Bloodshed (Order of the Unseen, #1)(50)

The rats were exterminated the moment they found out they had ties with The Order.

That was the end of that.

Shortly after I was born, my uncle put together a group of people to watch them from afar and report back on any suspicious activities. This is how the society was originally created. Members of the Order became the vigilantes of Salem, if you will.

They put an end to the murders of the innocent.

And instead, chose to kill true monsters. The ones who had it coming to them.

The ones who deserved it.

The evil.

That was the only way uncle Peter could truly justify ending someone’s life.

And as long as there was blood on my hands and I could get rid of the itch? The craving to kill? You better believe that I was on board.

I needed an outlet to release my inner demons.

The demons my father passed on to me.

This was well before they finally took a truce. And now, this truce has been broken.

Over the years, it somehow came to light that there was a huge difference between The Order and The Hallowed Divine. All members of the cult are forbidden to bear children. If that line is ever crossed, and the pregnancy is not terminated, the conceived are to one day be sacrificed. When the time comes.

A ritual they call, The Final Night.

Whatever-the-fuck-that-is.

Evidently, since I’m still here, alive, yet dead inside, my father has plans for me.

Plans, I’m sure, are far worse than dying for real.





CHAPTER TWENTY





JENSEN





Damien is swallowed by darkness as he exits the house. Micah continues his blabbering. I try my best to tune him out, but to my dismay, it only seems to get worse.

“—And this is complete and utter bullshit,” he spits out. “I had a feeling last night that we were being watched. You always disregard how I feel. If you would have pulled your head out of your ass, and just listened to me, for once—”

“Micah!” I snap, whirling around to stare at him with frustration. “Will you shut the fuck up? Holy hell, man!”

His eyes widen. “Watch who the fuck you’re talking to,” he warns.

“Yeah?” I challenge with a snarky laugh. “Or what?”

“Come find out,” he taunts, watching me intently.

Rushing toward where he stands, I get right in his face. “Do I need to shut you up?” I threaten, barely any sound to my voice.

“Fuck. You. Jensen,” he slowly lets out, gazing deep into my eyes.

The tension between us builds. My stomach flips over, and my heart drums wildly. Uncontrollably. The intensity of our gaze has my mind racing.

He steps closer.

I gulp, my breathing quickening with each passing second.

“Fuck you,” he whispers, lips parted.

Inching closer, I tilt my head to the side, searching his eyes in pure desperation. Trying to find a reason for this madness. Trying to grasp the way I’m suddenly feeling.

The truth is, I’ve been pushing down these feelings since the first day I met him.

“Shut. Up,” I impatiently let out.

He quickly leans forward, giving me barely enough time to react. Before I know it, he takes my face between his hands, and his lips crash against mine.

My heart jumps, leaping into the back of my goddamn throat.

My mind draws a blank.

Tranquility claims me.

I become entirely immobile; my boots bolted to the ground. My body turns to stone as I breathe in the earthy scent of him.

A scent similar to being in the woods after it has rained.

His mouth is firm against mine, and finally, it registers in my brain. He’s kissing me. Tensing up, I shove him hard. He goes flying backward, grasping the edge of the table to keep himself upright.

“What the fuck was that?” I harshly demand.

He shakes his head, mouth agape, and says nothing.

I step toward him, enraged. “What the fuck, Micah?”

“I—I just thought—”

Grabbing the back of his head, I pull him back to me. I kiss him angrily. Fisting his hair, I bring him closer, and something overpowering ignites within me. I cannot resist him any longer. Sparks fly.

Unable to hold myself back any longer, I slip my tongue past his lips, tasting him fully.

He tastes just how I imagined.

In-fucking-credible.

There’s an urgency between us, as he lets out a low groan, digging his fingertips into the nape of my neck. His lips are on fire against mine. His touch alone sends me spiraling. All of the pent-up chemistry and tension we’ve built up over the years suddenly overflows.

I’ve spent so long trying to ignore it. Trying to convince myself that what I was feeling for him wasn’t real.

But then why does he feel like serenity?

He pulls me closer, as if reading my thoughts. Our tongues move aggressively, and we both fight for control. His nose brushes against mine as he deepens the kiss, exploring my mouth hungrily. His hands roam down my back, and his palms create sparks against the bare skin beneath my shirt. The sensation does something to me.

It’s unexplainable.

Micah lets out soft, relieved hums as he roughly gropes what feels like every inch of my body. I bite down on his bottom lip the second his hand finds my crotch. My cock grows large in my pants, straining with need.