Keep Me (Rebel Hearts Heists #2) - M. Sinclair Page 0,80

paling and making me feel guilty.

“Tell them that my dress got torn on the tender and that I am changing into a new one,” I say sharply feeling any hesitation retreat. Something about being nearly kidnapped by my psycho ex-fiancé has my temper flaring as well and a slight hardness is easily detectable in my tone. This anger, frustration and coldness isn’t me but after everything that’s happened I need to hang onto it. It’s better than dealing with the panic that I was almost … nearly … no. I can’t think about this. Not now.

I’m so fed up with this bullshit. I want this over with and I want to finally spend time with my boys. As if hearing me, Royce looks up from where he’s securing Pierce’s ankles to the chair we have him tied to, his hands behind him. Blaine’s mother scatters to go do our bidding as Blaine tugs me into his arms making me relax just a little.

“Sloane, if you need to go to a guest cabin, we can handle the shit upstairs—”

I shake my head at Kaden and tug my hair back. “I need a change of clothes but I am not letting you do this without me. I want us to finish this together,” I say, trying to infuse a lot more strength in my tone than what I’m really feeling. I avoid looking at my ex. I know that tied up like this and with the guys in the room he can’t hurt me but call it habit, blame it on the traumatic experience I’ve just been through but right now just his existence makes me feel threatened.

And yeah, I’m definitely blaming the turmoil of feelings warring in my chest on trauma. Because somewhere deep down, very deep down, I feel pity for my ex-fiancé. I once loved him. Right now the notion sounds ridiculous even to my own ears but it isn’t any less true. At the beginning, when Pierce was doting and romantic, I loved him. Before the cracks had begun to appear in the façade the fucking sociopath showed to the world, me included. But now I know that it wasn’t real love. Certainly not for him, he has no idea what love even means. But for me too. I thought I knew but falling for the guys showed me what real love is. I would give my life for each of them and they would do the same for me.

River kisses the top of my head. “I have something that may work.” He shows me a garment bag as I toss him a small smile. How was I ever afraid of this absolute sweetheart? I mean he can still be a goddamn unpredictable psycho … but he’s my psycho.

“Tell me it’s not pink.” I smile, making him chuckle.

“Sorry Kitten, it’s actually orange—”

A groan has me snapping my head toward Pierce before I can respond. He blinks his eyes open, looking hazy, his leg twitching probably from the pain. You know, from when my sexy FBI boyfriend stabbed him in the leg. Sorry, am I not supposed to find that a bit hot?

I see a realization hit as he lets out a low sound from behind his taped mouth, my smile dries up. Fury rolls under my skin as he looks over at us, probably wondering how the tables turned so fast.

“Sloane.” River grasps my wrist gently but suddenly I find myself across the room, hand colliding with Pierce’s face in a cold, hard and solid slap, not unlike the way he used to backhand me. He grunts, his neck snapping to the side as I step closer, putting my knee between his legs on the chair he’s bound to. I can hear him trying to talk shit but he can’t be heard gagged as he is, and that’s how I like it.

“You deserve everything you have coming to you, piece of shit,” I snarl and slam my knee forward as he screams behind the tape, his eyes watering. I push off the chair and exhale, nodding to myself, before looking up.

“That was so fucking hot,” Blaine mutters as Royce nods. I can’t help but smile as Kaden tugs me close, slamming a kiss to my lips, before River pulls me from the room. I stop and look back.

“Make sure you don’t go too easy on him.”

Royce

“No worry there,” I mumble as she and River leave, allowing me to slip into a much colder and darker place. I know