Page 33 of Don’t Hate Me (Secrets of Ravens Hollow #2)

Onyx talked me into going to bed after our dessert and hot chocolate.

I was emotionally exhausted. And it didn’t matter if I talked to Romeo all night, the two of us weren’t going to see eye to eye about his brother.

Eventually I curled up with Onyx’s strong arms wrapped around me and drifted off to sleep in the guest room I spent my first night here in.

When I woke up to a surprisingly loud clap of thunder, he was gone.

I feel the bed beside me, and it’s still warm, so he hasn’t been gone for long.

When I glance out the window, the pale gray light of morning illuminates the dark water below, even though the sky remains overcast, the storm from yesterday still raging on outside.

I check the time and find it’s close to eight in the morning.

With a yawn and a stretch, I hop out of bed and move into the bathroom.

I have a quick shower, do my hair and makeup, then search the walk-in for something to wear.

Luckily Orlando left a lot of my clothes still in this room.

I find a plaid skirt and a pale blue knitted sweater and pop them on.

Not sure what I’ll find waiting for me downstairs, I tiptoe down each step, wondering who else is already up.

Onyx obviously, but I’m not even sure where the others slept last night.

They were still down in the living room by the fire when we left.

I make out the light murmur of voices in the adjoining hallway and stop dead, trying to make out what they’re saying.

“You need to tell her. She’s invested. You’re going to break her heart,” Romeo growls, sounding angry as all fuck.

My heart starts to race. Whoever he’s talking to doesn’t respond, but I hear the two of them moving out of the room.

I wonder what he was talking about, who needs to tell me what?

What will break my heart? My stomach is already twisted in knots, having them all in the same house.

I don’t need more questions to add to my list.

As I go to peer around the corner, strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back against Reef’s solid chest. His lips find mine in a swift, hungry kiss, his fresh scent filling my nose.

His fingers thread through my hair, his touch gentle and firm, holding me so close I feel like he’s never going to let me go.

“Least I know it’s not you keeping shit from me,” I mutter when he breaks our kiss.

His eyes search my face, I think trying to work out what I’m talking about. He looks so damn hot this morning, his long surfy hair all messed up, his eyes bright and sparkling with a hint of mischief that always seems to do it for me. “You shouldn’t be eavesdropping, wildcat.”

A heavy sigh escapes my lips, accompanied by a dramatic roll of my eyes. “Yeah, I know.” I kiss him quickly again, hoping to distract him. “How did you sleep?” I ask, changing the subject before I get myself in more trouble.

He smiles cheekily, then in one quick move, he scoops me up at the waist and presses my back into the solid wall.

My legs wrap around him, and I stare up at him, wondering what exactly he’s up to so early in the morning.

“Would have slept better if you were in the bed with us.” He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear.

I let out a breathless, shaky laugh. “I’m sure. Or we wouldn’t have slept at all.” A naughty smirk plays on my lips as I gaze back at him. He’s way too fun to flirt with, even if it’s dangerous in the hall of this place.

His brow rises, making him look even sexier than he already did. “That would have been more fun.”

“Maybe tonight,” I tease, not able to help myself. Last night was just what I needed, to catch up with the three of them, but tonight, I’m hoping for more. My body is craving it.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, wildcat. You will break my heart.”

“That’s the last thing I want to do, Detective Hot Stuff.” I run my fingers through his hair; it’s surprisingly soft, and I can’t help but get lost in his pretty green eyes as I gaze back at him.

“Detective Hot Stuff.” He chuckles, and it’s the best sound ever.

“It’s the most appropriate nickname I have given anyone.” I press my lips to his again, not able to get enough of him this morning.

Someone clears their throat, and my eyes pop open to find Orlando and Romeo behind us.

The way Orlando looks at me makes me feel like a naughty schoolgirl caught with her boyfriend.

Disappointment, that’s the look. My cheeks heat instantly, but Reef doesn’t seem to care as much.

He lets me down to the ground, taking my hand instead.

“Did you two get lost on your way to breakfast?” Romeo chuckles. “Next time text me and I’ll help you out.” I’m not sure if he means with directions or more that he doesn’t want to miss out on the fun, but the look in his eyes says the latter.

“Something like that.” Reef’s lips twist at the sides, and a silent message passes between him and Romeo, one that can only mean trouble. Yeah, today is going to be more tense than yesterday, I already know it.

I offer Orlando a half smile, not sure what to say or do. This is more awkward than it should be, but he caused that tension, taking me from right under their eyes, keeping me away from them for a week and sending them all the videos of us fucking. “Morning,” I offer, not sure what else to say.

“Morning, treasure,” he says, with more warmth than I expected.

His eyes roam over me, and I see the heat flare in them.

A night apart has him just as wound up as the boys are.

“Breakfast is ready.” He turns and shows the boys through to the main dining table.

I’m surprised by his hospitality; he’s gone above and beyond, ensuring their comfort with gourmet food made by his cook, warm beds for the night, and whatever else they need.

He could have just as easily been an ass about it.

We all take our seats. Onyx is already waiting for us and hands me a plate of food. My bitchy-as-fuck grimace tells him to fuck off with his control issues, but I take it anyway. There is already enough tension in this place, I don’t need to add to it.

I take a bite of the mushroom, feta, and spinach omelet, and my eyes roll back in my head. It’s so damn good. I add a little pepper and take another bite.

A mountain of eggs, bacon, toast, and sauteed veggies sits on large platters down the center of the table for the boys, along with jugs of fresh roasted coffee and pitchers of milk.

I watch as they pile up their plates and devour the food like they haven’t eaten in days.

Silence falls over the table as we all eat the food, giving us a welcome distraction.

When I have had a couple of mouthfuls, I collect the black coffee Onyx has placed in front of me and have a sip, letting the caffeinated goodness kick me back to the land of the living.

