Shameful by May Dawson
40
Legacy
That night,I lay down between Rhett and West, but I couldn’t fall asleep. Eventually, I climbed out of bed, only for Rhett to catch my wrist as I was straddlinghim.
Rhett stared up at me, his cock pressing through my sleep shorts, but his gaze was worried. “What’s wrong, Legs? Killian is out patrolling. And I’ll take his place in a while. You can get some sleep.”
“I can’t. I’m just tossing and turning… go back to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep without you anyway.” Rhett pushed the blankets aside and rolled with me, catching me around the waist. I landed lightly on my feet, but he still checked that I had my balance with a hand on myhip.
“Why Rhett, do you need me?” I teased.
He smiled but for once, Rhett didn’t have anything tosay.
I headed out of the room the three of us had come to share, feeling my way in the dim moonlight.
When we reached the hallway, Rhett struck a match, lit a candle for each of us. The flickering flames brightened his face. “Where to, boss?”
“Let’s go sit on the steps. I like to watch the waves.”
The two of us sat on the steps of the mansion. The thunder of the sea against the stones was so loud now that it was almost deafening, as if the night were angry. There was no trace of Tobias, but I couldn’t force my body to relax, no matter how hard I willedit.
Maybe I was grateful for the storms. Because when I stopped, when I was silent, I could hear the uncontrollable pounding of my heart. And that scaredme.
If I wasn’t fearless Legacy Quinn, best of our pack, then who the hell wasI?
“Legs.” Rhett’s voice broke into my reverie. I tried to smile, but from the way he looked at me, he could see right through me. He tucked his arm around me, pulling me into hisbody.
“Trust us,” he whispered in my ear, and this time his voice was threaded with a different kind of need, one I’d never heard before.
“I’m trying,” I said softly. “But you don’t trust each other.”
He sighed, his breath stirring my hair. Something else stirred deep inside me, too. He had an effect on me that was hard tohide.
“What happened between the three of you?” I prodded.
“This is not a bedtime story that’s going to help you fall asleep, Legs.”
“I live in a haunted house. I think I’ll befine.”
He groaned, but I knew he was going to give in to me. He alwaysdid.
“When Cyrus sent us here, he said we’d caused too much trouble. Probably true.” There was a note of pride in Rhett’s voice. “But the specific trouble we’d caused him lately was scaring off some vamps that had settled in Crosby. I had some witch friends who Cyrus had always tolerated because sometimes they did him favors. He used me as a go-between.”
His voice turned bitter. “I thought those favors made me a little less disposable. It’s funny—the vamps threatened the witches, and I thought I was a hero for once, protecting my friends. Look where it gotme.”
“Could one of those vamps have been Tobias?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Smelled different. Tobias barely smells like a vamp. These vamps stunk of copper and ash, like vamps are supposedto.”
“Maybe that’s why I didn’t scent him when he walked into the coffeeshop,” I mused.
Rhett turned his face to kiss my temple. “I wish I’d been there.”
His protectiveness was sweet, until he added, “There’s zero pizza delivery to Castle Island.”
I grinned and pushed him away, but I didn’t try hard, and he just wrapped me up again in his arms. I leaned my head back on his chest.
“West and I knew Cyrus had diplomatic relations with the vamps that he didn’t want the pack rank-and-file to know. But we didn’t know what secrets he was keeping, exactly. We almost managed to escape RI. We figured that uncovering Cyrus’s bullshit would save us a lot of grief.” Rhett’s voice darkened. “I have a feeling it would’ve saved you grieftoo.”
“You don’t have to feel guilty.”
“Anyway, Gibs caught us and threw us in the prison here. A few weeks later, Killian showed up and took us back to the Castle. He claimed he was on babysitting duty, but I figured he’d help us.” Rhett’s jaw stiffened. “Seems stupid now, but I wasn’t quite as cynical back then. I looked up to Killian.”
I’d always looked up to Killian, and I stilled, chewing my lowerlip.
“But Killian wasn’t interested in helping us figure out what Cyrus was really upto.”
Killian’s voice carried out of the night. “For someone who considers himself a criminal mastermind, your efforts to uncover Cyrus’s crimes sucked.”
Rhett jolted against myback.
“Are you going to tell her about when the two of you beat me around the head and shoulders, knocked me unconscious, and stole my boat?” Killian demanded, emerging from the forest, his face shadowed.
“That’s not a highlight for me,” Rhett murmured.
“Or how West challenged me—and I kicked his ass?” Killian crossed his arms over his chest.
“Being able to beat someone doesn’t make you the great leader you think it does,” Rhett said. “I’m not a fan of the Cyrus Harley School of Leadership and Management.”
“Don’t put Cyrus and me in one bucket, thanks.”
“You’re the one who did that. You’re loyal to him,” Rhett shotback.
“Maybe I’m loyal to you,” Killian answered coldly. “You two were going to get yourselves killed. I think that’s the real reason Cyrus called you and West to come get Legacy. If you two ran, he’d have a reason to dispose of you. Maybe even to kill the girltoo.”
My mind reeled. “You think Cyrus would murder usall?”
“Yes.” Killian said the word flatly, but it seemed to echo through the cold night.
“Then why the hell are you on his side?” Rhett demanded.
“I’m not!” Killian roared back. “But I’ve got to protectSean!”
Rhett nodded, his eyes narrowed. “Do you think your little brother would be proud of who you arenow?”
“Rhett,” I gasped. I knew how I’d feel if anyone accused me of shaming Courage. The pain on Killian’s face stabbed me, and I hated knowing Rhett was the one who inflicted that wound.
“Probably not,” Killian said, his voice level. “But I’ve developed a habit of protecting the lives of ungrateful bastards.”
Rhett scoffed and stood. “Anyway, it’s shift change. I’ll take the next run around the island.”
His body was taut with anger, as if he were prepared to strike, but his gaze softened when his eyes met mine. “You’re too good for us, Legs.”
“I’ve noticed,” I said drily, but when he brushed his lips against my cheek in a tentative kiss goodbye, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him close, kissed him more deeply.
Then Rhett strode into the woods, ripping his clothes off as hewent.
Killian shook his head, his jaw still tight.
I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Want tospar?”
“I need to cool down first,” he muttered.
“You don’t have to worry about pulling your punches with me,” I promised, then grabbed his arm and dragged him into the castle.
Killian and I shared both our knack for fighting and our ability to disappoint the people we loved.