Page 29 of Love Me in the Dark

“Cade, I give you my word. She is safe,” I say softly.

“Thank you. Sorry for being a dick,” he says.

“Your sister is a brat, by the way,” I say, and he laughs. “Don’t worry about it. She’s tough.”

When we end the call, I pull up the camera for the gate so I can see when they get here. Tripp and Rook join me in the living room, and they’re looking at Rook’s phone, so I assume they are watching her sleep.

“You mean it when you said she was ours?” Rook asks.

“Yeah,” I say. “I know it’s dangerous, but… there’s just something about that woman.”

“She’s incredible. I think if anyone can stand at our side and not fall, it’s going to be her,” Tripp says.

“She has to be here willingly, though. She’s not a captive,” I say. “Although I would love to tie her up again and fuck her.”

“I thought for a second she was going to go for the gate, and I was kind of sad,” Tripp says.

“Yeah, the moment she took over getting herself undressed. I knew she knew we weren’t going to hurt her. When none of us reacted negatively to her scars, the way she expected, it solidified that,” I say.

“You think she’s going to explain what happened?” Tripp asks.

“Probably. I know that I could find out by looking at police reports, hospital visits, and even just getting her brother to tell us,” I say. “But that is her story to tell. I believe she wants to tell it, she just doesn’t know how to. Every time she got scared, she would get an attitude. She was never scared of us, though. That tells me whoever hurt her… she’s scared of them finding her again.”

“I don’t blame her based on those scars,” Rook adds.

We all watch the gate camera as well as the bedroom camera to keep an eye on things. A few minutes go by, and a truck pulls past the gate. I hit the button for it to close behind them and they pull up to the house. We all stand and go to the door. When I pullup, Cade and Callum are here. The look on their faces is a mix between worry and anger. He wants to blow up at me. They both do.

“Come on in,” I say as I step to the side. Her bag of torture items that she uses when she kills people is sitting on the coffee table. So, I point for them to sit in the armchairs on either side of it.

“I want to see her,” Cade demands.

“She’s asleep,” Rook says as he hands his phone to Cade.

“What the fuck is going on?” Callum says. “Why is she here?”

“Your sister tried to kill me,” I say, and their eyes go wide. “She actually shot a hole in the chair you are sitting in.”

“Knox, please don’t hurt her. You can do whatever you want to me. I will give you whatever you want, just don’t hurt her. She’s had a hard time the last year and?—”

I put my hand up to get him to stop talking. I think it’s honestly the sweetest fucking thing that he is willing to do whatever he has to in order to keep her safe. He doesn’t even know her reasoning, and he’s protecting her. It’s hard to come by people who are unconditionally supportive like that.

“Nyx has murdered five other men,” Rook says. “Knox was her target tonight.”

“What?” Cade asks. “Phoenyx? Are you sure?”

“The five men that she has killed have all been either accused of or convicted and released on charges of rape at a minimum. She’s targeting and murdering rapists,” I say.

“Fuck,” Cade sighs and closes his eyes. “She’s…”

“She’s angry,” I say. “I know. She hasn’t said who hurt her, but we have seen the scars.”

“I really like you, Knox, but if you hurt my sister, I will fucking kill you,” Cade says with a grave tone again, a total disregard to my level of power.

“Did you three fuck her?” Callum asks bluntly.

“Yes, but she was consenting, and we made sure of it,” I say. “She agreed to tell us what happened when she woke up.”

“I don’t understand,” Cade says. “Why you?”