Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Lucas

I'm in the basement of Rush House when Roman comes down the staircase. "Yo, Lucas, there you are," he says when he spots me in the gym. The basement is huge. The Panic Room is in the back, but the rest is set up with weights, a punching bag, and a shit ton of expensive gym equipment. There's a full bathroom and a small sauna in the back.

I set my weights down, and straighten, wiping the sweat off my forehead with the back of my arm. "What's up?" I ask, out of breath.

"What are you doing down here?" he asks.

I lift my hands, exasperated by that question. "What the fuck does it look like I'm doing?"

"You never work out, so my guess is that you're hiding," he says, leaning against a beam, arms crossed over his chest.

Not true. For the past couple of months, I've come down to the gym every day, for at least an hour, sometimes more. All in an effort to sweat Wyn out of my system. It's clearly not working, but it takes the edge off my anger, so I've kept up with it. Some days, I come down here multiple times.

Shaking my head, I pick the weights back up and continue my workout. "You've had your head buried so deep in Lux, you don't know shit about what's going on around here."

I'm low-key annoyed that he's been building castles in the sky with his fucking soulmate, while I've been handling everything around here, on top of grieving for my cousin.

"That's not fair," Roman says.

"Isn't it?" I say, curling the weights, already feeling the burn in my biceps. "You set up house and now we never even fucking see you."

Maybe he's right, and I'm not being fair. Roman has been through a fuck-ton of shit in the last few months and he deserves a slice of happiness. But at the cost of the guys that have been with him since the beginning?

Fuck that shit.

Roman pushes out a breath. "I came to grab something, and the guys wanted me to come down and tell you Ash just called a meeting with the Sacred Sons."

I set the weights down again and turn to face Roman more fully. "What the fuck?" I ask, trying to catch my breath. I grab my water bottle and squirt the cold liquid into my mouth. "Has anyone told Ash he's not the one in charge around here?"

For fuck's sake. The second that guy was initiated, he started in on his reform bullshit. The literal fucking second. And now he's calling meetings?

"It was mentioned," Roman answers, pushing off the post. "I don't think Ash gives a fuck."

I grab a hand towel off the bench and wipe off with it. Fuck, it's hot down here. Slapping the towel over my shoulder, I point at Roman. "This is your chick's fault that we have to deal with him."

Months ago, Lux tried to usurp the Sacred Sons and replace us with Ash, who's had an axe to grind with the Burning Crown for years. Some shit about the patriarchy, and how toxic the Sacred Sons have become. Whatever. Ever since he joined, he's been moaning about revisiting the bylaws. Bylaws that have been in place for over a hundred years.

He needs a vote from each Sacred Son to do anything, though, so we usually just ignore him. It pisses him off, and that's fun, so there's that. But he's become more and more insistent lately.

"You doing okay?" Roman asks, ignoring my comment about Lux.

"You already asked me that."

"No, I didn't," he replies.

Maybe it's because everyone asks me that all the fucking time. "I'm fine," I bite out, grabbing my shit so I can go upstairs and take a shower. I could shower down here, but I prefer my own bathroom.

"You look like you're on edge." Roman has always been observant, but right now, that trait is annoying as fuck. "Is it about Ava?"

I straighten and look at Roman like he's lost his mind. And maybe he has. Love does weird shit to a guy. I've seen it once or twice before. "Is what about Ava?"

Roman lifts his hand to indicate me. "This weird ass mood you're in. There's a rumor that she's angling to move into Rush House and I know what an asshole you can be about your private space."

I scoff. "Ava doesn't bother me. She can angle for whatever the fuck she wants. It's not happening."

"Okay, then, is it?—"

"Don't say it," I interrupt. He's about to bring up my cousin, and the investigation, and I'm not going there with him right now. "Don't even fucking say it. I told you, I'm fine."

Roman sighs and moves to the staircase. "Fine, whatever, dude. I'm heading home. Text me if you need me." He's already halfway up when he calls down to me, "The meeting is in ten, in the study."

After a quick shower, and a change of clothes, I walk into the study ten minutes late—well, late if I gave a fuck about another guy's schedule. And I don't. I'm only here to tell Ash to go fuck himself.

When I walk into the study, the three other guys are here—Jackson, Christian, and Ash—along with an unexpected guest. I stiffen when I see her standing by the fireplace, trying not to look nervous and failing miserably.

The moment I walk in, her green eyes flick up to meet mine, and something inside my chest stutters to a halt. It's not my heart, because I don't have one. But it's some kind of vital organ because suddenly it feels like there's a tight band around my chest.

I glance over at my brother, who looks bored by this whole thing.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" I ask.

It's Ash who steps forward to answer my question. "We don't know yet." He crosses his arms over his chest, and leans against the arm of the leather sofa, facing Wyn. "Okay, we're all here. What's up?"

She's standing there, looking vulnerable, and tell me why that turns me the fuck on. I can't help but imagine her on her knees, wrists tied behind her back, mouth open, and choking on my cock. Tears streaming down that pretty face.

Goddamn. That's depraved, even for me.

Wyn clears her throat and focuses on Ash. "I, um…came to ask for your help."

Okay. That piques my interest. "For what?" I ask a little more harshly than I intend to.

"I think I have a…stalker." She stumbles over that last word like even she doesn't believe it.

"A stalker…?" Christian laughs. "For real?"

She lifts her hands, like what the fuck? "Yes. A stalker. Why is that so hard to believe?"

"How do you know?" Ash asks. "I mean, what's he been doing?"

