Page 48 of Twisted Truths (The Sunburnt Hearts #4)

Chapter Thirty-Six

HADLEY

A fter going through the plan numerous times, Gabriel leaves to try and contact Isaac. I’m nervous about him going near the compound alone, but it’s too risky for us to all be hanging around Circle land. Gabriel grew up there, so he knows how to get in and out undetected.

I remain in the kitchen with Nash. He’s lost in his thoughts, but I don’t push, knowing he needs time to process everything. Instead, I set about making us some toast—at least I know I can’t stuff that up.

When I push the plate of vegemite toast in front of him, he offers me a warm smile. “What, no bacon and eggs?” he quips, nudging my hip with his to let me know he’s joking.

I roll my eyes as I pick up my own slice. “Not unless you want me to set the kitchen on fire.”

He chuckles as he takes a bite of his breakfast, and the sound warms my heart. I know he’s worried about his nephew, and still trying to work out who was responsible for the murders of his family, but I like that I can lighten the load for him in small ways .

We remain quiet as we eat, but eventually I ask, “What are you thinking?”

He sighs. “Do you really think we can trust Gabriel and his brother? Their parents are psychopaths. How do we know this isn’t a trap to lure us in for some part of this insane ritual?”

I wrap my arms around his waist and look up at him. “What makes you trust me?”

His brow furrows. “What?”

“You seem to have no problems trusting me, so why? What have I done to convince you?”

Nash swallows, his throat bobbing. “You’re not like them. You didn’t grow up steeped in their madness.”

“No, I didn’t,” I agree. “But I’ve lived with them for three years. Why am I different to Gabriel or Isaac?”

He’s quiet for a beat, and I wonder if asking why he trusts me is making him question it for the first time.

“My gut,” he finally says, tucking my hair behind my ears. “I don’t know. I just trust you.”

“Then trust them too. We’re going to get Franklin back, but we need them to help. Gabriel won’t let his parents hurt another innocent child, and if he trusts Isaac, then so do I.”

Nash leans in to brush a soft kiss to my lips before straightening. He grips my hand and pulls me towards the back door.

“Where are we going?”

He leads me over to his converted gym. “If you’re going anywhere near them, I need to know you can take care of yourself.”

I glance down at the t-shirt of his I’m wearing. “I’m not exactly dressed for this.”

He looks over his shoulder, smirking at my naked legs. “Maybe not, but you’re definitely dressed for what I have planned after.”

My cheeks heat, my body temperature suddenly soaring.

I tug on the hem of his shirt nervously, my panties completely soaked in anticipation.

How I’m going to focus on whatever training he’s about to put me through is beyond me.

All I can think about now is his strong hands on my body, touching me intimately.

His tongue trailing over my naked skin, nipping and biting in that teasing way that has me…

“Huh?” I blink up at him, realising we’ve come to a stop in the middle of the gym.

A playful smirk plays on the corner of his mouth, as if he knows exactly where my thoughts are.

“What are you thinking?” he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly as he drops his hand to my waist and throws my earlier words back at me. My skin tingles from his touch.

I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry, and blush even harder as I try to form a coherent sentence. “Uh… I…”

“Relax, little possum. We’ve got plenty of time for that. Right now, I need to make sure you’re prepared if anything goes wrong.”

His words have the effect of a bucket of ice thrown over my body. I shiver, knowing what we’re going to be attempting is dangerous. Nash needs to be focused on getting Franklin out of there safely. He can’t be worried about me too.

“Right,” I say, clearing my throat and forcing myself to put some distance between us.

He grins. “Okay, let’s run through some things from the other day.”

For the next hour, Nash puts me through a gruelling series of self-defence drills.

He teaches me how to break holds, strike vulnerable points, and use my body’s momentum to escape someone twice my size.

He’s relentless but patient, correcting my stance, refining my movements, and pushing me until my muscles ache and my breath comes short.

By the end, I’m bruised, sweating, and exhausted, but I feel a lot more prepared.

I flop down on the mat, my chest rising and falling as I gasp for air.

“You’re a fast learner,” Nash says as he drops next to me, resting his hands behind his head.

“I have a good teacher,” I reply, turning my head to smile at him.

“Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“Is that so?” I ask, rolling onto my side. My fingers trail up his torso.

“It is,” he says with a sexy smirk, catching my hand and entwining our fingers.

My stomach flutters, and I meet his hooded gaze with my own.

I squeak when he moves quickly, gripping my hips and pulling me to straddle him. My hands land on his chest, steadying myself as I gaze down at him. His heart races under my touch, and it’s heady knowing I do that to him. He licks his lips, and I lean down to kiss him.

