The Kingdom (Preacher Brothers 1)

He didn’t move, didn’t speak. Then he took a step back, as if he knew I needed the space, needed more air.

And I did.

I sucked in a lungful, trying to calm myself.

“I only want one thing. It’s why I brought you here, why I risked everything.” I watched in shock as he brought the blindfold to his nose and inhaled, all the while keeping his focus trained right on me.

“W-what?” Although I knew what he was about to say by the way he looked at me.

“You. I want you, Amelia.”

Chapter Six

Dom

I didn’t want to leave her, but I had to go handle this with my brothers. I knew they’d want to talk about it now. They were probably standing around waiting for me.

I took the steps two at a time, and once I was at the top, I closed the basement door and stood there for a minute, hearing the clock on the wall ticking down the seconds. I didn’t waste any time as I headed straight to the garage, knowing that’s where they’d be.

I made my way through the living room, into the kitchen, and grabbed the handle to the door that led to the garage. Once opened, I immediately saw my three brothers standing around. The garage was large, spacious, with two cars inside as well as a workout station across from them.

Wilder and Frankie were leaning against Frankie’s Corvette, their arms crossed over their chests as they talked softly. Being identical twins made it nearly impossible for others to tell them apart. But for me is was easy, as if there were no doubt in my mind on who was who.

They hadn’t even noticed I’d come in. Cullen, on the other hand… his focus was right on me, his gaze hard, his eyes dark and penetrating. He’d give me the most shit. I was pretty confident Frankie and Wilder would fall in line, but Cullen… Cullen was a breed all his own.

“Let’s get this shit done and over with,” I said, and Frankie and Wilder looked up at me, their conversation instantly ceasing. Nothing was said for long moments, but then Wilder cleared his throat and looked between Frankie and Cullen before his gaze landed back on mine.

“I think I can speak for all of us when I ask—what the fuck are you thinking, and what the hell do you plan on doing with her?”

There were a couple steps leading down from where the garage door was, and I took them, staring my brothers in their eyes and letting each one know this conversation was only going to go one way.

Mine.

“I’m going to do with her whatever the fuck I want to do,” I said unapologetically and stared Wilder right in the eyes. Then I did the same to Frankie, and then finally to Cullen.

“You risked a lot of shit, Dom. And for what? A piece of snatch?” Frankie asked, his anger and frustration coming out in his voice.

I growled low and snapped my head in his direction. “You’ll do best to watch your fucking mouth.”

“So now you’re fucking going up against us all, because of some damn female?” Cullen’s voice was low, hard, and cold. He was pissed, and I couldn’t blame him. I had risked all of us by getting involved with her and bringing her back here.

“I don’t expect any of you to understand, but I am expecting you to trust me.” I looked each of them in the eyes once more. “As the oldest, I’ve never steered you wrong. I’ve never put you in jeopardy—”

“Until tonight,” Cullen said calmly but with menace. “Until you fucking kidnapped her… fucking brought her back to our home.” Cullen took a step toward me and narrowed his eyes. “You should’ve let me finish her off right then and there. She can ID me, and now she can identify you, since you were the genius who decided to take off your mask as well. You should’ve let me fucking put a bullet in her head.”

I felt possessiveness, protectiveness over her fill every single part of my body. I stalked toward Cullen until we were nose-to-nose. “We don’t kill people, Cullen. We aren’t fucking murderers.” My anger was rising at the very thought of her being hurt. “I’m not asking. I’m telling you that she’s staying here. With me. You don’t like it…” I took a step back and eyed Cullen up and down before looking at my other two brothers and doing the same. “If none of you like it, you can get the fuck out of here.”

There was a long-ass silence, no one speaking or moving. Hell, I didn’t even think anyone breathed. Finally, Frankie cleared his throat, and Wilder lifted his hand to rub his palm over the back of his head.

Neither one of them would look me in the face.