She pushes a breath out and glances down at the carpet, like she'd rather not say. I'm on full alert now, though. Eventually, she glances back up and when she does, she looks resigned to telling us. "He, um, breaks into my apartment. And that shit with Kai….that was him. Kai didn't pass out. He was assaulted."

"If what you're saying is true, then why come to us?" I ask, drawing that emerald gaze back to me. That's right, baby, look at me . "Why not just let the police deal with it?"

"I've been to the police, and they're not really taking it seriously," she says quietly.

"I fail to see how that's our problem," I say.

My words land with the force of an atomic bomb. I see it in her face the second it detonates. Her eyes narrow, and her lips tighten. Her hands ball into little delicate fists at her sides. If she could dive over the sofa and get to me, I have a feeling she'd try it.

I can't help but smile. It's a reflex when I'm taunting her.

"You're such an asshole," she bites back.

I shrug. "I won't deny that. But it doesn't change the facts."

Ash steps forward, in between us, so we're not openly glaring at each other. He turns to face Wyn. "Any ideas on who it might be?"

She pulls in a breath, and I can see whatever she's about to say, she's nervous about. Her gaze darts between each guy's face. "Yeah, um, that's the thing…" She swallows. "I think it might be Gabriel."

Silence falls over the room, and I know what everyone is thinking. This chick has lost her damn mind.

It's Ash who speaks first. "Uh, okay. So, um, what makes you think that?"

He doesn't want to call her out, and that's probably smart. Wyn isn't someone you want to fuck with. I mean, damn, Lux and Wyn almost took the Sacred Sons down a couple months ago. I learned a powerful lesson back then—don't fuck with a chick who's hell-bent on revenge. For real.

Wyn shakes her head and shoves her hands into her pockets. "There are certain things that just don't add up."

"Like what, exactly?" Ash asks, shaking his head. "Help us out here."

I'm so focused on what she's about to say, I'm barely breathing.

She lifts her hands, exasperated by the question. "Like the fact that he's breaking into my fucking apartment." She pauses to collect herself. "Or…it's someone who's built exactly like him, who uses the nickname only Gabriel used. Someone who has the exact same scar on his wrist…"

"That's hardly proof, Wyn. Nicknames can be overheard. Scars can be similar," Jackson says, shifting on his feet. "Gabriel died. We've all have to accept that."

"What about the body?" she asks quickly like she's aware she's losing her footing in this conversation. "We never saw one."

Christian pushes out a breath, bored by all this. "His wallet was found, there was a note…" He lifts his hands in frustration. "And now, apparently, a witness has popped up out of nowhere…"

He's referring to the random asshole who showed up and pinpointed me, apparently.

Ash walks up to Wyn and places his hands on her shoulders. I stiffen, pushing off the wall. Why the fuck is he touching her? For a split second, I consider crossing the room and forcibly removing his hands from her shoulders. But if I do that, then I play my hand, and the guys will know there's something is up between Wyn and me. They already suspect as much because of the whole Kai thing, but if I confront Ash, they'll know for sure.

"We all want Gabriel here," Ash says. "But we have to face the fact that he's gone."

With a sigh of frustration, Wyn steps back, out of Ash's hold. Thank fucking God. "You don't get it," she practically yells. "I've seen him. He's been in my apartment!"

"Alright, let's just say for argument's sake that the ghost of Gabriel is stalking you," I say. "What do you want us to do about it?"

Wyn places her hands on her hips and blows out a breath. "We're a family, right? The members of the Burning Crown. I mean, that's what you guys are always spouting at those pointless meetings. So help me. Help me untangle this shit with Gabriel."

All of us guys glance at each other like none of us knows what to say.

"Tell you what," Jackson says. "One of us can shadow you for a minute, and see what you're talking about." He shrugs at the rest of us. "If anything, maybe we can figure out who this stalker dude is. At the very least, maybe seeing another guy around will scare the sick fuck off."

I'm tense now, every muscle in my body pulled so tight, I'm afraid I might snap. Is he suggesting that a Sacred Son shadow her? Goddamn. I already want to slit the throat of whoever gets assigned to follow her around.

"I'll call our security guys, and have them send someone over," I offer. Although, the idea of a former Navy SEAL having constant access to her makes me feel just as murderous. Maybe even a little more murderous.

"Nah," Christian says, finally speaking up. "It should be one of us with her. Someone from the security team wouldn't even know what they're looking for."

"Yeah, agreed," Ash says, even though no one asked his dumb ass.

Christian looks directly at me. "You were closest to Gabriel, Lucas. You'd know if it was him, or a lookalike." He flicks his chin at Wyn. "You should be the one to shadow her."

Fuck. Obviously, I would have spoken up and volunteered myself if I didn't think being around Wyn 24/7 was a disastrous idea. I'm so hard-up for this chick, I'll be tearing her apart before the clock hits midnight.

"I can't believe you guys are seriously entertaining this," I say in response. "Gabriel is dead." I can finally say that without choking up. It only took two months.

Jackson shrugs. "Well, someone is fucking with her. And she's right, we look out for our own."

"I'll do it," Ash says.

A spark of anger flares in my chest. "No, you won't," I snap. "Christian is right. It should be me."

Goddamn.

"Great." Ash claps once. "Now that that's settled, I've gotta run." He moves to the door but turns around to point at the room collectively. "I'll see you guys at the initiation later tonight."

I look over at Wyn, and she's staring at me with those wide moss-green eyes. She looks afraid. And she should be, because if I'm forced to be alone with her 24/7, there's no telling how long I can keep the devil inside at bay…