The Kingdom (Preacher Brothers 1)

There was no doubt in my mind that this would be the right choice, that it was exactly what I was supposed to do, what I’d always been meant to do.

I looked over my shoulder and saw she stood still by the wall, her arms wrapped around her waist, her eyes wide. She looked frightened, but she also had strength within her, this part of her that drew me to her like a moth to a flame. She was fiery, had a spark of life in her. And the light that came from her illuminated the darkness within me. I knew she had been put into my life for a reason, that it was fate, destiny, whatever the fuck you wanted to call it.

Our paths crossing was no mistake.

I looked back at Cullen, waiting for his answer. He showed no emotion, but I was used to that. We all were. He would’ve been classified as a sociopath, I was sure. But whether he was or wasn’t, I didn’t care. He was my brother, family, blood. And the only reason I hadn’t put a bullet between his eyes for going against what I said and threatening Amelia was because we were family.

I took a step back and waited, the rage still burning through my veins. Cullen moved away from the wall and glanced over at Amelia.

“No.” That word came out of me harshly. “You don’t fucking look at her. You look at me, Cullen.” I said that last part sternly, making it known where I was in the situation.

Cullen slowly looked back at me, this smirk coming out once more. “You’re about to risk everything for a woman? You want to put our lives in jeopardy, all because you have this obsession, this fixation with some pussy?”

I took a step forward, about to slam my fist into his face for talking about Amelia like that, but then I stopped myself and looked back at Amelia.

She still had wide eyes as she shook her head, as if knowing fighting with Cullen wouldn’t solve anything. It would make it worse.

I turned back and looked at my brother. Still, he said nothing. Still, he looked stone-cold, like the killer he was.

And then I saw something change in him, his expression shifting, his look hardening impossibly more.

“You want to fucking risk everything for some piece of ass, then have at it, brother.” Cullen stepped closer to me, and I felt a shot of cold air come from him. “But when shit hits the fan and I have to be the one to handle things, again, don’t come at me.” He stared me in the eyes, cold and hard, unforgiving. “Because I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure we aren’t fucked over.” Cullen looked at Amelia for a second before snapping his attention back to me. “And you know I will. You know I won’t have any issues taking out the problem, Dominik.”

With that, he turned and left, leaving Amelia and me alone, the air so damn thick because of Cullen, but becoming more manageable, breathable now that he was gone. I turned and faced Amelia, seeing her still pressed to the wall, hating that she was in this situation, was feeling this way because of me.

This was my fault.

“Amelia.”

She didn’t move, didn’t speak as I stepped closer. I wanted to hold her, to touch her, to make sure she was okay after all this.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered gruffly, my throat dry, my body feeling so damn tight I might snap. Amelia pushed away from the wall and stepped closer to me. We stared at each other for long seconds, and before I knew what I was doing, I had her in my arms, her body pressed to mine. I had one hand wrapped around her nape, tilted her head back an inch, and all I wanted to do was stake my claim, mark her, let her know I’d do anything for her.

I stroked my tongue along the seam of her lips, urging her to open, fucking hoping like hell she’d give in to me fully, let me touch her, feel her, thrust deep inside her. And then she opened for me, a little gasp leaving her. I swallowed it, took it into myself, loving the way she pressed her body to mine, her breasts thrust against my chest.

“That’s it,” I groaned and kissed her harder, moving my tongue in and out of her mouth like I wanted to do with my cock between her thighs. “You taste so fucking good,” I groaned again and walked her backward until the wall stopped our movements. I slid my hands down her arms and curled my fingers against hers then dragged them up, rubbing them along the wall and keeping them in place above her head. I wrapped one hand around both of her wrists, her body spreading for me like an offering. I stepped back and looked down at her. “God, you’re fucking gorgeous.”