on.
A slither of guilt crawls up my spine and the filth of my actions coats me. Nox is tearing me apart. The disdain on his face cuts like a knife through my gut.
Fear hits me in the stomach as Rav and the other brothers crowd into the room behind him, my eyes moving over the enormous Fury, whose veins are standing out from his thick, uninked arms, and the snarling Daimon who is peering at me through shaggy hair. Levi and Titch don’t look any less frightening, their mouths pulled into angry snarls, and Whizz, who had fixed me up after I crashed looks positively homicidal.
Fuck.
I spent so much time running from Isaac that I didn’t think anything could be worse than his wrath. This new demon I’m staring in the face is worse, and not because of my fear—although I am afraid—but because I feel the weight of my betrayal pressing down on my shoulders.
My arms wrap around my body as if I can protect my shattering heart. I can’t. It’s breaking into a million pieces right now.
I stare at these heavily armed men, my pulse galloping in my chest as they glare at me like I’m the enemy.
I’ve made my peace with dying many times in the past, but after finding Nox and tasting how good life can be, I’m not ready for it to end. Things are getting good and that’s mostly because of the man standing in front of me, who is now looking at me with disgust that scores a hole in my chest.
I close my eyes, letting a lone tear streak down my cheek.
“Lucy, are you Natasha?” Nox snaps out with heat in his words that makes my belly fill with ice. He knows the truth, but he needs the words from me. I see the plea in them to just be his Lucy, and fuck, I wish I was.
I don’t want to give them, but what is the point of lying? Everyone knows my secret now.
“Yes,” I gasp out. “I am.”
I watch as Nox’s jaw tightens. Then he up-ends the nearest object, a chest of drawers, with a roared “Fuck!”
I jolt back, letting another tear fall as my world comes apart. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was home, like I had family, people who cared. My lies destroyed that. I should have left straight away. I should have carried on running. I shouldn’t have let my guard down around a man as dangerous as Nox.
I did, though.
Why?
Because I wanted a slice of what Sasha had. I wanted people who cared about me, who would go to the edge of the world for me, who would stand up to my bullies.
I was stupid thinking that would happen. Unlike Sasha, I’m not part of their world. I’m here because of her, and that branch they held out to me has now been snapped.
“You fucking lied to me,” he growls, striding over to the bed and leaning on it so he can get in my face.
I flinch, swallowing down my fear, my sense of injustice. I didn’t want this life. I didn’t want to be Isaac’s property. I wanted to be free, but my freedom came at a cost.
For the club.
Isaac will send more men now he knows I’m here. Hell, for all I know he could be waiting at the gate for Nox to send me out. If it comes down to it, they’ll hand me over to save themselves, and I wouldn’t blame them. I’m no one to them, and I fucking lied.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
“You’re fucking sorry?” Nox hisses at me. “Is that supposed to fix this shit?” He scrubs a hand over his jaw. “I went up against my fucking brothers. I claimed you as mine. Do you know what that fucking means?” He shakes his head. “You’re a fucking lying cunt.”
“What’s your link to Blackwood?” Rav demands, and I watch Nox flinch from his voice, turning his head as if too ashamed to look at his best friend.
I swallow hard and shift my eyes to Ravage. The man scares me half to death, but I steel my spine anyway. Showing fear is something I can’t afford even though I’m petrified. I glance at Nox again, a tear burning down my cheek. My next words will destroy everything.
“He’s… he’s my husband.” I shouldn’t tell them this. They might think to use me as leverage against Isaac, but what choice do I have? Spill the truth