Page 15 of Ravaged Saints (BloodHawks Duet #1)

It took us way too long to get to town. With Knox, we’re usually faster, but he didn’t want to leave Aspen so soon after they fucked, and I get that. What I don’t get is why Ethan offered to come again.

Since the plague, I think he’s joined us maybe twice, but in the past two months? He has come every time, saying he’s bored, but with Bryn there at his disposal?

Fuck, if I were him, I’d never leave the base.

“Eyes open. Last time, we almost ran into some guys,”

Max warns, his gun sweeping the area.

I nod silently, scanning the deserted street. Ethan walks to my left, his eyes locked on the row of old, crumbling shops. “Want me to search in there?”

he asks, pointing to a run-down store with women’s clothing.

Max nods, waving him forward. “Don’t take too long.”

We used to have radios, but the batteries died. We were left with four that are chargeable but are saving them for emergencies, so we need to rely on our instincts and follow the rules. Ethan has a hard time with the latter.

We continue toward the mall, the structure looming ahead like a tombstone of the old world. Max found cables and some old lamps here before, so we head inside, clearing each aisle carefully.

I stand guard as Max digs through a shelf, pulling out the cables we need. The quiet stretches, heavy and suffocating.

“Can’t wait to get back,”

Max mutters, his voice low. His eyes flick around the space, every shadow a threat. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this place today.”

I feel his unease, making the hair on my neck stand up, and I take a few steps away, eyes sweeping the second floor above us.

That’s when I hear it.

Footsteps echo from the far end of the mall, and my stomach drops; whistling, I signal to Max, and he ducks behind a shelf, clutching his gun.

Fuck.

I sprint up the stairs next to me to the second floor, dropping to the ground and peering over the railing. The rifle is already in my hand, aimed at the entrance where the noise came from.

Three men step inside; they’re wearing black jackets with skulls and crows scrawled across the backs in rough white paint. One has a gun slung across his chest, and the other two grip knives like they know exactly how to use them.

They move slowly, like they know someone is here, and my blood turns cold. Did they get to Ethan? Fucking hell!

My gun tracks their movements, and the silencer is already attached. From here, I can take out all three before they get to Max. My finger hovers over the trigger as I steady my breathing.

I look at Max, and he shakes his head. He doesn’t want me to shoot, but if they come too close to him, I’m bringing those motherfuckers down, but a shot rings out from the other side of the building, and the three men immediately turn and sprint south.

Was that Ethan? Fuck!

I’m on my feet before I think, running down the stairs with Max right in front of me. We hit the street and duck behind an old truck, scanning both sides. The air is still.

“We need to get to Ethan,”

Max whispers steady. We are trained for this, but still my blood is rushing in my ears.

“Go to that window, and if you see anyone—shoot to kill,”

Max orders firmly, his hand steady as he adjusts his grip on his gun. I nod and move.

I’ve always been the sniper, the one who takes long-range shots when the rest of the team can’t. It’s a rush, no denying that, but the rush fades fast when I don’t know where Ethan is—or if he’s still breathing.

I enter the old building, likely offices once, and climb three flights of stairs. Kicking the door open, I lean into the window and scan the area. Nothing. I whistle low, and Max starts moving toward the next building.

He looks around and shakes his head, my heart pounding faster. Max keeps moving, and that’s when a movement catches my eye. Ethan.

He’s walking toward us from the south side, calm as if he just finished a damn stroll. My eyebrows pull together. What the fuck?

Max stops in his tracks, gun raised. “It’s me!”

Ethan snaps, irritation clear in his tone.

I exhale hard, heading back down; my breathing is controlled, but something about this doesn’t sit right.

“Didn’t you hear the shot?”

Max asks as we close the distance.

“I was in the building. Found some clothes for the girls, then went to the underground parking.”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but his eyes don’t meet ours.

No “Are you okay?”

No “What happened?”

“And you didn’t see the three men heading your way?” I press.

“Men? No. They don’t usually walk around this side of town.”

His answer is too quick, and his tone is off.

I glance at Max, and his frown mirrors my own.

“How do you know that?”

I ask, my words edged with something darker, suspicion creeping in. I watch him carefully.

Ethan stops, turning to look at us. I grip my gun harder, my pulse steady but ready to snap.

