Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

DRAVEN

I walk into the bedroom, tossing the shirt I pulled off on the way up the stairs toward the closet. Unbuttoning my pants and letting them fall to the floor, I step out o' them, and my gaze lands on the bed.

I'm riveted. It beckons me. The sheets will still smell like the two o' us. I want to wallow in the stench o' our sex. I want to bathe in it until my skin absorbs it, and the smell never leaves me.

My head drops back on my shoulders, and tears flow like rivers down the sides o' my face, dripping into my ears and pooling there. I take a tentative step forward, followed by another. Then another until I'm crawling into the bed. I burrow under the blankets, burying my face into Tavish's pillow.

His scent floods my senses. It's soothing yet gut wrenching all at once, and I dinnae ken what I'm going to do without my boy. I kenned the first day I glimpsed him in that warehouse all those years ago, when he stood there so quietly and meekly with Samuel that Tavish would be a force to be reckoned with. He'd awakened the beast within me that had laid dormant since Simon died.

I was right.

When I touched him for the first time, a jolt o' electricity surged through me, lighting every nerve ending on fire. I tried to deny him and what he made me feel. Nae, for any reason other than I kenned from that first touch that he could break me.

I'm well and truly broken.

Again.

I tried so hard to keep us at a distance. I should've kenned I'd never be able to resist the boy. He is unstoppable and irresistible and falling for him was inevitable before you even consider how he treated Simon and his memory.

Lying here in the bed where I loved them both, and they loved me, my eyes fall closed and I let the memories I've been holding at bay wash over me, drowning myself in them and the what ifs and shoulda couldas. I blink, trying to stay awake, but the last half a day has been a fucking cluster fuck. I finally succumb to the pull o' the dreams swirling through my mind.

I dinnae ken how long I laid there, but I must have drifted off. The next thing I ken is being awakened by my throbbing cock as I flood the sheets with my release. Gasping through the tears, I sob into the pillow I've shoved under my face.

The dream was perfection. It was everything I've ever wanted. Everything Simon ever wanted. It was what we searched for. I've thought about it so many times since meeting Tavish, but that dream, nae not a dream—an alternate reality—because it was too real to be just a dream.

After experiencing that, even iffn it was only in my sleep, the loss o' that relationship and those connections is overwhelming. The what could've beens that I conjured up while awake were bad enough. Now, I'm having wet dreams o' the three o' us together without the threat o' the Order or the Society.

Talk about a life I'll never live.

There's a knock, then the hinges squeak, and someone clears their throat before calling out to me.

"Laird?"

I look up, and Mack has the door open but his back and head turned to give me privacy. "Yes," I reply, rolling onto my back out o' the mess I'd made o' the bed.

"Our internet friend is here."

What the fuck is he doing here?

I rush through a shower, dressing quickly, and hurry down the stairs. I walk into the room, where Mack is standing at the door to the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest. The man's big, nae as big as me, still intimidating, but it disnae appear to affect the kid in the room at all.

My gaze trails over him. He looks to be just a few years older than Tavish. His hair is an inky black with black liner outlining his eyes, making the deep set sapphire orbs glow. They gave him an ethereal look. Add in the arrogant confidence oozing from him that rolled through the room, and what ye got was someone not easily intimidated, especially with the cocky Dom vibe that came along with it.

He's slouched in an antique chair, his legs thrown over one o' the arms. He wasnae as tiny as Tavish. Nae one is, but he's nae much bigger.

I walk toward him, expecting him to slide into a much more respectful position, but I am mistaken. He disnae act as if I am even in the room. The phone in his hand has his full attention as his thumbs flew across the screen.

Waiting to be acknowledged in my own home rankled. When he hadnae even glanced in my direction, I stalked toward him, knocking his legs off the arms o' the chair that was three times older than all three o' us combined.

"Ye're supposed to be looking for my boy."

Still not even a glance.

"Cato!"

"Jeez, dude, chill your tits. I found him. Why else would I be here freezing my fucking nuts off?"

My kink radar must be broken because that was more brat than Dom.

"Where is he?"

"On a yacht that's sitting anchored in the North Sea."

"How the fuck are we to get to him there?"

"I know people."

The wanker is on the verge o' meeting my axes.

"What people?"

"People who do that sort o' shit for a living," he mocks me.

Taking a deep breath so I don't cripple the arsehole, I open my mouth, but he interrupts, "I have them on alert."

"What's that mean?"

"It means I just have to hit send on the text message I was typing when you walked in."

I rub the back o' my neck, ignoring the itchy palm that has me wanting to beat his ass or grab my axes.

"A beatin' would fix that shit," Mack grumbles in the background.

"I have to agree." I say, glancing back at Mack.

Cato's eyes light up as a smile stretches across his face. "I'm not adverse, but I'm not sure either of you are man enough."

"Cato, send the fucking text. Ye ken what kind o' trouble he's in."

"I do. I think taking them down on land would be better. Blowing a super yacht up, especially in the North Sea, will make the news; we need to not do that. Societas Exspiravit, fuck, that's a stupid name, is covert and my guys are definitely on the dark side of black ops."

"Then what do ye suggest? We need to get to him, and we need to get to him yesterday."

"I understand the severity of the situation. I know these people better than any of you except Tavish, but you want to walk away with at least the appearance your hands are clean."

Sitting down, I brace my elbows on my knees and shove my hands into my hair. "It's a damn good thing I dinnae ken where this fucking yacht is. I'd sneak onboard and drench the ship in the fucker's blood."

"That's exactly why I've not told you where it is."

"Call yer people. I'm assuming they're some sort o' private contractor? I'll pay whatever to whomever. I want it done as soon as possible."

Cato nods, typing away on his phone. "You probably should call Everly."

I stare at him. I ken Tavish trusts the guy, but I dinnae, so I keep my gob shut. He smirks at me. I dinnae react, even though the look he gives me leads me to believe he kens how I feel about Everly and the Society. He could be in good with them, even though he made fun o' the name.

Finally, when the staring contest between us gets old, I say, "I'll call her when I have an update."

His gaze focuses on mine, a silent standoff. I wait him out. Finally, he purses his lips and dips his head.

"When you do, don't mention my name. I don't want back in that world. For the most part, I'm on the right side of the law and I want to stay there," he tells me.

I nod in agreement. "Agreed. I dinnae ken how Tavish will take it, but I want us both out of the Society. He deserves a life that's not centered on initiation rituals and assassins."

Cato grins, pats my arm, then looks around and says, "I'm starving. Take me to the kitchen, big guy?"

Thinking he's talking to me, I turn to tell him to go fuck himself, but he's standing before Mack, looking him up and down.

Mack looks at me, and I nod, waving them away. Mack grumbles, his face showing his disappointment.

"Have Jane and the others set him up with a room," I say, and watching Cato's head turn to me as Mack's eyes widen.

He disnae say anything. He drops his head in a single nod, then turns on his heel and leaves the room.

Cato looks back at Mack, only to see he's gone. He takes off, yelling, "Dude, slow your giant ass down. Not all of us have stilts for legs. Although, let's be honest, those are more like sequoias. Do you know what those are? Fucking huge ass trees that are skyscraper tall."

"Lilla du, I need ye to come back to me so I can kick the crazy people out o' our house."