Page 135 of The Ecstasy of Sin

The smirk on Ryker’s face is all for show. It’s the look in his eyes—the fractured glint of something buried and bleeding—that sticks with me. That haunted fucking stare always cuts deeper than his mouth ever could.

I turn my attention to Torin, shaking my head. “You need help bringing your stuff over?”

He shakes his head. “No. I don’t have much. I can handle it.”

I shift Wren’s weight gently in my arms, careful not to wake her as I rise to my feet.

Torin’s voice stops me. “Dom.”

I pause, giving my brother my full attention again. “Hm?”

“Thank you.”

I offer him an easy smile, then speak the mantra we’ve spoken to one another ever since we were kids. “We survive together, we fight together, we die together.”

Torin walks with us toward the elevator, but at the last second, he veers off toward the couch instead. “Send Hunterdown, will ya? I have a feeling Ryker’s gonna need him when they’re done.”

“I’m going to get Wren in bed. I’ll bring him down after.”

Torin doesn’t respond, just grabs the remote from the table and drops onto one end of the oversized sectional.

Life is about to get really fucking bloody, but at least we have each other.

CHAPTER 33

Wren

Two weeks later.

Themiddaysuniswarm against my skin, hanging high in a clear blue sky as it chases away the chill of autumn. A crisp breeze stirs the trees that surround our home, carrying the scent of leaves and pine through the air.

The evergreens tower at the property’s edge like ancient sentinels, while the giant oak and maple trees scattered across the sprawling lawn are dressed in the fiery shades of fall—red, gold, and amber fluttering like sparks as they catch the sunlight with every gust of wind.

Hunter has abandoned the ball I was throwing, now happily leaping into the air to catch the falling leaves as they spiral down around him. His red sable coat gleams in the sunlight, freshly groomed and radiant, every inch of him vibrating with joy. Tongue lolling, eyes alight—he is the picture of happiness.

“He loves all this open space.”

I turn at the sound of Dominic’s voice just as he steps outside, the heavy front door clicking shut behind him. He jogs down the stone steps toward me, dressed in nothing but blacksweatpants, his broad, tattooed chest glistening with sweat. The sight of him makes my heart race.

“Yeah,” I reply, smiling as Hunter runs to greet him, his fluffy tail wagging in wild circles. “The guys still fight over who gets to take him for a hike or a jog, but at least I get the mornings.”

Dominic chuckles, then lowers himself behind me, his legs bracketing mine as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me against his chest. His lips brush the shell of my ear. “My sweet little lamb,” he whispers, voice thick with affection. “Are you happy?”

I lean into him, melting in his embrace, my head tilting back against his shoulder. “How could I not be?”

He hums low, his palms sliding over my softly rounded stomach. “You look fucking incredible.”

A shy smile tugs at my lips. “You keep feeding me the way you do, I’m gonna end up real chubby, just like I was growing up.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” He tucks his face into my neck, pressing a kiss to the pulse thudding there as it quickens from his touch.

Dominic’s hand lifts, his fingers curling around my throat. He leans back just enough to look down at me, our eyes locking. “Whoever told you fat was a bad thing deserves to get their ass kicked.”

I whimper, his grip tightening ever so slightly, and my gaze remains fixed on the darkness in his green eyes, burning darkly just for me.

“Whatever your body ends up looking like now that you’re well-fed, well-fucked, and finally safe… it will always be perfect to me.”

He’s right. I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. After years of surviving on scraps, bouncing between starvation and binge eating whenever I could find food, I owe my body more grace than this.