Page 67 of Temptation
Like a caged animal, I kept pacing from one side of the crypt to the other, probably driving all of them crazy. But it was this or try to punch him in his pretty face, and I had a feeling that Skylar would claw my eyes out if I even tried.
I wasn’t even sure why her protecting him pissed me off so much. It wasn’t even jealousy, because I knew what her body was telling me, even if she didn’t want to tell me herself. Dylan didn’t touch her—he didn’t have her, not in the way I did. But the mere mention of his name felt like melting wax on my skin, and I needed to run.
To go far away from all these suffocating needs in my bloodstream.
Kane lit the candles on the wall of the crypt, and Rowan took a seat on one of the benches, along with Skylar. The only two people left standing were Dylan and me and the tension between us was a living, breathing thing.
My molars ground against each other, and I fisted my hands, fighting the urge to walk out of here.
I didn’t want to cause a scene for her sake, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay here for too long. I hated feeling this way—powerless—when all I wanted to do was to wrap my arms around her and take her far away from here.
But she was right. She had the right to know, and I had to tell her. I had to tell her that we all fucked up by not seeing what was right in front of us.
I came to Winworth to avenge my parents, and instead, I found something else. Someone worth protecting; worth loving. But I should’ve known that nothing would go smoothly, and I should’ve predicted that Judah’s depravity ran deeper than just the Order.
“Will one of you start talking or do I need to start screaming?” Skylar asked, looking from me to Dylan.
Much like me, he seemed tense. Arms crossed, shoulders filled with tension, his entire persona screamed not to be touched, yet all I wanted in that moment was to see him on his knees. I wanted to wrap my hands in that silky hair, guiding him to my dick, while Skylar watched.
My dick stirred, pushing against my zipper, and I thanked the universe for the darkness in the crypt, otherwise we would be having a completely different conversation.
My blood was like a raging lava, my body like a volcano waiting to explode, while my mind bounced between what was wrong and what was right.
Loving one of them and wanting both of them was not right. It wasn’t right at all. It was sick, depraved, and I was no better than Judah with his games and his twisted mind.
“Ash?” Skylar’s voice pulled me back, and I pushed myself to look at her instead of Dylan. “You said you know something. So talk.”
I hated the detachment in her voice and that simmering anger behind her eyes. Mere hours ago, she was in my arms, purring like a kitten, and it was everything I needed.
But you also need so much more. You need both of them. Admit it. You want them both.
No, no, no. I couldn’t. I couldn’t do that.
“Ash.” Her exasperated voice caressed my skin, and I gulped, taking a deep breath. “I really need to know. I’m not going to break if you tell me the truth.”
“I know.” I nodded. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not terrified, Moonshine.”
“Of what?” It was Dylan that asked, but I kept my eyes on Skylar.
“Not of what, but for who.” I took a step back and sat down on the bench closest to the exit. “Judah Blackwood is a scary man, but Nikolai Aster was even worse.”
“But that’s the guy that died,” Skylar murmured.
“He did, but his crime organization is still very much alive. The Syndicate and the Outfit—the dark stains on this society,” I said. “And they’re not happy that you know about their involvement.”
“But I don’t. This is the first time I’m hearing about them. The only person whose name I knew was Nikolai.”
“And that’s enough for them.” I looked up at the ceiling of the crypt, at the spider webs in the corners and the shadows playing above our heads. “That suitcase was just a warning. They’re coming for you, Moonshine.”
Silence greeted me, and only the wind picking up on the outside of the crypt could be heard. Kane dragged his hand over his face, while Rowan held Skylar close to his body.
Dylan glared at me, but there was nothing threatening there. I could see the same concern I had.
He really cared for her. He really didn’t want to hurt her.
“How do we know that you’re not lying?” Dylan asked, his voice steady. “Maybe you’re working with them.”
“Fuck off, Dylan,” I sneered. “I would never hurt her.”
