Page 74 of Conquered

I sigh in frustration, taking my glasses off and rubbing my eyes. “I can’t find out any more about Adrian Ramsey,” I tell him, looking towards the stairs to make sure Lilly isn’t coming down to overhear our conversation.

“Don’t worry, she’s tucked up with the boys and we kept her up quite late last night,” he tells me, a slight tilt to his lips. I don’t miss the way he said ‘we’ either.

“Adrian Ramsey is like a fucking ghost.” Ash’s brows raise at the curse falling from my lips. “All the records are there, but nothing else apart from rumors and speculation. It’s like he doesn’t exist in the real world.”

“How so?” he questions, taking a sip of his drink.

“Well, he’s got a birth certificate, driver’s licence, all the usual. But, I can’t find anything about his family, or about him having a sister.” I tell him pointedly, and his frown deepens.

We’re both lost in our own thoughts for several minutes. I know Ash hates mysteries. He needs the security of knowing everything that goes on. Controlling bastard.

“Perhaps we need to take a step back from her,” he starts.

His words send my stomach plummeting to my feet, and my pulse racing.

“You think that she can’t be trusted?” I ask him, taking a step closer to lean on the island.

“I don’t fucking know,” he says, his hand running through his jet black hair. There’s a tremor in the movement. “Loki and Jax have already lost their fucking heads, and dicks. What happens if she’s a snake? Another test?” He looks up at me, his eyes pleading with me to give him answers that I don’t have. I do know one thing though.

“She’s not a snake. And she’s not a test from your father either. Her story is solid. And she doesn’t give a shit about our money or status.” My voice is filled with a rare passion. I know that deep in my bones, Lilly is everything that we need, if we can just let her in.And keep her safe. “Remember how your dad was with her? He’s interested in her. He would have ignored her if she was here to test us.”

I can see him mulling over my words, his eyes darting with his thoughts.

“And as for Loki and Jax, they need her, man. We all do,” I say softly, his head snapping up and his gaze zoning into mine. “Loki has been starved of love and affection his whole life, apart from his little sisters. And every one of the girls he’s been with before, they've all wanted something from him. His money, his name. Lilly? She just wants his love in return.” I say, interrupting him before he can argue with me about us all needing her.

“And Jax?” he asks, his gaze hard like flint.

“Jax needs her nurturing side. You know his addiction, he needs her to break the cycle his dad got him into. And he needs to see that he can protect her without it.” I can see him agreeing with me, nodding his head once, albeit reluctantly.

“And me?”

“You’ve been hurt by those that are meant to love you most, meant to protect you. You and Lilly share the same pain, you understand each other on a level that none of us do. You need her to shine a light on that darkness inside of you, to break those chains you’ve wrapped so tightly around you. To show you that you are not a monster.” My voice is entreating him to believe me.

His jaw clenches, his fingers clasped tightly around his cup.

“And what about you, Kai?” he lashes out, as he always does when someone hits a nerve. “Or are you above the rest of us fucked up assholes?”

“I need her to feel alive,” I tell him, our gazes locked. His softens slightly, a hand reaching out to me.

“Kai…” he says, his voice broken.

“Why don’t you go and wake her up? Tell her I’m here,” I clear my throat, unable to hold his gaze now that I’ve exposed myself so fully.

I hear him heave a sigh, and as he walks past me, his hand comes out to squeeze my shoulder before letting go and heading up the stairs.

My chest rises and falls with my own deep inhale.

I can’t deny the truth of my words, even if they took me by surprise. Lilly makes me feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time. She has breathed life into me, waking me up as if from a deep slumber.

And I need her breath, like a dying man needs the kiss of life.

LILLY

I wake up with two hot bodies pressed close on either side of me. Memories of the night before flash across my vision, making my toes curl and my breath quicken.

I can't believe that happened!

I squirm with delight, only to get growled at in stereo. I can't help but giggle out loud. I feel so happy. Full of joy, and for a moment, completely free of everything that happened earlier in the year. Before morbid thoughts can overtake my peace, I get double poked with morning wood by the arseholes on either side of me.