Page 3 of Fatal Vengeance

I sniffle, feeling as small as an ant between these larger-than-life men. “I am okay, though. I’m fine,” I argue, but there’s absolutely no heat in my voice. I pull my hands back from his and Griffin’s touch and tuck them between my thighs under the table, hoping Asher doesn’t notice the way they tremble with my lie. Maybe if I tell myself enough times that I’m totally fine, it’ll be true?

Asher rolls his damn eyes at me, and I see a tiny spark of the guy who likes to be an asshole for no reason. And surprisingly, that’s comforting. So much has changed in such little time. It would be nice to know not everything has changed. Asher being a dick, strange as it sounds, it something I can count on.

“Sure, you’re okay. Tell me, Prudence, are you lying to us, or to yourself?” Asher asks, earning himself a flat, unapproving glare from Griffin.

I press my lips together, biting back a rude remark. I can’t help it, I guess that’s just my knee-jerk reaction around him, but right now? Fuck, he’s trying to be kind about this, so I don’t need to lash out. Instead, I take a slow breath and meet his intense green gaze. “What’s it matter? Whether I’m irreparably broken or not? Hell, I came to Blackwood fucked up. You’ve never known any version of me that wasn’t jaded and hurting, so don’t worry about me now. I’ll be just fine.”

A muscle in Asher’s jaw twitches at my response. He stares me down with eyes so hard and unyielding that, for a moment, I don’t think anyone has ever gotten to see the real Asher Malcom that he hides deep inside. I can only imagine growing up the way he did meant burying all the soft parts of himself until nothing was left but the jagged edges. But then I look from Asher to Griffin, and I realize that he has let one person in. That’s something, I guess.

“Maybe I haven’t met her yet,” Asher starts, his voice rough and a little shaky, like getting these words out is difficult. “But I’d very much like to know the Prudence Cate who isn’t constantly on guard and in pain. And I know I contributed to that, so I— I feel it’s only right that I work on healing some of those wounds and drawing out the real you. The woman who’s completely captured my cousin.” He flicks his gaze from me and Creed to Griffin, adding softly, “And my best friend… And me, for what it's worth. You tipped my life upside down, spilled out all the pieces, and forced me to see what wasn't fitting right. I may not be your favorite person, and I understand that, but I owe you a lot. So I guess, what I'm really saying here, is that I'd like a truce.”

It’s a good thing I wasn’t chewing on my food at that second, because I think I would have choked and died. I study Asher for a long moment, and I’m honestly not sure I’m awake. Fuck me sideways with a rusty spoon, I think hell has frozen over.

All I can manage is a single nod, murmuring, “A truce… yeah, okay." I smile weakly, letting that sink in, and then I add, "I’d like you to see that side of me too. I think you’d like her.” I don't know why I said that last part, but there it fucking goes, out into the wild before I can take it back. What do I care whether Asher likes me or not? I don't…

Asher frowns at me, shaking his head as if trying to clear his mind. “I like the woman you are now, Prudence. There’s nothing I would change, okay? Not a thing. You're unbelievably strong and fierce, and I admire that. It's just taken me a while to…" He pauses with a helpless shrug, and then adds, "I just think I’d like to see you smile a little easier is all. And I’m going to work on making that happen from here on out. Asshole moments aside, of course, because that’ll never really change with me. But I honestly think you like that side of me sometimes.” He smirks at me in that total asshole way, and I snort a laugh that is entirely ladylike, alright? Like, super proper. Nothing unbecoming here.

Creed clears his throat, releasing me from under his arm and pushing my half-eaten plate a little closer to me. When I glance up at him, he’s giving me one of those soft smiles he reserves just for me. “Let’s get back on track here, okay? The weird flirting between you two can wait,” he says, his voice teasing and stern all at once. He arches a brow at Asher, and then at me, scolding the two of us and then he says, “Asher’s right, we can’t stay here forever. But we also don’t need to have a plan right this second. I think with how far we drove from Black Creek, we’ve at least earned ourselves a few days of safety. Let’s unwind, decompress, and figure it out tomorrow, or even the next day. For now, no more talk of that fucking cult. Let’s just eat, drink, and be merry. And fuck. Lots of fucking. My girl here is due for a reminder of how much she adores me.”

My cheeks heat as Creed drops his hand to my thigh and gives me a squeeze in warning for what’s to come, but my skin becomes an inferno when Griffin rasps, “Mine, too... Our girl. Even if she hasn’t had my cock yet.”

