Page 108 of Lost Lyrebird

A few of the Thirteen Devils are dragging out their injured, stumbling and bleeding, while the rest clear a path.

At the door, Veno stops.His eyes land on me, hold for a beat, then flick to Lily beside me.He fucking smiles again, showing a mouth full of bloody teeth.

“Like I said.Such pretty things you have.Best keep an eye on ’em… or you might just wake up one day and find them gone.You know how it is—girls just up and vanishin’ lately.”

The fear that hits me is a tidal wave; it crashes in with such force that my knees weaken.

He laughs again.“And I’ll make sure your guy, the one you all are payin’ us to keep nice and cozy, has got some good friends keepin’ him company.He’s so pretty, it shouldn’t be hard to do.”

Dread settles over the room, thick enough to choke on.It wraps around us all as we start putting the bar back together, piece by broken piece.

I keep Lily close the rest of the night, closer than a shadow.My eyes track her every move.She’s calm on the surface, but I know her.She’s shaken.She’s trying to hold it together for everyone else.

When it’s over, I offer to drive her home.Hell, Ibegher to come back to mine with me—to the clubhouse, anywhere but alone.I don’t care if it makes me look weak.I’m past pride.I just need her safe.

Tonight wasn’t a fucking wake-up call.I didn’t realize the danger being with me could put her in.

Lily’s stubborn.She says she can handle herself, that she needs to sleep in her own bed, and she’s dealt with guys like Veno before.She won’t let his threats make her run in fear.She tells me she has a gun and knows how to protect herself.

When I still won’t let it go, she gets angry.She tells me that if anything, being with me puts her in more danger.

That shock of her words and the truth of that statement is what has me backing off.

Because, yeah—she’s right and tonight wasn’t a fucking reality check.Anyone close to me will be on Veno’s radar.

I try to follow her home by hanging back a few cars.But she drives like she’s trying to lose me.Maybe she is.I push my bike harder, but she takes some wildass turns and disappears into the night.Gone.I punch the gas and search for a while, but she’s nowhere to be found.

Thankfully, she sends a text when she makes it home, telling me she’s home and safe.

But even after that, I spend the rest of the night wide awake, pacing my room and raking my hands through my hair, thinking of all the ways Veno could get revenge on me by hurting her.

Just because she’s okay now doesn’t mean she will be tomorrow.Or the day after that.

Because being close to me?

It painted a big, red target on her back.

And there’s nothing I can do to change that now, no matter how much I want to.

CHAPTER 29

We’re often our own dealer in the hands of fate, playing with half the deck.

A hand moves down my abs.The movement wakes me and has my cock perking up as well.

“You gonna grab that?”A husky, feminine voice asks, and the body partially above mine shifts.

Groggy from the drugs and alcohol still swimming in my system, her words don’t register, but when I peer down through sleep-crusted eyes, my heart soars at the sight of her dark hair.The curves of her body are visible beneath the thin white sheet, and seeing them has me wanting more than just a feast for my eyes.

Reaching down, I find her hand and guide her palm up and down my cock.She chuckles and gives in, closes her fist around me, and begins to pump my dick.

“Strócáil mé mar sin féin,” I groan out as pleasure rockets through me.

Stroke me just like that.

Fuck yeah, I’m on board with starting this day off right.I run my hand down her back and lean up a little to discard the sheet and grab her thigh, drawing it closer.

It’s not until my eyes catch on the tattoo there that I realize it’s not Lily.Where unmarked skin should be, a massive panther tattoo sits.