“You would’ve been one of the first to be genetically cleansed.”
Ryder linked his hands behind his head and backed up a couple of steps. He wanted to retch at what Robbie had admitted. Mom and Mason hadn’t ever told him this. Why the fuck hadn’t they told him? Because it would hurt you worse. They were protecting you.
Ryder hated Robbie. Hated. Him.
In a ragged whisper, he asked, “You wanted to torture me? You wanted to strip my animal away? Why? Because I wasn’t like you? Because I wasn’t human enough? You fucking asshole. You arrogant fucking asshole. You aren’t top of the food chain! I am! Genetic cleansing, are you fucking kidding me? That’s why you gave up parental rights, isn’t it?” Ryder wrenched his voice louder. “Isn’t it?”
“Of course it is! I had to make a stand, and I wasn’t raising some little fr—”
Ryder hit him across the jaw to stop that word from tumbling past his lips. “Don’t you fucking say it.”
Hunched to the side, Robbie spat red and favored his swollen lip when he said, “Genetic cleansing would’ve fixed you.”
Ryder was shoved backward, and his view of Robbie was blocked by Kane’s massive shoulders. The Blackwing Dragon pushed Robbie up the wall, locking his arm across Robbie’s throat.
Robbie was red and choking, gagging, clawing at Kane’s arm. Ryder stood with his hands out, wondering what the fuck was happening.
“You think genetic cleansing fixes shifters?” Kane growled out in a terrifying voice. “It doesn’t fix shit.” He tossed Robbie like a ragdoll across the room and limped after him unrushed. Smoothly, Kane bent down and pulled a knife from where it had been hidden near his ankle.
“Kane!” Wes warned, but the Blackwing Dragon didn’t even hesitate. His limp eased with each step until he walked smooth as a predator.
Robbie was scrambling backward on the floor, terror written on his face. How utterly satisfying to watch his dad scared of pain.
Wes put himself between Kane and Robbie, but Kane shoved the Novak Raven out of the way like he was nothing.
“Ryder!” Wes yelled.
Fuck, Wes was right. As much as Robbie deserved to die, Kane would be locked up for murder. And not in a regular prison. He would be caged where they hid the dangerous shifters from the world.
Ryder bolted for him and cut him off. “Man, don’t do this. He isn’t worth it.”
But Kane’s sunglasses had come off, and his green dragon eyes were glowing and fixed on Robbie. He didn’t even see Ryder. This wasn’t Kane anymore. This was a peek at that destructive Blackwing blood that ran through him. This was a glimpse at Dark Kane.
Ryder pushed him hard, and Wes went at him, too, pushing, pushing, losing ground. The last thing they needed was Kane murdering a human in front of all these witnesses. Or worse yet, losing all control and shifting. One dragon shift in tight quarters, and everyone in here would die. There were others helping now, humans, bar patrons, trying to slow Kane down, and Bubba was dragging Robbie behind the bar.
Kane surged forward, and in desperation to save him, Ryder hit him hard, over and over across his stony jaw until his hand shattered. Pain blasted through his arm. “Snap out of it, Kane!”
“This isn’t even fucking worth it!” Robbie yelled. “You all saw this. He tried to kill me. No amount of money is worth this bullshit.”
“What do you mean no amount of money?” Ryder yelled.
“I ain’t here to apologize, you fuckin’ freak. I’m here because I’m getting paid!” he crowed through a bloody smile. “They’re comin’ for you, boy, because you’re weak. Weak, weak, weak, just like I always knew you would be.” Bubba was shoving him hard toward the door.
Ryder held his throbbing hand to his stomach, gave up on trying to hold Kane back since Robbie was getting bullied toward the exit. The struggling crowd behind him bumped Ryder hard in the back, and he stumbled two steps forward. “Who’s paying you?”
“Hunting like a pack, going after the lowest ranking member of the crew first, which is my boy. What a fuckin’ surprise!”
“Who?” Ryder roared.
Right before Robbie disappeared out the exit door, he offered Ryder a vile grin and said, “Wolves got your girl.”
Chapter Fifteen
Lexi poured one last line of shots and screwed the cap back on the whiskey as the groom-to-be, Axton, made a toast.
“To Lexi, who is sweet as honey and easy on the eyes. To Lexi, who has given us all something to look forward to.”
That toast was weird, but they were all drunk, so okay.
She smiled politely and lifted her water bottle as the boys howled and cheered. Axton stared at her too long before he drank his shot down. He was tall and lithe with a runner’s body. He wore a thick, dark beard, but it didn’t cover the scar on the side of his face completely. These men seemed like a rough and tumble group, so maybe he got that in a rock climbing accident or a motorcycle crash or something. His eyes were a striking gray color that probably drove his fiancé wild. Gold was more of Lexi’s color, though.
Uncomfortable with yet another direct stare from Axton, she busied herself with cleaning up and readying to leave. The men, all mid-twenties to early thirties were good tippers. She wouldn’t have stayed if they weren’t and, for the most part, they had been respectful enough. None had touched her or said anything inappropriate.
It was the way they looked at her that made her skin crawl, though. And there was some spark of excitement in the air that she didn’t understand.