Page 179 of Revenge Saints
When the guys finally step through the gates, the shift in energy is instant. Dante’s eyes find mine first, but they flick past me a second later, locking on Aspen. He doesn’t hesitate. He charges and crashes into her.
He gives me a second look. “You fucked, didn’t you?” he growls against her lips.
Aspen laughs, breathless.
“You’re worse than he is.” He puts her down and tugs a strand of hair behind her ear.
“No, I’m not.” She bites her bottom lip. Max smirks.
Ryker snorts. “Liar.”
“I kept Knox happy and healthy,” she teases, looking at me with a little smirk that tells me she’s proud of what she did. Of who she did. I let out a short laugh, shaking my head.
“How was it?” I ask, standing from the couch.
“Everything went as planned,” Dante says. “Josh and his family are safe. Settled. Grateful.”
“And Sean?” Aspen steps closer.
Max answers, already stripping out of his gear. “The barn’s holding. We patched the roof and reinforced the walls with some of the spare plates. It’s not much, but it’s safe.”
Dante wipes a hand across the back of his neck. “How are you feeling?”
I glance at the three of them. There’s something in their eyes, like they’ve been holding something back since the second they walked in.
“Not full force,” I admit, “but close. Ready enough.”
Dante steps forward. His hand finds Aspen’s chin, lifting it gently before pressing a kiss to her lips.
Then he turns to me.
“It’s time for your surprise.”
Max and Ryker follow suit, each brushing a hand along her arm, kissing her cheek.
“We’ll be right back, sweetheart.”
She nods, giving me one last squeeze. “Have fun, Reaper.”
The fuck?
I follow them outside, the gate locking behind us with a loud metal snap. We move through the woods, this part unfamiliar and darker. My hands instinctively curl into fists.
“What kind of surprise?” I mutter as Max falls in beside me.
“We needed a safe spot. Close to the base,” he says, nodding toward Dante, who leads us with that predator walk like he’s heading into combat.
They don’t explain further.
The deeper we go, the more my chest tightens. Every breath gets heavier. Every step feels louder. My body knows before my mind does. Knows something waits at the end of this trail.
A cluster of trees parts, revealing a cave. Rough, jagged. Guarded by thick brush and a makeshift wooden plank bolted across the entrance.
Ryker moves the plank aside. Dante stops in front of me.
“Go on.”
My pulse starts to climb. Heat crawls up my neck, sets fire to my jaw.
