Reaper: A raven paranormal romance (Crookshollow ravens Book 2) by Steffanie Holmes Page B
Authors: Steffanie Holmes
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do something to get your attention.” Byron rolled over onto his stomach, pointing his arse up at me as he slumped against the pillows.
“Get up. You’re sweating all over the bed. I have to sleep there tonight.”
Byron didn’t move. He barely lifted his head as he mumbled into the sheets. “I expected you and your new master would be long gone by now. I flew downstairs to ask where you’d gone, and Ryan pointed up here.”
He wriggled forward a little, grinding his sweaty body deeper into the sheets. I screwed my face up. Wonderful, right where I was going to sleep . “Byron, could you please put some clothes on so I don’t have to look at your bare arse.”
“I can’t remember where I left my clothes.”
“There’s a ton in that closet of there.” I pointed. Byron lifted his head, but he didn’t move. “Go, now, before I push you out that window.”
Byron walked over to the closet and started rifling around amongst the clothes. “Christ in a dinner jacket, this must be where Ryan keeps all the clothes his mother buys for him. There’s not a thing in here I’d remotely consider wearing.”
“This isn’t America’s Next Top Model . Just choose something that will fit over your giant swollen head.”
Finally, he selected some beige trousers and a plain white shirt. As soon as he was decent, he flopped back down on the bed. “I am famished. I haven’t eaten since yesterday. Could you call Jeeves and tell him I’ll have a corned beef sandwich, slathered in horseradish sauce.”
“His name is Simon, and you can call him yourself after we’ve had a little chat. Where the fuck have you been?”
“Where do you think I’ve been? I’ve been looking for your girl.”
He’d been out looking for Belinda? That was not what I’d expected him to say. Byron had made it clear he thought she was just another one of my conquests, and yet he’d been out looking for her? Was this his way of giving me some kind of peace offering, an apology for what he’d let me go through with our mother? I wanted to acknowledge it in some way, but I couldn’t think of the words. Byron and I had gone so many years without really talking, I couldn’t find a way to start now.
Instead, I said. “Morchard has her.”
“I know. I saw her.”
He’d seen Belinda? I leapt at him. “Is she OK? Where’s he holding her? Maybe we can—”
Byron held his hands up. “Relax, little brother. At least let me get Jeeves on the case first. Then I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”
I waited while Byron picked up the phone and called down to the kitchen with his food order. I noticed as he held the receiver, he kept his ring finger bent outward, as though he were trying to avoid touching the ring against the phone. The skin around his ring had started to redden. He’s officially not working for Morchard, I realised. He’s gone rogue.
Woah. That was huge.
Byron slammed the phone down again, and flopped back against the bed. “Your bakery shag is fine. He’s got her trapped in the yellow room, although I saw him walking her around the house earlier today, so I guess she has some freedom. Probably they’ve closed off the East wing.”
“She’s not injured?” I knew Morchard’s style. It would’ve been just like him to cut off some of her fingers or scar her beautiful skin somehow. I gripped the chair with my nails. The thought of him laying a finger on Belinda made my rage rise again.
“She looked fine to me, but I couldn’t get too close, so I can’t be sure. She was walking around though, so her legs haven’t been hobbled.”
I shot him a filthy look. “That is a relief, thanks. But how is he keeping her there? Why doesn’t she just walk out the garden gate and leave?”
“That’s what I can’t figure out.” Byron said. “There’s no guard on her as far as I can tell. Not even Pax and Poe were watching her. They were both out on duty as normal. She’s not wearing any kind of cuff or restraint.
“Get up. You’re sweating all over the bed. I have to sleep there tonight.”
Byron didn’t move. He barely lifted his head as he mumbled into the sheets. “I expected you and your new master would be long gone by now. I flew downstairs to ask where you’d gone, and Ryan pointed up here.”
He wriggled forward a little, grinding his sweaty body deeper into the sheets. I screwed my face up. Wonderful, right where I was going to sleep . “Byron, could you please put some clothes on so I don’t have to look at your bare arse.”
“I can’t remember where I left my clothes.”
“There’s a ton in that closet of there.” I pointed. Byron lifted his head, but he didn’t move. “Go, now, before I push you out that window.”
Byron walked over to the closet and started rifling around amongst the clothes. “Christ in a dinner jacket, this must be where Ryan keeps all the clothes his mother buys for him. There’s not a thing in here I’d remotely consider wearing.”
“This isn’t America’s Next Top Model . Just choose something that will fit over your giant swollen head.”
Finally, he selected some beige trousers and a plain white shirt. As soon as he was decent, he flopped back down on the bed. “I am famished. I haven’t eaten since yesterday. Could you call Jeeves and tell him I’ll have a corned beef sandwich, slathered in horseradish sauce.”
“His name is Simon, and you can call him yourself after we’ve had a little chat. Where the fuck have you been?”
“Where do you think I’ve been? I’ve been looking for your girl.”
He’d been out looking for Belinda? That was not what I’d expected him to say. Byron had made it clear he thought she was just another one of my conquests, and yet he’d been out looking for her? Was this his way of giving me some kind of peace offering, an apology for what he’d let me go through with our mother? I wanted to acknowledge it in some way, but I couldn’t think of the words. Byron and I had gone so many years without really talking, I couldn’t find a way to start now.
Instead, I said. “Morchard has her.”
“I know. I saw her.”
He’d seen Belinda? I leapt at him. “Is she OK? Where’s he holding her? Maybe we can—”
Byron held his hands up. “Relax, little brother. At least let me get Jeeves on the case first. Then I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”
I waited while Byron picked up the phone and called down to the kitchen with his food order. I noticed as he held the receiver, he kept his ring finger bent outward, as though he were trying to avoid touching the ring against the phone. The skin around his ring had started to redden. He’s officially not working for Morchard, I realised. He’s gone rogue.
Woah. That was huge.
Byron slammed the phone down again, and flopped back against the bed. “Your bakery shag is fine. He’s got her trapped in the yellow room, although I saw him walking her around the house earlier today, so I guess she has some freedom. Probably they’ve closed off the East wing.”
“She’s not injured?” I knew Morchard’s style. It would’ve been just like him to cut off some of her fingers or scar her beautiful skin somehow. I gripped the chair with my nails. The thought of him laying a finger on Belinda made my rage rise again.
“She looked fine to me, but I couldn’t get too close, so I can’t be sure. She was walking around though, so her legs haven’t been hobbled.”
I shot him a filthy look. “That is a relief, thanks. But how is he keeping her there? Why doesn’t she just walk out the garden gate and leave?”
“That’s what I can’t figure out.” Byron said. “There’s no guard on her as far as I can tell. Not even Pax and Poe were watching her. They were both out on duty as normal. She’s not wearing any kind of cuff or restraint.
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