“I mean, we usually come here, and I’ve never seen anyone. You’re getting paranoid.”

He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Come on, let’s just grab the rest of the stuff and go.”

He turns back and keeps walking, but his shoulders are stiff, and my eyes lock on his back, the uneasy knot in my chest tightening.

“I’ll report this to Knox and Dante,”

Max mutters under his breath.

I nod.

As Ethan and I stand guard while Max grabs the rest of the supplies, my mind keeps turning it over. The way he walked back, the way he brushed us off.

Something isn’t adding up.

We have everything and leave the mall, guns scanning the street as we head to the woods. Once there, I pick up my pace to walk beside Ethan.

“You don’t usually come on these runs,”

I say, keeping my tone light. “What changed?”

He chuckles, glancing at me. “Just got bored. Can’t let you guys have all the fun. Besides, Knox keeps saying I need to learn more about these runs.”

Behind us, Max isn’t buying it either. I can feel it in the way his steps drag, his eyes constantly flicking to Ethan’s back.

We’ve known Ethan since our army days. A rich kid who thought playing soldier would impress Daddy. He wasn’t half bad back then, but it wasn’t until the plague that he stuck with us. His family was gone, and he had no one else.

We accepted him as one of us, but the truth? He’s never really done the same.

Do I trust him? No.

Would I fight to keep him alive? Absolutely.

Because, for better or worse, he’s still our brother.

I see the gate and whistle; Max punches in the code and opens the gate. Dante steps out from the bunker, his eyes locked on me. “What happened?”

He knows me too well.

“Not now,”

I mutter as we walk past the gate. Max trails behind, flanking Ethan, while Bryn waits at the door, her face lighting up like a damn wife welcoming her husband back from war.

Her blond hair shines in the sunlight, braided neatly, and she’s wearing one of those sundresses that clings to every curve. I glance at Max, and he’s already eyeing me. What can I say? Bryn’s my type of woman, just like Max is my type of man.

We step into the open area, and I divert toward the door leading to the weapons locker. It’s secured with a keypad only the five of us know, but I glance at the couch before heading in—Aspen lies there sleeping.

She’s stretched out in shorts and a t-shirt, her dark hair spilling across her face, and her chest rises and falls steadily, and, fuck, she’s hot. I get why Max likes her.

“,”

Knox is standing near Dante, his posture stiff.

“Where are Max and Ethan?”

I ask, scanning the space.

“Max went downstairs. Ethan’s outside with Bryn,”

Dante answers, his tone careful. He knows something’s off.

I glance at Aspen once more, still asleep, then head toward the others.

“We were almost attacked,”

I say, and tension ripples through both of them.

“What? Anyone hurt?”

Dante asks, his eyes raking over me, checking for injuries.

I shake my head, recounting what happened. Knox grows more rigid with every word since something similar happened on their last run, but Max didn’t mention it to me.

“Come on. It’s Ethan. What the fuck?”

Dante runs a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath.

“I know, man, but something doesn’t feel right,”

I insist; my gut is screaming that there’s more to this.

“You’re back,”

She gently say cutting through the tension, and I turn to see Aspen sitting up, rubbing her emerald eyes.

“Yeah, we are,”

I say, my tone colder than I intended, and her brows pucker.

“Is everything okay?”

she asks, her eyes flicking between us. She’s sharp, and even after just a few weeks here, she reads us too well, and with her being so close to Bryn—and Bryn being with Ethan—it’s one more reason not to trust her.

Dante sighs, always trying to keep the family intact and at peace. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Maybe Ethan was telling the truth.”

Knox doesn’t look convinced, though, and neither am I.

Max comes up the stairs, and his eyes land on Aspen, but before she can say a word, he strides toward her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. He doesn’t hesitate, crashing his lips against hers.

“Fuck,”

Knox mutters under his breath as Dante crosses his arms, smirking.

I shake my head, suppressing a groan. Max has been hung up on Aspen since he caught her with Knox a few days ago.

“Miss me, sweetheart?”

Max’s voice drops, rough and possessive, as his hand slides along her back.

I turn away, heading downstairs. I need space—and a damn shower. Stripping off my clothes, I turn on the tap, letting the cold water hit me, and maybe it’ll take the edge off.

