Chapter 25

Patience isnae my strong suit,but I hold my tongue. The fact he's messaging Zayn to confide in when I'm standing right beside him pisses me off.

He's my boy!

The thought crosses my head without permission. The truth o' it is like a spotlight flashing at me, branding me as his and him as mine. As much as I want it to be true, I cannae allow it to be so. He's nae for me. He deserves someone who's nae broken, who disnae have the baggage I cart around with me.

"Tavish, what is going on?"

His head twists on his neck as he refuses to answer my question yet again.

"Just tell me, lilla du. Let me help you."

This time, he blatantly ignores me in favor o' his screens and keyboard. The clacking o' the keys grates on my nerves and I'm seconds from yanking his delicious ass out o' his chair and taking my belt to him. I rein myself in and just keep poking at him for information.

I'm still trying to pry details out o' Tavish when Zayn and his partners walk into the room. They've all been staying here at headquarters because o' some sort o' threat Tavish refused to elaborate on. All I was told was Zayn and his partners were here because o' an attempt on their lives.

Tavish's face lights up at the sight o' the man, and he jumps to greet him. The movement makes the possessive arse that dwells within surge forward at the delight on my boy's face.

He's mine!

The big, green, jealous beast within leaps forward. Shaking my head to rid myself o' the claim I refuse to acknowledge, I watch the interaction between them closely, growling when I see what Zayn's given Tavish.

Candy.

"Is that really necessary, Zayn?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest as Tavish pops the sour, sugary confection into his mouth.

Tavish stares at me, chewing slowly as he sits his arse back in his chair gingerly. The slight wince delights me and my mouth twitches.

Zayn looks at me and puffs out his chest as he responds, "I honor my agreements. The payment is clear. Information for treats."

Fucking bastard. I wonder how he'd feel if I messed with his subs.

Tavish munches candy as his gaze bounces between Zayn and me. The tension thick in the air and I can see my boy isnae a fan.

Just behind Zayn are his partners. Like Tavish, both o' them are young. And while I'm nae sure o' the exact dynamic, you can see they are submissive to Zayn. At least, from what I've observed while they've been here. The boy, West, I think, is his name, more so than the other partner, Nova. They're feminine in appearance, but disnae identify that way if what I've heard is true. Both are gorgeous, but nae my type.

"Tavish?"

Zayn's voice pulls my gaze back to him and Tavish. Tavish spins in his chair toward his monitors and responds to Zayn while glancing back over his shoulder at me.

"It's worse than we thought," he says.

Zayn asks, "What do you mean?" and Tavish waves at a screen before him.

"Wait. That's us," Nova says. The breathiness o' her voice whispers out over us all.

Tavish does his thing and images fill the screens that surround him. My hair stands on end as if trying to find the culprit that's set me on edge. It isnae just Nova and West. There is information and photos o' several Society members. Most o' whom are in this room.

Including Tavish.

I only half pay attention as Zayn asks if he's told Everly yet.

"Not yet, just about to," Tavish replies. Disappointment plagues me, yet I know I've nae right.

I grip his shoulder and ask, "Tavish, is that yer name up there?"

Why I asked, I dinnae ken. I can read it for myself clearly. Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was disbelief. His head bounces up and down in time with his throat as he gulps.

Spinning on my heel, I storm from the room as if the hounds o' hell are chasing me. Tavish's words echo in my mind.

It's worse than we thought.

It's worse than we thought.

It's worse than we thought.

It's worse than we thought.

They kenned what was lurking out there and they kenned it was bad. Just nae this bad.

How bad is worse than we thought?

Whatever it may be, however bad it is, disnae matter. The look on the lad's face when he dropped his fork told me all I needed to ken. Whatever was coming for him, for all o' them, was enough to make all the color drain from the boy.

What I dinnae ken is why the lad hadnae confided in me about what they are facing.

Why would he confide in me about things when I made it clear I wanted nothing from him but sex and kink?

Did he believe I wouldnae care? I told him before we began, I would protect him. That he was mine, just nae mine in any way other than our dynamic.

How's that working for you?

"Shut it!" I growl at myself.

Making my way through the basement, my strides eat up the expanse o' the hallways leading from Tavish's rooms. He's tucked himself deep in the confines o' the Society's headquarters. I'd guessed he did it for protection. He's never told me from what, but it disnae take a genius to figure it out.

Someone abused him. More than once and in a fashion that left its mark. Nae only on his body but also it seems on his heart and mind.

If my assumptions about what is coming for them are right, and Tavish's reaction tells me I'm dead on, then he's going to need protection.

Like Simon did.

My eyes close, my chest aches as the thought strikes like lightning, hitting my heart and soul like a missile. I failed Simon. I didnae protect him.

I cannae lose Tavish too.

A second lightning strike stops me like I've hit a brick wall, my feet planting themselves. I thought by holding him at bay I could protect myself, but that boy wormed his way under my skin. He buried himself deep and fast, flipping on emotions I thought I buried with Simon who I loved dearly. Losing him hurt. So fucking much. But the thought o' losing Tavish petrifies me.

Fuck me.

I lost Simon, trying to find who killed my parents. Tragedy striking a second time, taking everything from me. Then I found out Maeve may still be out there, and she brought me to this point. She brought me to Tavish.

To my boy.

Now there is this threat against him. I've kenned there was one from the start, but this isnae some abstract person. Zayn and his partners are here because someone came after Nova and West. Now these people are after my boy. They want to take him from me.

Am I doomed to be alone?

Fuck that. I'm nae victim. I'm going to find this fucking ball bawg and I'm going to set my axes loose on the man. On all o' them.

I'll be fucking dead and buried before I let anyone get their hands on him. And anyone who tries will find themselves deep in the ground without said hands, begging for forgiveness, unable to dig themselves out o' the grave I put them in.

I'm nae losing anyone else.