Page 141 of Knight’s Retribution

“I never thought…I never thought I’d feel my brothers again,” T rasped. “I thought I’d lost you all forever. Nothing has…nothing has felt right without you, without this.”

Roc nodded, unable to speak. Even when the connection to his brothers hurt him, he’d never wanted it gone, not truly. They’d been connected since birth, and he couldn’t imagine how alone T had felt all this time.

They stumbled to their feet, and T gripped the side of Roc’s neck. “I’m going to help you get your female back, brother.”

“You’ve talked to her?” Roc asked, afraid of the answer but desperate for it all the same.

“No…but I know someone who has.” Tobias scooped up his helmet and shoved it back on. “We need to move.”

They walked silently, shoulder to shoulder, and it felt so fucking right.

“How did you survive down here?” Rocco finally asked.

“Got my own personal guardian angel, brother,” he said and grinned.

It was an easygoing grin, fucking light shining from inside the male, a light that he hadn’t seen since Tobias’s mate, Scarlet, was alive.

They walked for a while, then Tobias finally stopped in front of a large wooden door and knocked.

“Who is it?” a muffled voice called from inside.

“It’s me, and I have a guest,” T said, still grinning.

Roc frowned as the heavy clank of an iron lock disengaging echoed from the other side of the door.

It swung open—

Rocco froze.

“Rocco!” Scarlet cried.

He stumbled back a step in utter shock, then rushed forward as Scarlet flew at him. Catching her up in his arms, he buried his face against her wild red hair, breathing deep, over and over again, trying to keep it together.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Scar.” He squeezed her tighter as T ushered them into the room. Rocco didn’t let go of her. “You were dead. You were fucking dead.”

She squeezed him back. “I was here.”

“How?” He pulled back, searching her face. “You are alive, aren’t you?”

She nodded and grabbed his face in her hands. “Lucifer brought me back.”

Roc spun to his brother. “Fucking hell, T.”

Tobias’s eyes were bright. “The day it happened…the day that demon killed her, I carried her body away, fuck I don’t even remember where. I was blind with grief, and I called for Lucifer, for hours, begging him to come to me, to strike a bargain with me. I told him over and over I’d do anything. But he never came, and I…” Tobias shoved his fingers through his hair. “I couldn’t live without her, and I…let my demon take me. Then after what happened with Laz and Eve…” His throat worked and pain filled his eyes. “I tried to kill him, Roc, I tried to kill my own brother. The things I did to Eve, to his mate. I scared her, I…hurt her. I hurt lots of people. If they never forgive me, I’d understand. I don’t deserve their forgiveness.”

T had been under Diemos’s thrall, completely lost to his demon side, and yes, he’d tried to kill their brother, he’d kidnapped Eve, caused her pain, had intended to sacrifice her to Diemos, but that hadn’t been Tobias. That hadn’t been the brother Rocco loved, who he’d fought beside his entire life.

Tobias shook his head. “I tried, to fight my way back, Roc, but my demon was twisted too deeply in my mind…but then sinking that low, somehow I gained a small amount of control back, then more and more over time. I’d fucked up, though, and Diemos was pissed. His demons came for me. They locked me away. I don’t know how long for, but then Lucifer came. He freed me and said I owed him.” Tobias closed the space between them. “After what I did to my brothers, I would have come here anyway. Then he told me about Scarlet…”

“Jesus, T.”

Scarlet moved to her mate, wrapping her arms around him. “Scarlet wasn’t the reason he sent me here, though. She was my reward, but he put me here to do something else…I think this is it, Kyler…you.” He held Rocco’s eyes. “I think the end is coming, brother. I think the war is finally coming.”

Roc planted his hands on his hips to stop them from shaking and nodded. It was coming all right. Diemos needed to be stopped, and the sooner the better. “How much do you think Lucifer knows? I don’t know if he’s trying to help or hinder us half the time. His loyalties are divided, and honestly, I don’t think he knows himself. You know Lucifer is Zenon’s grandfather? That Diemos is Z’s father?”

“Yeah, he shared that bit of information before he sent me here.” T winced. “How’d Zen take that?”

“About what you’d expect, but you wouldn’t recognize our brother, T. He has Mia now, and shit…there’s so much you don’t know…” Roc shook his head and took several steadying breaths, his heart and mind all over the place. But there was only one thing he wanted to talk about. “What can you tell me about Ky, you’ve talked to her?” he asked Scarlet.