Page 90 of Ravaged Devotion

Ryker Hart was emotional and explosive because of it. Years of having no filter and no repercussions for his actions had allowed him to be.

The twins were similar enough that Rue had believed he’d mistaken them in his drunken state, in the middle of the night when Ryder had told him so. But they were also different enough that now that he’d slept with Ryker again, he could say with absolute certainty that the man who’d fucked him in the rose garden was the same one who’d mounted him in the kitchen.

However…

Before this, Ryker hadn’t known that any more than Rue had, and what’s worse, Ryker had clearly believed that Rue had cheated on him with his brother. Must have thought that Rue was playing them both.

All of the snide remarks made sense now, the comments about Rue’s loose morals, and how easy he was.

The anger Ryker had constantly displayed toward him.

Rue had spent the past three years believing Ryker hated him because he’d abandoned his post as watcher when Ryder and Uriel had entered Belladona, resulting in the two of them stuck in the game. But that wasn’t it at all. Ryker’s loathing had been more personal.

He’d thought Rue had betrayed him and their time together. Had seduced him and his brother, only to run when he’d been rejected by Ryder. Which also meant Ryker had spent these years thinking Rue had wanted Ryder more than he’d wanted him.

Ryker Hart was emotional and explosive.

He wouldn’t let an insult like that stand. Wouldn’t allow anyone to get away with hurting or humiliating him, even if that person ended up becoming a member of his family.

Suddenly, using little brother as an insult took on a much deeper meaning.

And a much more dangerous one.

In all of the times he’d said it, Ryker had been warning him.

Warning him that it didn’t matter.

That there was no protection in joining the Harts through marriage.

That Ryker was still going to make him suffer and pay for every supposed affront.

Cheating on him? With his twin? To Ryker, there was probably no greater insult. In his mind, Rue had made a total and utter fool out of him.

The game manual seemed to burn in his back pocket, the thumping of his heart momentarily drowning out the sounds of the creature banging on the outer door.

The creature Rue had finally gotten a good look at.

The one that had seemed somehow familiar.

The game manual wasn’t an official release. It was high quality, but clearly a pitch. Rue hadn’t bothered flipping through it, thinking that Cosima was simply into games, but the image of the creature on the cover had been unmistakable.

An exact mirror of the one currently trying to eat him.

With the name Ryker Hart printed inside the cover.

Game creator: Ryker Hart.

Game creator.

A part of Rue felt guilty for even suspecting him, and yet…There was evidence, and it made sense.

Ryker orchestrating an elaborate revenge scheme made a hell of a lot more sense than him easily forgiving Rue the way that he had.

What if that was why he’d really left him in the woods their first night here?

What if the monsters had been meant to get him then?

What if—