Nash’s hands tangle in my hair, holding me to him as he deepens the kiss. I moan, grinding my sensitive core against the growing bulge in his pants. Arousal thrums through me.

We make out until we’re both breathless and panting.

Rising to my knees, I push at his sweatpants, and he lifts, helping me kick them off.

He doesn’t bother removing my underwear, simply pushing it aside, his knuckles brushing over my clit.

I barely have a moment to process the desire pulsing through me before his rock-hard cock is notching at my entrance.

I cry out his name as he pushes inside me.

This angle is intense, and my eyes roll back in my head. Nash grips my hips, setting the pace as I rock over him. It doesn’t take long for the first wave of pleasure to wash over me, causing my entire body to tremble from the force of it.

“Fuck, Hadley,” Nash curses on a groan, pulling me down for another soul-shattering kiss as he thrusts into me. “I was going to spend time worshipping your body.”

“Nash…” I murmur against his lips, my stomach tensing with another orgasm. “Mmm… Please don’t stop.”

His expert fingers find my clit, and he guides me through my second release.

“So responsive,” he says, nipping at the sensitive skin below my ear.

I shudder at his praise, working hard to regulate my breathing as a feeling of pure ecstasy continues to ripple through me in little aftershocks. It’s like a tidal wave trapping me in a riptide I never want to leave.

As they subside, Nash flips us, burying his head in the crook of my neck as he thrusts a few more times before pulling out. His warm release coats my stomach.

My hands tangle in his curls as he peppers little kisses along my collarbone and jaw until he reaches my mouth, capturing my lips in a bruising kiss. Nash makes me feel like the most desired woman, and I’m falling for him more every day.

Sitting up, he removes his shirt and cleans me up.

“Sorry,” he says, his eyes roaming over my body. “I don’t want you to think?—”

I press my finger to his lips. “Don’t you dare apologise, Nash.”

“I should have—” he mumbles, but I shake my head.

“Stop. Overthinking. This,” I tell him, punctuating each word with a kiss to each cheek, finishing with his mouth. “I wanted it. I wanted you.”

He kisses me deeply, but the moment he pulls away, he sighs .

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t like this whole plan,” he admits, a small crease appearing on his brow. “I don’t want to put you in danger.”

“I’m stronger than I look,” I tease, but his frown only deepens.

“It’s not about strength. It’s about what these people do to anyone who gets in their way. Zara and my family are already dead I couldn’t bear it if they took you from me as well.”

“Our plan is foolproof,” I assure him, brushing his curls back off his face. “Everyone will be distracted by the ceremony, and Gabriel will keep them there while we get in and out.”

“Nothing’s ever that simple, little possum.”

“I’m not staying behind, Nash.”

“I know,” he says, kissing the tip of my nose. “It doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

The sound of a car pulling up in the driveway stops me from pushing the matter further, and I get to my feet, offering my hand to Nash.

He takes it, and once he’s on his feet, rushes to pull his sweatpants back on.

The last thing we want is Gabriel walking in on us again.

I’m still mortified from the last time. Nash’s shirt is dirty from cleaning us both up, so he wads it up in his hand.

“I hope Gabriel knows what he’s doing getting his brother involved,” Nash mutters under his breath as we leave the gym, but to our surprise it isn’t Gabriel in the driveway.

“What are you doing here?”

The older man I saw Nash arguing with at the funeral stands by his car, hands behind his back as he looks at the house.

His dad.

He turns at Nash’s outburst, smirking when he spots us and our state of undress. Mr Stone’s honeyed gaze drops to my legs, and I tug on the hem of Nash’s shirt, stepping behind him for some semblance of modesty.

“You’re not welcome here,” Nash snaps, putting his arm out to keep me shielded.

His father notices the movement, and his smirk widens. “Burying your grief really deep there, son.”

“I’m not your son,” he snaps. “Get the fuck off my property, Dalton.”

Dalton ignores the jab and tilts his head, feigning interest in me. “Who’s she?”

“She’s none of your business,” Nash fires back without hesitation. His body tenses like he’s stopping himself from launching forward. The air feels heavier now, charged.

“I need to talk to you,” Dalton says, his expression faltering.

“Not happening.”

Dalton hesitates. Then, like he isn’t dropping a bomb, he says, “Zara came to see me the morning of the murders.”

The world stops.

Nash’s breath hitches. My forehead drops to his back, tears stinging my eyes.

“I think you should hear what she said,” Dalton adds, his voice syrupy and calculated.

The fight goes out of Nash and his shoulders slump. “Don’t make me regret this.”