Reject You to Break You (To Reach You Book 2)

Chapter Fifty-Six: Flexing Bones and Changing Stones

Ridge-

My brothers are already there when we get there, waiting for us.

"Seriously?" I look at Aspen who's tying a bandanna around her nose and mouth, hiding her features. "Isn't that a bit too much?"

"No," is all she says, before getting out and pocketing her gun.

"Ready whenever you are," Cayne says and I feel Aspen freeze beside me at his voice. I glance at her, confused, before I turn back to my brother. "Ready now,"

"Oh...and these people are with you, right? Because we'll have to kill them if they aren't, and I'm almost certain I've seen that guy somewhere before," Jack nods to Bingo and the guys with him, who are piled up in a truck, waiting for a command. Bingo's also avoiding Jack's eyes.

"Yeah, they're with A--my friend here,"

"You don't shoot unless you have to," she calls to Bingo, ignoring me and my brothers. "They might be the Priestleys, and they might be scum who're taking North for money, either way, the minute we start shooting they'll shoot too," Aspen turns to me, cracking her neck. "They won't be shooting North, they'll use her as a last resort, so don't worry,"

I nod and look up to find Cayne staring at Aspen, with something like wonder. "I'm sorry...but do I know you...I could swear I've heard your voice--"

"No, now let's get going," she snaps, ignoring him and his unashamed gaze. Now I'm sure something's off, but I can't think what. Not when I'm too busy trying to get North.

It's dead silent. No sign of any life in the Read, Write, and Blue Publishing Company, where I was told to come. But the lights are on, all of them. They're here, I can feel it.

Beside me, I hear clothes tear as three wolves transform, towering over me, Cayne giving off his usual air of dominance. I don't transform yet. They'll need someone to talk to them.

"Finally, we weren't going to wait forever, you know," I turn and I hear my brothers freeze growling in warning. He's sitting on a chair, very comfortable, and I recognize the signs immediately.

Siren. Black hair that literally gives off to the darkest kind of blue ever, I know for fucking sure that's no dye.

His ears are too white and are more like spikes at the ends.

A fucking siren.

"Tell your dogs to stand aside, will you?" he says, seeming bored.

A bullet lodges itself in his leg and he screams, jerking off the chair and clutching his foot, as dark red, too dark to be human, blood spoils his jeans.

Aspen's eyes crinkle and I know she's smiling that lethal grin, completely relaxed with a grin on her hand. Her eyes sparkle.

"Malcolm Foster, missed having you around," she says, cocking an eyebrow. We all freeze.

She knows him?

"Fucking Cyrus?" he spits out. "You're dead,"

"Oh, thanks for letting me know,"

"FUCKING NO! I SAW THEM KILL YOU!"

"Did you now?" she says, rolling her eyes in a mock.

Why the hell is he calling her Cyrus? And why is she not surprised by that?

"That was for Roe," she says calmly, face still hidden as she shoots again. The bullet lodging itself in Malcolm's shoulder as he cries out again. "That's for Shane,"

"Aw, come on sis, I wanna get my own revenge," Bingo calls out, eyes gleaming.

Sis?

Aspen's eyes indicate that she's smiling again. "Oh, it's not too late hon, 'member what he did to Roe, use it to fuel you,"

Bingo glares with disgust at Malcolm, positioning his gun at him as my brain tries to unscramble what's going on, but it's too complicated. Bingo puts his gun down.

"I'll toy with him later, I need to think of where it hurts the most," he says, smiling bitterly.

"Ahem," I clear my throat and Aspen looks up, eyes no longer glazing over as she comes back to reality.

"Right...where are they, motherfucker?" she says, tilting her head.

"I--I--Inside," Malcolm wheezes. The idiot had the balls to come here without a gun too.

Dragging him behind her like a rag doll, Aspen walks casually and we follow her.

They're all in a distorted sort of circle, waiting for us, and in the middle...

Her.

Two fucking months since I've seen her. Two months since I've touched her and marked her skin. Two months.

It was like quitting the strongest drug ever made.

Fucking impossible to hate her. Impossible to quit thinking of her. She owned me. And whether she fucking liked it or not, she was mine. I could see it right now, the pain in her eyes. She'd fucking missed me. She wanted me too and when this was over, I'd have her.

I, Ridge Monroe, was in love. Fuck, I'd fallen for her so badly, I hadn't even known it.

"Let. Her. Go,"

I needed her. Now.

They weren't Sirens. They were humans.

"Sure, you stop working on the case, and of course the two million dollars,"

So they were Priestleys. Or, the Priestleys workers, doing their dirty work for them. I throw the receipt at his face, snarling. Two million dollars had been put into the bank account he'd sent. Uncle Harris, had already sent me the copy.

"Money's in your account, and forget about the case, now let her go," I demand.

I saw it then.

North was standing alone, but behind her back, there was a gleam, there was a gun behind her back.

They were going to kill her anyway.

It was very clear what had to happen really.

I mean...how could it not be? I knew how easy it was...how so very clear it way. The choice I had really stood out from the others, proving it was the right one.

In one quick move my body expands, my bones reshaping and before I can think twice I'm charging toward him and running him into the window glass shattering and falling as we both fall into the cars below. Me, changing into human form unconsciously, as I land on top of him both of us losing our lives at the moment on top of that car.