Luck of the Devil (Ravens Ruin MC 2)

“Silence is telling,” Zoe says, looking over her shoulder at me.

“I’m tired,” I tell her instead of confessing what happened last night.

“Are you sore too?” The humor in her voice makes me smile.

“No.” I wish.

“What about the vet?”

“We kissed,” I answer before I can stop myself. “And I felt…”

My voice trails off.

“Nothing?” she answers for me.

“Yeah.” Groaning, I cover my face with my hands. Just the thought of Briar makes my skin heat. Owen, as nice as he is, does nothing for me.

“Lynch was downstairs. Did he see your neck?”

“Yes, and he thinks Owen was the one who left the marks. It’ll stay that way.”

“I knew it!” She spins, collapsing on me with a giggle. “I can see Briar being a biter.”

“He was in the living room with some new whore on his lap.” My blood heats with renewed anger.

He wasn’t passed out when they got started.

TJ’s words echo in my head.

“Really?” Zoe sounds as confused as I was when I walked in on it last night. “That doesn’t sound like him.”

“He said he saw me kiss Owen. He was spying on me again.”

“Kissing your boss is messy, Molly.” She’s not chastising me, and she’s not telling me anything I don’t already know, but hearing her say it out loud agitates me.

“I know that. I probably won’t go back.”

In fact, I know I won’t. He offered friendship last night, but there was still hope in his eyes when I pulled away from the clinic.

“What are you going to do about Briar?”

“What can I do?” I look over at her. The same uncertainty I feel is reflected in her eyes. She knows how difficult this situation is.

“My offer still stands. I can talk to Ly—”

“You can’t,” I insist. “Swear it, Zoe. You can’t mention a damn thing to my brother. I’ll never forgive you if you betray me.”

Hurt flashes across her face. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“I tried,” I whisper. “I tried to move on. I tried to not think of him. Not loving him is impossible. It was easier at work before I tried to seduce my boss.”

“You kissed him?” A sad smile tugs her lip up.

“I figured if I kissed him, I’d feel something. Like it would give me the strength I needed to move on.”

“Lynch says he’s too perfect for you.”

I huff. “He’s always got a damn opinion.”

“He loves you. He wants you to be happy.” I grumble again. “But first and foremost, he wants you safe.”

I almost speak up to argue that I couldn’t be safer than I would be with Briar, but I’m reminded of the darkness he’s mentioned more than once.

I murder every woman I fuck.

If his own words aren’t a big enough deterrent, I don’t know what is, but it didn’t stop me from wrapping myself around him last night. I didn’t bother to tap the brakes even once when he lowered his body over mine and pulled my sweats out of the way. The vicious bites to my sensitive flesh didn’t make me want to run for the hills. They made me want to press against him harder.

“Briar wouldn’t hurt me.” He had the chance last night. He was angry, livid even with the scent of Owen’s body wash on my skin. I still don’t know if he understood my explanation or believed me when I told him it was only the kiss he witnessed, but not once was I fearful.

“I honestly don’t think Lynch would get mad.” She holds her hand up when I open my mouth to argue with her. “Think about it. The man has never touched one of the whores as far as we know. He doesn’t drink to excess.”

“He was drunk with that girl in his lap last night,” I mumble.

She frowns before she continues, “he doesn’t usually drink to excess. I’ve never seen him do anything more than take a hit or two off of a joint. He’s not violent. He’s the perfect catch. The age difference is the only thing that may be an issue.”

“Owen is older than Briar,” I remind her.

“It’s settled then. Briar is perfect.”

“Perfect for what?”

We both freeze at the sound of Lynch’s voice in my doorway. We were so wrapped up in our conversation, we didn’t even notice the door being opened. I swallow thickly when I look over at my brother, wondering what all he overheard.

Zoe remains silent, refusing to lie to him, but at the same time holding my confidences.

“Self-defense,” I lie. “I was telling Zoe that I had a creepy feeling someone was watching me last night.”

It’s part lie and part truth, yet I feel one hundred percent guilty lying to my brother, but he’s the one who has put me in this situation.

“You need a refresher course?” His eyes narrow. He knows full well, I’m well versed in self-defense.