The Devil I Desire (Devil's Knights 4)

“Jesus,” I groaned. “That fucking bastard.”

“You’re seeing a doctor,” Luca said. “Your ribs are so bruised you might have broken them. At the very least, you need x-rays and bloodwork.” She frowned. “It’s non-negotiable. I can’t have you dying on me in your sleep from internal bleeding.”

Alex laid her head on the couch. “I’ll survive, Luca.”

“For now, maybe. It’s not up for debate. You’re seeing a doctor when we get home.”

“You’ll get your revenge, Alex,” I said in a calm tone, meant to soothe her anxiety. “We tracked down Cal’s men. So it won’t be long before we have Cal, too.”

The bastard had hurt her so badly I wished for his slow and painful death. Alex didn’t know how to torture someone, how to prolong their life just enough to make them beg for death. But Cal Kurti was her kill. We owed this to our queen.

Alex looked up at me. “Is Cal the one with the skull tattoo?”

I nodded.

“He’s mine,” she said.

I kneeled beside the couch next to Luca. “Whatever you want.”

She leaned forward, threw her arms around my neck, and kissed my cheek. “You saved me again.”

I would always save her.

She was too important to our cause.

And she was about to become family.

“It was a team effort.” Finally, I released her from my grip. “Luca, the Knights, Alpha Command, my cousins, the Irish… Everyone helped get you off that island.”

She kissed my cheek again. “Thank you.” Then she turned to Luca and kissed his lips. “Thank you for saving me, Luca.”

He smiled, a real one for once. “Any time.”

“There better not be another time,” she groaned.

“Never. Just promise not to run again.”

“I won’t.” Alex glanced around the room. “Where is Rhiannon? She came here with me.”

“Down the hall,” Damon interjected. “Those assholes pumped her full of drugs.”

Alex’s eyes met mine, then she whispered, “You killed someone for her?”

My heart stopped at her confession. How the fuck did she know about that? Rhi had promised never to tell a soul.

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers and sighed. “What did she tell you?”

“She said you have a history with her and that I know a different version of you than she does.”

“You do,” I said with confidence.

No one knew me like Rhi. But it depended on which version of our story she told Alex. Would I do anything for her? Yeah, pretty much. But could I give her the one thing she wanted? Hell no. My father ruled our lives and would never let me take things further with Rhi.

Alex rubbed her bloodshot eyes. “Who did you kill?”

I shook my head. “Not now.”

Only Luca knew about our past, and it would stay that way. Damon and his brothers were within earshot.

“She said you ditched her for me,” Alex whispered.

I looked away from Alex, knowing she would read any lie I told on my face.

“It’s true,” she said. “Isn’t it?”

I blew out a deep breath. “Yeah. But it’s not what you think.”

“You like Rhiannon, don’t you?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Are you in pain?” Luca asked her, which was a nice distraction from my drama with Rhiannon.

When she asked about her brother, I crept out of the room. My brother had the situation under control, and I needed to see Rhi.

Her words still lingered, rolling around in my head. “I thought maybe this had to do with my future husband’s enemies.”

I hadn’t felt that kind of pain tear through my chest since Alex chose my brother. Every woman I cared about picked another man over me, and I was sick of it. Sick of being the second son, where Luca was always the clear favorite. And now, both women would marry another man, leaving me all alone once again.

I walked down the corridor, my shoes pounding the deck as I rushed toward Rhi’s room. A man dressed in a suit, armed to the nines, stood outside her door. He acknowledged me with a nod and then opened the door, stepping to the side so I could enter.

Rhi sprawled out on a queen-sized bed, wearing a red dress that was so tight it hugged her perfect curves. Unlike Alex, her skin was clear, though she had tons of makeup caked on her face, which made her look like a working girl.

I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed circles on her lower back. She purred softly, reminding me of her sexy mouth. The last time we were together, she made the same sound each time I touched her.

“Rhi,” I whispered in her ear. “Wake up, princess.”

It took a few more times before she startled at the sound of my voice. Finally, she rolled onto her back, confusion scrolling across her face. Rhi yawned, her arms raised above her head with those pretty blue irises aimed at me.

“Marcello,” she cooed. “You’re okay?”