Page 101 of Pucked Around and Found Out

“How?” he murmurs. His features pull tight as he tries to think over their past. “When? He was with us, we were together every fucking day at his house or Kellan’s, training at the rink⁠—”

“Since he was seventeen.”

Caspian’s face contorts. I see betrayal and anger burning in his eyes. “He knew about all of this,” he mutters quietly. Then his eyes widen and rage snuffs out the betrayal as he locks his eyes onto mine. “He knew Kellan was a mole.”

I nod, I came to that realization as well.

“If he is who the fuck he says he is, then he knows about Fiona and you.”

He inhales a sharp breath. Silence stretches between us for a moment.

“Is he alive?”

My jaw locks. “Do you fucking care?” I hiss.

His eyes narrow and I see him grinding his teeth as he attempts to move but then groans in pain and clutches his side. I don’t look away, I watch his discomfort and revel in it. He chose to turn on me, he deserves worse than what he got.

“No,” he grits out through the pain. “I asked because if it’s fucking true, it means he could have the intel that is needed to take that bitch down.”

“That cunt will say anything to save his ass.”

“Why’d you let him live then?”

I growl in warning. This fucker is no longer my brother. He has no right to question me or my motives.

“You want to give her enough rope so she hangs herself and then you get to save her from her brother?”

I scoff. “I gave the bitch forty-eight hours to get the intel, after that he’s mine.”

“She won’t give him up. She thinks she hates him but he’s still her brother.”

And that right there is the truth I needed to hear out loud. Caspian must read something on my face because his features soften slightly as he looks at me.

“Stop backing her into a corner, Xaden, thinking she will turn her back on you. Toren loves you. All that girl is trying to do is find a way to survive.”

“I haven’t killed her.”

“Not for her life,” he snaps.

“What the fuck else is there to fight for then?” I yell.

“She’s trying to survive you!” he hisses, then flinches. “Living in a world without you at her side is worse than death for her. She allows you to hurt her, torment her and be the crazy son of a bitch you are because it means she still gets you.”

His words land like a sucker punch.

“Taking Fiona down doesn’t end the war, it just stops the battle. The real war is between you and the girl you swore to break. The one person who forced you to see past your hate and grief. She forced you to live again without you even knowing. The Xaden Devlin I know would never have hesitated, he would have slit her throat and then sliced those lips from her face. I guess your fairy used her dust on you without you even realizing it.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

TOREN

Carn made the decision to return to the house we first stayed in when we got to town. I agree with his decision. We can’t trust Masen and taking him to one of the Denver Kings safehouses would be stupid. Xaden’s men were set free and so were Masen’s.

The latter were ordered to return to my father’s house and wait there for instructions. Masen told them to put out a call to the rest of his men to all be present for a briefing tomorrow night. I will finally get to see the true scope of my father’s network.

I can’t even look at my brother. Halo led him to the bathroom and is currently stationed outside the door while he cleans up. Carn is in one of the bedrooms calling Alex. I’m standing in the living room trying to gather my thoughts. I can’t think, too much is running through my mind. I can’t even look at the burger Carn had one of the guys pick up for me. He ordered me to eat before he went to make the call but the thought of food alone has my stomach churning.

“What a fucking mess,” I breathe out as I flop down onto the sofa and bury my face in my hands.