Page 53 of True Bastard
The brothers chuckled.
“You always were a stubborn one, boy,” Morpheus’ voice echoed. “But we’ll see how long that lasts. Bring her in.”
A door swung open, and my blood ran cold when the brother I knew as Zephyr emerged from the darkness, leading a small, trembling woman by the hand.
“Let her go, and I’m all yours,” the man frantically said. “You have my word.”
The room fell silent once again, and I held my breath, waiting to see how this would all play out.
“You betray me, and I will kill you and her,” Morpheus seethed as he slowly stood.
“Amber!” the man shouted her name as the woman ran toward her father.
“You motherfucker,” he roared. “What the fuck did you do to her?”
“I was more than generous. Be thankful she’s still alive. Choose,” Morpheus commanded, his tone final. “Or step away from her.”
The man shielded his daughter. “If you so much as touch her again—”
Morpheus’ laughter, low and joyless, slithered through the air. “You’re in no position to make threats. Not here. Now choose!” he said as he stepped off the dais and into the harsh light of the clubhouse. Lightning struck somewhere beyond the cracked windows, casting his shadow long and monstrous across the floor.
“You do this and it’s war,” the man seethed.
Morpheus threw his head back and laughed. “Fuck, you’re funny. You think I’m scared of Montana or even Reaper? Now choose.”
Standing his ground, the man turned to his daughter. “Baby, I need you to run. Run fast.”
“Daddy, no!” she cried, holding onto his arm for dear life.
“Go, Amber. Tell your mother. An eye for an eye. She will know what to do.”
“Dad, please come with me.”
He grabbed her face and kissed her forehead, then leaned down and whispered something in her ear.
Morpheus groaned, “Fuck this shit,” as he ripped the woman away and shoved her toward the door. “Tell those fuckers outside. They’ve got twenty minutes before I send my brothers to run them out of town.”
“Amber, RUN!” the man shouted as several brothers converged on him, locking him down.
Morpheus slammed the front doors shut before walking over to the man, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ll see her soon enough. But first, we must initiate you into our fold. It is a process, but one that will bind you to us forever.”
The man never got to say another word as Zephyr and another brother dragged him from the room, disappearing behind the very door his daughter had appeared from moments ago. Then Morpheus yelled, “BASTARDS BY BLOOD!”
“BROTHERS BY CHOICE!”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Kyllian
The door slamming shut had me bolting from the bed, a sharp jolt of fear overriding the lingering ache in my muscles. Before I could even register the sound, a hand caught my shoulder, not with the expected grip of a lover, but with a bruising force that flung me forward until my cheek slammed against the cold, unforgiving wall. The impact rattled my teeth, a sharp, bitter taste flooding my mouth. My breath came out in a muffled protest, each exhale a tiny tremor of defiance against the steel vise on my shoulder that drove me forward, pinning me against the unforgiving plaster. His weight—crushing and absolute—held me captive, and for a terrifying instant, a part of me, the part that craved safety above all else, wished I could simply melt into the wall, disappear.
“Hello, Kitten.” His voice, low and sinister, scraped against my nerves. He pressed his body against mine, and a wave of nausea washed over me. The familiar scent of him, usually strangely alluring, now reeked of cheap whiskey and something far more dangerous.
Great. He’s drunk.The thought was a sliver of hope, but it was quickly followed by the chilling realization that his intoxication might only make him more reckless, more dangerous.
“Get your fucking hands off me,” I managed, my words surprisingly steady, a deliberate performance of strength I didn’t feel.
His hand cupped my jaw, the rough skin a stark contrast to the tender way he caressed me. He turned my head, forcing my gaze to meet his. His dark eyes, usually cold and calculating, were now alight with a predatory fire that stole my breath and, more disturbingly, made a traitorous flicker of something akin to curiosity ignite within me.
