seventeen. Once you're in their grasp they never let you go, no matter what. I don't know anything about them. I learned quickly I was good for two things. He made sure I knew and accepted my place."

"Who was he?"

When her blue-green eyes meet mine, surprised, I realize I'd made the demand. Sloan steals a glance at Cinder before returning to me. "Father Xavius."

The urge to see vengeance dealt out spikes through me. I crush the side of my tongue between my gritting teeth, focusing on the sharp pain and metallic taste until I feel in control again.

"Tell me about him."

The air around the table is thick with tension as Sloan visibly struggles to compose herself. The bitter scent of long held fear reaches us demons and we share a knowing look. With the evidence of her fear and the little we've learned since that night at the clubhouse, there can be no doubt. Sloan had wanted to die to escape Xavius and the Light Justicars.

I'm out of my chair and kneeling beside her, her chair squeaking against the floor as I turn it until she is facing me. I grip the back of it, my forearms resting on the arms and caging her in. She meets my gaze, and my chest aches because I know exactly how much bravery it takes for her to lift her eyes to mine. Eyes brimming with tears.

"He will never touch you again, this I vow." My voice is darkened by my rage and a need to protect her. "None of them will. I'll kill them before they ever get close enough to."

Something I don't recognize is forming between us as Sloan's watery eyes stay on mine, her lips press together and her chin quivering as she fights to hold back the emotional storm I can scent on her. I don't move, willing her to trust me. To trust that I'm sincere.

Sloan lunges forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. She buries her face in my neck, burning me with her falling tears. I wrap her in my arms, holding her to me as she shatters at last. I don't give a fuck if Cinder has more questions for her. They can wait.

I shift until I'm carrying her against my chest, one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees. When I rise, I'm ready to challenge Cinder and the others if they demand I keep her there. Chainz looks pissed and ready to say something but Blaze throws a bottle cap at him, smacking him in the forehead before he can open his mouth. I look at Cinder, who is watching me with an expression I can't read. At his subtle nod, I leave.

Sitting on my bike with Sloan still breaking apart in my arms, I know one thing.

If Father Xavius really survived the attack on our clubhouse, I'm going to enjoy hunting him down and killing him myself.