Lord almighty, the way he’s devouring me with his eyes is sinful.

My heart speeds up as he and Creed both stare me down until I’m sure I could set a fire with how hot my cheeks are. Slowly, I swivel to look at Asher, finding his gaze locked on me too, like he’s silently adding a mine too to Griffin’s statement. I have no fucking words. My head’s a mess. And from the heat in Asher’s eyes, he thinks he’s got me already, when really he’ll need to grovel like hell if he ever wants to stick his dick in me.

But a truce is a good start. Let's just see if he can stick to it, or if we'll be at each other's throats soon enough.

Creed, breaking the ice like always, starts laughing. “Ember?” he murmurs a moment later.

“Y-yes?” I ask, blinking over at Creed and wishing I could fall into his whiskey eyes and hide there. Even though I’m not looking at him, I feel Asher’s stare. It’s like his eyes are burning a path straight through my cheek.

Creed notices and cups my face, tipping my chin up until our lips are so close, I can feel his warmth seeping into me. “Is this what you want? Are you ours? Asher too, or does he have his work cut out for him?” He tilts his head when the seconds begin to roll by and I haven’t answered. Dropping his voice into a low, almost dangerous whisper, he says, “With or without them, you’re mine. That will never change. But if this is all too much to consider right now, baby, I’ll tell them both to fuck off, and you and I can go hide out in my room today.”

“No, I’m…” I trail off, not sure how to broach this with Asher sitting right here. I want Griffin. Of fucking course I do. I have since the day we signed to each other in the library. Griffin is my comfort, despite his mistakes. Creed is my protection, despite his. Hmm, seems I have a type, now that I’m thinking about it. Men who fuck up and fuck me over, but consume me so completely that I manage to forgive them. Wonder if I should be concerned about that… I push that from my mind, like much else lately, and focus on what I want. After all, it was Creed who told me to start living for myself.

Do I want Asher? Fuck, the sexual tension between us is insane, even when we’ve been at each other’s throats. He’s hot, I’ll give him that. But does it go beyond that? I narrow my eyes at the man in question, trying to envision a time when he isn’t being an outright dick to me every damn day, and… yeah, maybe I want to see what that looks like. Maybe he can win me over if he tries hard enough.

“I think a day in bed sounds good,” I answer Creed, avoiding his other questions.

He takes the hint, both of us ignoring Griffin's and Asher’s inquisitive gazes. Creed stands, pushing a hand through his inky black hair, offering me the other one with a smug smile. “Then let’s go, baby. I’ve got a bed that needs some rolling around in.” He finishes with a wink that does awful things to my vag.

I take his hand with a sigh, like he’s just too damn much, but really I love this side of Creed. With a small smile to the other two, I follow Creed out of the room, letting all thoughts of sharing and Asher and this weird mindfuck today just slip out of my head.

3

Prudence

Hours later, after being stuffed full at breakfast and nearly slipping into a food coma, Creed has me tucked up in his bed and pulled in close to his side. I feel like a lazy fuck, but there’s really not much to do besides sleep and cuddle and not think about the last few weeks of my life. I’m itching to do something, to be productive, to hunt down The Celestials and torture every last member for my mom’s death, but if I spiral too far down that rabbit hole, I’ll likely burst into tears and Creed will get all murdery.

Besides, I barely escaped with my life the last time I was in their presence. As much as it pains me to laze around, we need to think up a proper plan to take them down, not charge in headfirst and wind up on the wrong side of the fight.

The small TV is on, but it’s mostly just background noise. I couldn’t even tell you what’s on right now. Creed is leisurely stroking his fingers up and down my spine while he watches whatever show he put on, but every time I so much as shift beside him, he turns his full attention on me to check in.

When his eyes lock on me for like the sixth time, I roll my eyes playfully and say, “I’m just getting comfortable. Quit looking at me like that.”

He frowns a little, the fingers on my back stilling. “Don’t ask me not to worry, Prudence. I’ve almost lost you too many times,” he murmurs, the tiniest catch in his voice letting me know he’s still struggling with… finding me in the bathtub.

My heart stutters to a halt. I really hadn’t been thinking that day, just reacting and desperately searching for something to numb me. It was horrible on my end, so I can’t imagine how traumatic it was for the guys to find me like that. But rather than talking about it like a mature, semi-functioning adult, I put on a smile to ease his concerns. “I’m here, Creed,” I breathe, flattening my palm over his heart so he can feel the connection vibrating between us. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I swear.”

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