Page 41 of Savoring Her Snake

“Micah left, too?” she asks.

“Not for a while, but he eventually moved on. I was left by myself again. The brothers I chose wanted to find their purpose alone.” The burning in my heart pisses me off. I thought I was past the emotions of their absence.

“They found you again?”

“I always knew where they were. Micah would call to check in, but Quinn cut all ties. I sent men to check on both of them and report back. They would have picked up my scent, so I never went myself.” Micah’s calls gave me hope.

“How could they leave you?” she asks, her anger bleeding into her scent.

“Their reasons are valid. Quinn had to deal with his demons. It isn’t easy to protect people who don’t know about the beasts killing for them. Watching a shifter or vampire leave the world forever because they don’t have anyone to share it with is disturbing.” My nightmares are filled with the eyes of the dead, but they aren’t the eyes of the shifters I killed with Quinn and Micah.

“Have you told them how you feel?”

“That would solve nothing,” I whisper.

“I think you need to,” she insists.

“Maybe.”

“How did you end up back in their lives?”

“I kidnapped a woman,” I state.

“Can you explain?” she asks, and I hesitate. “Heath, I’m not running.”

“I can’t understand why,” I say dryly. I’m shocked she’s still lying beside me. “A man stole money from my business. To find him and the money, I used his sister as bait. I sent the wrong men in my employ to ask her to meet with me. They hurt her, so when I showed up, she had blood on her face and was tied to a chair. Hurting women repulses me, and they paid for their actions with their lives. The woman was the mate of three lions. Lucas, one of the lions, fought for me several months ago. He decided he needed out, and I let him go, but he thought I wanted him back. Quinn lives in the same place, and after the incident, I went to see him. I forced him to talk to me and then left the option open for communication.”

“He took the option,” she guesses.

“Not exactly. He called to accuse me of threatening his mate after he found her.”

“What the fuck?” she growls.

“He didn’t mean it,” I say.

“How could it be interpreted differently?”

“It was an excuse. He felt guilty for leaving.”

“He should have,” she says, pulling away, leaning on her elbow. “That’s how you became friends again?”

“Yes.” I tuck her hair behind her ear. “The reasons don’t matter. He has welcomed both me and Micah back.”

“That’s not fair,” she grumbles. “He did the same things you did. You aren’t the bad guy.”

“Darling.” I cup her chin. “I have done much worse.”

“I don’t believe you.” I glide my fingers up her cheek and tangle them in her hair.

“Your defense makes me hard,” I smirk.

“Heath,” she glares.

“Years ago, after they left me, I started this business.” I move my hand, dropping it to my chest. “I paid men to fight. After a year of steady business, I expanded, allowing shifters who were out of control to fight to the death in my ring.”

“You gave them a way out.”

“Fuck, woman,” I hiss. “How can you justify everything I have done? Who I am?”

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