Page 31 of Snapped
Chapter 19 | Faking It
Hector stayed close to August as they followed the others back toward the library. Cirian argued that because Rian had been gone far too long already, they should act immediately, but his father prevailed. Hector and August were following Aiyan and Kaden back to the library where Kaden would stay with Raven, Aiya, Maeve and the children. Cirian had requested they bring the twin giants, Taryn and Thyago, with them when they all met in the hall outside of Cirian and Rian’s room.
“If you think I’m going to sit back and let you sons a bitches do all the heavy lifting, well, you’d be dead wrong,” Theresa argued with her brother, flipping her long, black hair over her shoulder and marching out of the library.
“Damn, her wife is one lucky woman,” Mateo said with a smile. Thyago and Alessandra both glared at him. “What?” He mocked innocence, taking his wife by the hand and leading her over to the couch where they both took a seat on either side of Gabry.
Hector turned back to August and caught him eyeing Thyago from head to toe…slowly, appreciatively. The spike of jealousy was intense, and it took Hector by surprise. He realized that he and the red-haired Outkast barely knew each other. And yes, they’d had sex—quite possibly the best fucking sex Hector ever had. And then they’d talked for a little while, August telling Hector all about growing up with a twin, the shenanigans the two “red-haired devils” their mother would call them, would get into. Still, no promises or declarations had been made, but it bothered him nonetheless. Hector wanted this man, wanted August to be his and his alone. How could he ask such a thing of a someone he’d known for such a brief time?
Stop it, will you listen to yourself? You need to focus. Hector, keep your head in the game, and stay sharp. You and the temperamental Outkast can talk about where to go from here once Rian is safe, and you can be certain no one is going to try to kill him.
A playful nudge had Hector looking left to see August grinning at him, almost knowingly. August leaned close enough to whisper in his ear and not be overheard. “We’ll talk after, okay?” Hector nodded.
“Ready?” Tanis asked before clapping his hands together loudly. “Good, follow me.”
Hector nudged August, and the two of them waited to leave the library last. Giving a cursory glance over his shoulder, Hector met Maeve’s intense stare, nodded once then turned and followed August down the hall. The palace at the heart of House Gaeland was separated into several groupings of rooms that stemmed off the main room and entryway. The library was on the opposite side of the palace from Cirian and Rian’s rooms, so even at a fast clip, it took a few minutes to walk the distance.
“A bit much, don’t you think?” Hector whispered to August. Six men followed their lone female companion down the hall to meet two more men, every single one of them locked, loaded and carrying an arsenal of weapons among them. “Nine people to take out one, single, solitary guy?”
“Let’s hope it’s enough.”
Aiyan called out as he continued walking. Having not met the man they sought, only hearing the stories of what he’d done, how this Gorilla Man had blown through the people of House Gaeland like a tsunami, Hector couldn’t be certain what he was capable of.But still, nine fucking people?Thyago and Taryn alone could decimate a small village, so why all the preparations for a fight of apocalyptic proportions? Before Hector could voice his concerns again, they rounded a corner, and Aiyan stopped.
Light spilled out into the dimly lit hall, two distinct voices bitching at each other in a language Hector didn’t recognize. “It’s Gaelic,” August told him. “One of my grandparents came from House Gilley, so I’ve heard it spoken often.”
August listened intently for a moment before leaning into Hector, causing his blood pressure to skyrocket from the close proximity. He seriously needed to get a handle on his emotions before he did or said something stupid. “Gabriel is begging Cirian not to kill Cillian.”
Before Hector could respond, Cirian stomped out into the hall, quickly moving past the group of men, completely ignoring his father. Gabriel stuck his head out of the room, hollering at his son. “He’s still yer brother lad, best ya be remembering that!”
“Nay Da, he is not. He never was.”
***
When Aiyan asked Kaden to remain behind with the others in the library, he pretended to be pissed, even argued with his husband just enough to put on a good show. Bitching and grumbling about being treated like a damsel in distress, Kaden played it to the hilt to the point Maeve began complaining about being left behind as well. With Aiya and Raven distracted by Maeve’s protests and the baby fussing, Kaden took the opportunity to slip out of the library unnoticed.
“Damn, that was far easier than I expected.” Kaden grinned, muttering under his breath as he closed the door. Unsure of exactly where in the palace the group going after Rian and Cillian were, he rushed to his and Aiyan’s room and went straight to the closet. Buried in the back corner was the case that held Kaden’s Khanda sword.
In less than five minutes, Kaden had changed clothes and slid his sword into the sheath he slung over one shoulder. Simply carrying it around wasn’t a viable option as both sides were sharp enough to slice through bone. Cracking the door to his room open a smidge, Kaden peeked out to be sure no one was in the hall to see him. Once he was certain he was still alone, he slid out into the dark hallway and quietly headed for the stairwell that led to the bunker. Too long had his dreams been haunted by the man who’d kidnapped and tortured him because of who he was married to. But that was about to change.
Kaden had prayed nearly every night since the first night he woke up after the terrible ordeal, staring into the concerned yet loving eyes of his husband, that one day God would grant him the opportunity for retribution against Cillian for what he’d done to him, for what he’d done to the people Kaden loved and cared for. He’d settled for knowing Aiyan or Tanis would probably get to Gorilla Man first, so the knowledge he might get to deal the killing blow thrilled Kaden to the point that every fiber of his being was buzzing. All his senses were alert and honed, his training kicking in and settling his nerves.
I’m coming for you, you son of a bitch!
“And just where do you think you’re going?” A woman’s voice reached out from the shadows. Kaden jumped, biting down hard on his tongue in an effort not to cry out.
Heart racing, he squinted his eyes, focusing on the figure moving into the light. “Alessandra?” Kaden couldn’t believe his eyes. “What…” The question trailed off.
She stopped a few inches in front of Kaden and crossed her arms over her chest, one foot tapping on the concrete floor. “I knew you were up to something with that pitiful display of anger earlier. So I decided to follow you when you left the library.”
Kaden sighed, exasperated. “What do you want, Alessandra?” He presented it as a question, though his tone was stern.
Head cocked to one side, the beautiful Amazonian woman in front of him studied Kaden quietly for far longer than he liked. “I think the question is—what are you doing, Kaden? From what I’ve been told this man everyone seeks to kill is larger in height than Thyago, bigger in size than Taryn. So tell me, please, why you wish to face this man that has already almost killed you, alone.”
Ready to argue the point with her, a thought struck instead. “I’m not alone.” Kaden grinned. “You’re coming with me.”
That seemed to be the correct answer, judging by the wide-eyed grin Alessandra now wore. “Indeed. I’m glad you see things my way, good man.” She bent and pulled a long, serrated knife from a hilt at her ankle before standing and waving an arm toward the stairwell leading down to the bunker. “After you.”
Voices echoing off the walls coming toward them drew their attention. “Hurry,” Alessandra barked, shoving Kaden down the first flight of stairs.