I lean back in my chair, watching Romeo.

I feel like he’s up to something, and after that little snippet of conversation I heard this morning, I reckon my suspicions are right.

But who was he talking to, Onyx or Orlando?

Both of them could be keeping shit from me, they both have in the past.

Noticing my suspicious gaze, he smirks, a playful, almost arrogant charm radiating from him, a look that only Romeo could pull off. “Something on your mind, doll face?”

Onyx looks back at me, worried, searching my face in a way I don’t like. Is it him?

“Romeo, what can you tell me?” I ask, wondering what he was going on about earlier and who he was talking to.

He places his knife and fork down, collecting up his coffee. He takes a slow sip, his eyes on me the whole time. “About what, Sloane?”

I purse my lips. “Life, the club, devastating life secrets you’re keeping from me again,” I throw out there just to see what he and the other boys make of it.

I’m not letting any of them get away with pulling the wool over my eyes.

I might be trapped here, but that doesn’t mean I have to let them manipulate and lie to me.

His playful expression vanishes, and I see the worry lines form. What the hell is he hiding from me? A sick feeling sits at the pit of my stomach from his expression alone. “The club is doing well, nothing to worry about there.”

I tilt my head to the side. “Yeah, I’m going to need more details.”

He nods, his charming smile a thin mask barely concealing the truth behind his eyes. “The VIP night was the best one ever, despite how the night ended. You have twenty new sign-ups, and the renovations are coming along nicely for our newest addition. Revenue is also up.”

“You’re going to love it, Sloane, the room is seductive as hell,” Reef agrees with him.

I smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. “Can’t wait to see it. If I ever get to.” I push the food around my plate, trying to distract myself from my reality.

“You will,” Romeo agrees.

But my attention is now on Orlando. He’s never going to let me off this island and back to my normal life. He wants to keep me here forever, he’s said so himself. “What about the girls, is everyone happy? How’s Erica? She was upset the last time I saw her.”

“She’s fine, Sloane, nothing to worry about,” Onyx says for him, and I’m not surprised. He and Erica have always gotten on well. He would have been checking in with her for me.

My brow rises, imagining what my brothers are getting up to while I’m away. Asher will be treating the place like his own personal playground, I’m sure. “Asher, is he causing trouble?”

Romeo laughs lightheartedly, I think trying to ease the tension I’m creating. “A little, but it’s nothing I can’t handle; your brother is a man whore.”

Now it’s my time to laugh. “Yes, he is.” And I miss him and his antics like crazy. My head drops, and I fiddle with my hands uncomfortably. I started this interrogation to get details from Romeo, but now I just feel like shit because I miss them all so damn much.

“Myriah misses you,” Onyx says in a way that makes my heart hurt, and my head pops up to meet his gaze. “And Sally, even though she would never say as much.” His kind eyes, filled with a gentle sorrow, mirror the pain that’s consuming me. He knows how much this is getting to me.

Sadness overwhelms me, and I push my chair back quickly, not able to stand all their eyes on me anymore. “Sorry, I need a minute,” I stutter out, taking off for the powder room in a rush.

I can’t stand it.

Yeah, I was trying to bait Romeo to get him to tell me what he’s keeping from me, but fuck, the reality of what I’m missing out on hits me right in the fucking feels.

I love that club, it’s my home, the women in it my family, and being away from them is crushing my soul in a way I never thought possible.

I try to suck in deep breaths, my ribcage feeling like it’s caving in on me.

A sharp knock echoes through the quiet powder room, making me jump. I suck in a deep breath and fan my face, trying to get my emotions in check for whoever is on the other side.

When I crack open the door, I’m surprised to see Orlando. Out of any of them, I thought he would be the least likely to follow me back here when I’m clearly having a moment.

He shoves his shoe in the gap I have left so I can’t close the door on him. “Are you okay?” he demands, his voice tight.

When I don’t say anything in response, he forces his way in. Wrapping his arms around me, he pulls me in close. “I know why I have to stay here. But every day I do, I lose another little bit of myself,” I admit, my chest heaving with unshed tears.

He strokes my hair tenderly, still holding me close.

“Hopefully it won’t be for much longer, treasure.

” His voice is quiet, and I know the idea of me going back to my life kills him just as much as the idea of staying here kills me.

But I think he would let me go when it’s safe, I think he cares about me that much.

I pull back just a little so I can see his expression. “I won’t leave you, you can come home with me,” I say, hearing the neediness in my own voice. I don’t know how it’s possible, but the lines have blurred, and I’ve become just as addicted to him as he is me.

His steely control slips back into place, and I know I overstepped some fucked-up boundary with him by telling him what I wanted. “You better come out and finish your breakfast, Onyx is getting twitchy. That man has worse control issues than I do,” he mutters with no humor in his voice.

His comment makes me huff out a laugh, knowing how true his words are, but he still doesn’t crack a smile.

My eyes meet his, and I stare up at him for the longest time.

I feel like I have gotten to know him quite well in our time together, but can you ever really know a man like Orlando?

He carries so much damage along with him.

Maybe he’s only ever a sliver of who he wants me to see and deep down the monster still lingers, waiting for the moment to break free and rule again.

“Orlando, is it you who’s going to break my heart?

” I ask, the words no more than a whisper, I’m so nervous to ask them.

His head drops to mine, our foreheads touching, and we stay like this for some time.

Him holding me so close, I feel his love for me.

It should scare me, and in a way it does, but I want it anyway.

“I hope not, treasure. Everything I do, I do it for you. I only want you to be happy.” He sweeps me up in a passionate kiss that I feel all the way to my toes.

And I believe him, he only wants the best for me.

But it doesn’t solve the mystery of who Romeo was talking to. Or who is going to break my heart.