She licks her lips nervously. “I heard about him … at Barrington.”
I frown. “What did you hear?” It’s not uncommon for others to talk about the Lords. Every man who attends Barrington wants to be a member. Not because of the status you get while in college, but what you get once you graduate and are out in the real world. And those who don’t make it like to run their little mouths about things they think they know. That’s why the Lords have us kill—it’s their insurance policy. If you get kicked out before graduation, you’re not going to go run your mouth about it when they’ve got leverage to bury you. I’ve seen it done before, and those sorry bastards were literally buried alive behind the cathedral.
“That his chosen cheated on her boyfriend to be Tyson’s chosen—”
“Don’t believe everything you hear, Blake,” I interrupt her, reaching up and removing my shirt. I turn and toss it onto the floor, not giving a fuck about it right now.
Her hand grips my upper arm, and she yanks me back to face her. I run a hand down my face, and she glares up at me. “You know what happened?”
Of course, I do. But I say, “It doesn’t matter what happened.”
“Ryat.” She growls my name. “Tell me. When you left me with Gunner and Sarah, we looked up his chosen, and she doesn’t exist. No social media pages. No record of ever going to Barrington. It’s like she was made up.”
I sigh. “She did, Blake.” The Lords can make anyone no longer exist. If they want. And they wanted to get rid of her existence so fast. Honestly, they failed Ty and her. They guarantee us protection as long as we are faithful to our oath. That was not the case for Ty. But then again, can you guarantee a life? I don’t think so. Not the type we live.
“Did?” she asks, wide eyes.
I nod. “Yeah, she never cheated on her boyfriend with Tyson. Because she never had one. He was a stalker.”
She blinks, her lips parting. “A stalker?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
“What … what happened to her?” She stumbles over her words and licks her lips, which I know are probably starting to go numb from drinking.
I can’t go into detail about what was done to her. It was hard enough to witness Ty go through it, let alone retell it. Cupping her face, I say, “He’ll get his revenge.”
Frowning, she asks. “What do you mean? On the stalker?”
I shake my head. “Sometimes, the best revenge is to go after something that they love just as much as you loved.”
“I don’t understand.” She frowns.
Kissing her forehead, I pull her into me. It’s exactly what I would do if I was put in the same situation Ty was. Only, I’d never wait this long. Being a Lord teaches you patience, but even I wouldn’t have this kind of strength.
“Let’s get to bed,” I tell her, ending this conversation.
BLAKELY
I WAKE TO the sound of a phone ringing. “Ryat?” I mumble, reaching out to wake him up to answer it. It has to be his. No one ever calls me. Pretty sure it’s because he’s got most people blocked. “Ryat!” I growl when it continues to blare in the silent room.
My hands reach farther across the bed, and I feel nothing. Then up to his pillowcase—still nothing. “What the …？”
Sitting up, I turn to get my phone to use as a light that sits on the nightstand to see that mine is the one ringing.
Holding it up to my face, I shut my eyes because it’s so bright. “Hello?” I ask through a yawn. When no one answers, I pull it away from my face and squint to look at the screen. It says MINE, and I roll my eyes at what Ryat saved his number under while I was away. “Ryat, what are you doing?” I lie down. “Come to bed with me.” It’s got to be late or early morning. We didn’t go to bed until after one, and I can still taste the lingering alcohol on my tongue.
“Want to be my good girl?” he asks in that sexy, deep voice that makes my pussy throb.
Closing my eyes, I stretch out my legs to his side of the bed, all but moaning. Something about those words make my legs weak. Thank God I’m lying down. “Always.”
“You know what a good girl is, right?” he goes on.
“Why don’t you remind me?”
“Okay.” I hear the smirk in his voice, playing along. “It’s where I get to do whatever I want to you, and you take it.”
“Take it, huh?” I roll onto my back and stare up into the darkness, my free hand twirling a few strands of my hair around my fingers. “In the mood to hurt me?” I joke.