Page 36 of Bound By Ruin

Thanatos’s voice rumbles across the line. “You two need to cool it. We just got here, and you’re already maiming people. Save it for Dad.”

“Someoneelsegot hurt? Who?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Rage rumbles.

I bet he’s the one who lost his cool. Rolling my eyes, I plant my foot on Rebel’s thigh so that he can return my knife to its holster. “Is it time to switch yet?”

“It’s a little early, but I think we should. You two did a good job walking inside, but there’s too much heat from security. We need to lay low.”

Rebel admires my heel for a moment before sliding his palm up my bare calf, taking his time with returning my knife. He leans over and kisses my thigh, sending goosebumps across my skin. “You look way too damn good like this, baby.” Carefully, he slips the knife back into its sheath and caresses the leather strap holding it in place. “We’ve gotta load you up soon. Knives, guns,fuck.Can you imagine how that much metal will look on your skin?” He nips the soft flesh on my inner thigh, making my muscles clench. “I cansmellyou from here.” Groaning, his eyes flick up to my pussy, begging for a glimpse. “You’ll let me fuck you with one, right? Please?”

Someone exhales harshly across the comms. My body ignites, lust pinning me to the spot. “Wh-what?”

Fuck me withwhat?

“Rebel.” Rage’s voice rumbles like thunder.

A fourth voice joins the conversation, quietly murmuring something that I can barely hear, but Idohear it.

We all do.

“She creamed all over my knife.”

I gasp, completely mortified. None of them ever mentioned the knife incident with Ruin before, so he must not have told them… until… now…

Rebel grins like the cat who caught the canary. “Oh, baby… did you let Ruin touch you with his knife, after all?” He draws circles on my skin with his thumbs. “That’s dangerous. A man could get addicted to something as pretty as that.” Addressing Ruin, he continues, “did she take it all the way?”

My body trembles at the memory of Ruin’s knife slipping between my thighs, and now, more than ever, I wish I were wearing panties.

I’mdrippingwet.

The group hangs on Ruin’s every word, suddenly aching for the younger man to speak. I hold my breath as I count the seconds, praying that he sticks to his usual method of conversation: grunting. A full minute passes before he exhales, the two of us taking our next breaths together. “She can take more. Her pussywantsmore. Again and again and again,krosotka.All pretty in red tonight.” He sucks in another breath, his voice cracking with his next words. “Is she wet, Rebel?” I can hear him lick his lips. “I want a taste.”

With a squeak, I bat away Rebel’s grabby hands and throw my clutch at his chest. He catches it, grinning wolfishly as I frantically unlock the door behind my back. As much as I’d love for Rebel to go down on me while his brothers can’t do anything but listen, if we get sidetracked, the whole plan for tonight goes up in smoke.

But a little teasing...thatcould be fun.

“Don’t run away, beautiful. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. A little knife play is fun. It’s kinky. We like it.”

I shake my head and laugh, knowing that all of them can hear me. My fucked-up men, all four of them, even Thanatos. “Maybe I’m not running away,” I counter, grinning. “Maybe I’m runningtosomething.” I blow Rebel a kiss before opening the door and walking backwards through it, loving the way his face lights up.

“Who brought the biggest knife, boys?” I glance around the room, unable to see any of them, but knowing that they can see me. They’re always watching, waiting for their turn. “I think it’s time for a switch. Any volunteers?”

Chapter15

Rage

I watchmy woman walk down the red carpet with my brother, the two of them holding their heads high as cameras flash in their direction. Rebel takes the attention in stride, more focused on the woman beneath his arm than the paparazzi. Much like the photographers, he can’t take his eyes off of her radiant smile, the gentle curve of his own lips betraying his true feelings for her.

My little brother has fallen in love.

While they wait for the couple preceding them to finish their glamour shots, he tips her chin up and steals a tender kiss, earning shouts and applause from the crowd as they take dozens of photos. A blush dusts Celia’s cheeks when their lips part, and she smiles so beautifully that Rebel isn’t the only man falling in love.

We all are.

One of the men nursing a scotch beside me at the bar nods toward the approaching couple. “Who is that? The woman.” The bartender takes one glance and says Celia’s name, likely having been required to memorize every guest on the list of attendees for tonight. When he doesn’t elaborate, the guest pulls out his wallet and flashes a twenty-dollar bill. “Tell me more.”

I prepared for this exact scenario, anonymously paying the staff to keep tight-lipped about anyone within the bratva’s circle, my future wife first and foremost.

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