Page 55 of Fatal Vengeance

We already had our things packed, so within moments, we're out the door. Asher leaves his burner phone with Genevieve, just in case she needs to call for help, which might fuck Asher and I later if we need help, but there was no way I was leaving my sister behind at that cabin without a phone.

Asher checks the body at the back of the cabin, which I refuse to have any part in, so I wait at the front for him. My sister and I rolled that fucker up in sheets last night while Asher was too out of it, he can do the unrolling this time around. It's only fair.

I'm pacing yet again while I wait for him, but after only a few minutes, he comes rushing around the corner with a wild grin and a set of keys dangling from his finger. "Looks like we're in luck, pet. Let's go find our family and tear some Celestials down while we're at it."

Oh, fuck yes. I'm itching to spill blood. Gallons of it. The Celestials better pray to their precious moon for mercy.

34

Asher

It’s late when I park this giant decked out truck in front of Blackwood University. I couldn’t stop the dry laugh that burst out of me when Prudence and I found it beyond the woods of Genevieve’s cabin. Dude was seriously overcompensating. The tires alone on this thing are absurd, and I had to lift my little pet into the passenger seat.

Once I shut the engine off, Prudence glances at me with worry and determination mingling in her hazel eyes. We spoke a little about our plan on the drive over, but mostly the hours just melted by while we both panicked over Griffin and Creed’s fate.

“Are you ready?” she murmurs, reaching across the center console and taking my hand. “There’s a good chance we all die in there.”

I squeeze her hand in mine, offering a smile that feels much more confident that I really am. “Or we win and the four of us live happily ever after,” I counter, pleased with myself when a light laugh tumbles from her.

“I didn’t realize you were so optimistic,” she drawls, arching a brow at me.

“How can I not be now that I’ve got something worth looking forward to now?”

Prudence bites her lip to contain her smile, rolling her eyes at me. “Yeah, yeah, I’m amazing and you’re a lucky fucker. Now, shall we go save the other two lucky fuckers, so you can all spout your cheesy lines of love to me for the rest of eternity?”

Despite the dread pooling in my stomach about what we’re about to do, I bark a laugh at her, glad for the moment of lightheartedness. “Sure, pet. Let’s go fuck shit up,” I tell her, opening my door and climbing out of the truck.

Prudence swings her door open, and I rush around the vehicle just in time to help her out. Sure, she could have jumped out, but I’m nothing if not a gentleman. With my hands on her waist and hers on my shoulders, Prudence slides down my body until she’s safely planted on the sidewalk.

“Thanks,” she breathes, lingering against me. I don’t even have time to respond before she's pushing up to her tiptoes and planting the sweetest fucking kiss on my lips. There's nothing rushed or heated in it as I part my lips and sweep my tongue out to meet hers. It's tender and languid, almost like she's savoring this moment, in case it's our last chance to let our souls tangle.

I pull back with my heart aching and thrashing around in my chest. "None of that," I rasp, stepping back from the warmth of her body. "We're going to win this fight, Prudence."

Prudence doesn't say a word back, just takes a deep breath and glances out at the campus sprawled out before us. I parked near the edge along the back of Blackwood University, close to where I found that hatch in the woods last time I went on a rescue mission. It’s not a full moon, so our hopes of striking during Midnight Mass are out the window, which means finding our family might be a bit harder. But I’m sure if The Celestials are keeping Griffin and Creed anywhere, it’ll be down under the ground where they held Prudence.

Lucky for me, I know exactly where to go.

"The FBI should be getting to your dad's office by now if that call worked," Prudence says as we start the journey into the forest beyond the edge of campus.

I nod as my stomach twists into knots. The drive here was long as fuck, and during one of our quick stops for gas, I had an idea. All those files in my father's office are filled to the damn brim with incriminating evidence. Proof of coercion, corruption, pay-offs, and outright murder. While Prudence was using the restroom, I talked the gas station clerk into letting me use his phone, and I called the FBI and told them everything. There's no way the FBI can look the other way… Right?

Here's hoping they chose to listen to me and there's a team barging into my father's office right now. And also that there's a team on their way here because we didn't have a second to spare to get any guns. We're walking in naked, basically, and without some extra manpower charging in behind us… Well, fuck, this might not go our way tonight.

But it's not like we had a choice. Putting this off, risking Griffin and Creed, it just wasn't going to happen.

As we near the hatch in the forest that leads to the weird sacrifice chamber underground, I grab Prudence's hand and pull her to a stop. "Stay close to me, okay? We don't know what kind of hell Griffin and Creed have been put through. They could be hurt, so worst-case scenario, we sneak in, find them, and get the hell out. Live to spill blood another day."

Prudence purses her lips, barely jerking a nod, but doesn't say anything.

I narrow my eyes at her, tightening my grip on her hand. "Prudence, please. Tell me you won't go off half-cocked and risk your life in there."

She grinds her teeth, looking away from me. "I'm not promising that, Asher. If I have the chance to hurt a single Celestial fuck and take some justice, then I'm doing it. But… yes, I agree on finding Creed and Griffin first. After that, all bets are off. I'm not ever coming back here. This is happening tonight."

I can tell there's no reasoning with her. She's blood thirsty and eager to do some damage. I'll just have to keep my fucking eyes on her every second while we're down there. Shouldn't be a problem. Find our family, keep Prudence safe, and get everyone out alive. Maybe take down some cult fucks while we're at it.

Easy peasy.

With a deep breath, I guide her to the hatch and open it up with a grunt of effort. Cold, stale air drifts up from the opening, and Prudence shudders like she's having flashbacks of when she was trapped down there. So am I, if I'm being honest. I wasn't sure if I'd find her in time. If she'd be in one piece or if those sick fucks had hurt her before I could get to her. Thinking about that now while we get to the bottom and start our trek through the cavernous halls is probably not the smartest idea, though, so I force the thoughts from my head with a stiff shake.

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