Page 24 of Risky Taste
It’s exactly 28 minutes before I’ve stripped down to my boxers and dragged Declan into bed with me, wrapping my arms around his waist. “I can see that you’re about to do something stupid so you’re with me tonight.”
He chuckles, running his nose down my neck. “What makes you think Sebastian and Logan won’t try something?”
“I think they have more restraint and even if that doesn’t hold, they would besubtleabout it.” That’s what I’m most worried about. Without all the facts, I don’t want this to blow up in my and the others’ faces. After all, they shared so much time with my brother that whatever this is could ruin their livelihoods too.
Logan leans down to press a kiss to my forehead, something sweet despite his hardened expression. “You gonna be alright?”
“No. I’m fucking not. Please turn off the lights.”
I’m not going to be alright for a really long fucking time.
Chapter sixteen
SEBASTIAN
I hadn’t been expecting a full room tonight but it feels so much more like family than it did when we were stationed overseas, bunked up together with Kurt. Maybe that’s a horrible thing to think but Kurt’s been one of our buddies, neverfamilythe way I see Noah fitting in with us. I can’t stop watching Noah as he curls into Declan, the man’s anger slowly fading away the longer he’s wrapped around our fourth.
He's still furious, still seething, still seconds away from stalking outside and finding Kurt and ripping him apart. But Noah’s right—storming into this without all the information will blow back on us.
Logan taps my shoulder and gestures outside so that we can talk without disturbing Noah. He’s been through way too much in the last week, there’s no need to pile more on as we figure out our next steps. I thought we’d return, I’d convince Noah to be my official boyfriend, grab a degree, and then find a place to live.
Now, I’m not sure where any of that future stands… except for the boyfriend part. He’s already mine.
I blow out a heavy breath as I slip outside, leaning against the wall as Logan closes the door behind us. Kurt’s betrayal—if he’s tangled up in this—doesn’t just piss me off. It hurts. He either sent Noah into that war zone or stood by while it happened, a brother who was supposed to protect him throwing him to the wolves instead.
The man we’ve trusted with our lives, our safety, didn’t give a damn about his own blood, and that truth gnaws at me.
“You didn’t scour through all that info Declan found but Beast it’s worse than just some illegal bullshit and rigging deployments. If Kurt’s named in this, our names will be right there beside his. We’ve been at his side for the last five years,faithfully, none the wiser. When this gets out, it’s going to be hell.”
He’s not wrong and yet, I can’t just stand here and do nothing. I mull over my options, as slim as they are, Logan stepping in front of me and dragging my attention back to him.
“I know that fucking look, Bast. You’re about to go do something stupid.”
A nervous laugh escapes me. “Nothing more stupid than you three or even Noah confronting Kurt. I got this one.”
“Absolutely not. Tell me at least what you’re going to do so we’re not blindsided by some shit. One wrong move and Kurt might use his connections to have us deployed again,” Logan snaps. He’s right—our time here hinges on Kurt’s orders, his manipulations.
“I’ve got a contact I can report this shit to. They’ll have to investigate it, and until then, we’ll be stuck stateside.” This shit is going to be messy as fuck and if my contact is tangled up in this, it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.
“Yeah, and if this shit goes higher than we thought, it comes back on us. Bast,thinkfor a second.”
“Iamthinking. There’s no telling what will happen once Heath finds out we’re not backing down. Once it gets to Kurt—if Kurt is involved—I’m not sure how long we’ll have.” I drag a hand down my face and push off the wall. I know what I have to do and as much as I hate the thought of leaving right now, it’s the only option I see working.
“You’re leaving tonight, aren’t you?” Logan asks, resignation in his voice.
I nod. “My conscience won’t let me sleep. Make sure Declan stays here. I’ll be back tomorrow morning at some point.” I clasp his hand, pulling him into a brief, hard hug before I head down the hall. The silence is instantly overwhelming as I make my way to the parking lot, the rental I picked up a few days ago standing out like a sore thumb.
It’s some kind of Jeep-something, sturdy enough to carry me from point A to point B. The night air curls around me as I take off, my mind whirling through years of servitude beside Kurt. Years of training—brute strength honed to a razor’s edge, interrogation skills that break men, a knack for languages that made me a prize—crafted me into a prime recruit, a beast superiors bragged about. But I never moved, never climbed, plateaued in a haze of comfort, cruising through missions I stopped questioning. It hits me now, a sick clarity—Kurt’s hand guiding us, keeping me stagnant, using my skills for his gain while I sat blind, complacent.
My contact, an old sergeant, won’t be happy being roused at this hour, but this intel—Kurt’s corruption, the deployments, the list—might earn his forgiveness.Hopefully. And as much as I want to believe all this shit is just a fucked up mishap, I know in my gut that he’s not innocent of this. And maybe by proxy, neither are we.
I was never willingly or knowingly complicit in anything but that doesn’t mean we didn’t aid in Kurt’s deception. The wheels crunch against gravel as I pull into the man’s driveway, a mentor and a father figure that helped train me right. One of the many reasons my anger didn’t overshadow my worth and now I’m here, bringing this to his attention, hoping he won’t curse me out for it.
In the ‘how dare you wake me up, why couldn’t this wait until morning’ kind of cursing.
Our paths split years ago, but he always checks in, and I make it a point to see him when I’m stateside, a ritual of coffee and stories. Tonight’s different, though,waydifferent.
I don’t even get to knock, the door swinging open before my fist hits wood, Sergeant Ranier’s laugh cutting through the stillness of the night. He’s half-dressed, shirtless, his gray hair tousled from sleep.