Leaning against the tiles, I try to shut out the chaos in my head, but then I feel hands—smaller than Max’s—trailing down my back.

I grab her wrists and pull her back to my front, pressing her breasts to the cold tiles. Bryn tilts her head, her lips parted.

“What are you doing?”

I growl, pressing her against the wall, my body trapping hers. “Where’s Ethan?”

Her breath hitches, and she grins. “In bed. Said he was tired and needed a nap.”

Her tone drops, turning sultry. “You looked tense. Thought I’d help you unwind.”

Her hips roll against me, and I grunt, my cock already hardening against her. Fuck, I can’t remember the last time I had a woman. The last time I felt in control.

She’s completely naked, her soft skin brushing against me.

“Bend over, Bryn, and open your fucking legs,”

I command.

She moves slowly, her breathing quickening as she obeys.

Pressing my hand on her shoulder blade, I push her lower, her ass leaning up in invitation, and I shake my head. Fuck, she’s beautiful; her softly tanned skin and long legs will drive any man insane, me included.

I lean into her, my hand moving down, and I feel her shiver under my touch, and I smirk, sliding a finger along her wet pussy, and she moans, her back arching.

“My little slut,”

I murmur, already aligning my cock with her entrance. I need to be inside her; foreplay will have to wait for another time.

I slam into her so hard and mercilessly that her walls clench tightly around my cock as I grip her hips, my fingers digging into her soft skin, and I groan.

I love fucking Max, but this, a cunt, I haven’t felt it for years, and Bryn moves her hips like a fucking goddess.

“Fuck, ,”

she purrs and bends even more, making me drive deeper into her.

I thrust harder and snake my arm around her to reach down to her clit, and my thumb circles and pinches it, drawing a sharp gasp from her. She feels so fucking good!

“That’s it, Bryn. Come on my cock like the good little girl you are,”

I growl, and she moans in response. I grab her long blonde braid, twisting it in my hand and pulling her back. Her spine arches beautifully, and I press deeper inside her wet, warm cunt. I can feel her clenching and releasing her walls. I lean into her neck, biting the sensitive skin and pressing harder on her clit, moving my thumb faster.

“I can feel your cunt clenching, milking me. Fuck, you are a goddess, Bryn,”

I grunt in her ear.

She screams my name as her body trembles, with the force of her orgasm slamming into her. Her legs start to shake, but I grip her hips tighter, keeping her from falling to the floor.

“Fuck, Bryn,”

I chuckle, breathless. “That was one hell of an orgasm.”

I slam into her again, harder this time, her body jolting forward into the tiles, and she raises her hands to protect her head, but I don’t stop. I fucking can’t. I’m feral now, completely lost in her. I need to finish, to feel her tighten around me as I claim her.

Her pussy clenches, and my cock throbs inside her, all my muscles tensing as the heat coils low in my stomach, spreading to my balls, and with one final, punishing thrust, I bury myself to the hilt and still, a guttural grunt escaping me as my release hits.

Cum spills into her, hot and thick, and she moans louder, her nails scraping against the wall as my fingers leave bruises on her skin.

“Fuck,”

I breathe, leaning forward to press my forehead to her damp back. The cold water pours over us, cooling our heated bodies.

“God, that was amazing,”

she purrs—smooth, sultry, but there’s something in her tone, something calculated, almost theatrical, that puts me on edge.

I press a kiss to the back of her neck before pulling out. My cum drips from her, mixing with the water on the tiled floor. She turns to face me, her arms snaking around my neck, her body flush against mine.

“Would love to have you and Ethan one of these nights,”

she says too loud, and I just nod, my mind still somewhere else, but then I see her eyes flick past my shoulder, and I turn instinctively.

Max stands there with his arms hanging at his sides, hands clenched into fists.

Fuck.

Max’s eyes lock with mine, and he smirks with a nod, and it’s all I need to know I just fucked up.

Bryn stays behind me, hiding her body from Max’s gaze.

“Max,”

I whisper, but he doesn’t reply. He turns and leaves the bathroom.

I rake a hand through my wet hair, exhaling sharply. Max is pissed, and I know that look in his eyes. I just crushed him.

Goddamn it. He has to know I would never do this with Ethan.

Max is it for me. Not Ethan, not anyone else.

Fuck!