Page 9 of Fatal Vengeance

I lick my lips at the clear sight of her nipples through my shirt, tempted to go to her and suck one into my mouth as a reward. She’s such a good girl, after all. But despite how much I want to taste every inch of her, I keep my feet rooted to the spot, ready to pounce on Asher the second Prudence tells him to leave. Right now, she’s ready for a fight, to prove yet again that she’s not going to break under pressure, but the moment that changes, I’ll step in for her. I’ll always fucking step in and be her shield, even if that means losing myself to protect her.

“Happy now? Do you like what you see?” she grits out at Asher, gesturing with her hands down her body. Her skin is so pale and all the scars littered around her body stand out in stark contrast, something I know she’s incredibly self-conscious about still. Not with me, when it’s just the two of us locked away from the rest of the world like we have been for the past few days. Maybe not with Griffin, either, because he seems to calm and comfort her inexplicably, but Asher hasn’t earned that sense of security with her yet. My girl feels raw, I can tell just from the slight tremble of her hands as she balls them at her side, and it makes me feel very murderous suddenly.

Funny how quick I can flip that switch.

From the corner of my eye, I can see Griffin’s sad eyes drop down her body, cataloguing every wound that she’s survived. “Little flame,” he rasps, stealing her attention for a moment.

Asher gets it right back when he takes a step closer to her, halting a moment later before he can get within reaching distance. His voice is strained as he says, “You realize I’ve seen it all before, right? I was there when Creed found you bleeding out on our porch. I helped him patch you up. Your scars are nothing to me. Now get packed, and please for the love of god, find some pants to walk out of this hotel room in."

Prudence nods stiffly, turning away toward the bathroom. “Good to know the scars that remind me on a daily basis about how close I've come to death don't mean anything to you. Glad we cleared that up,” she calls weakly over her shoulder, her voice cracking. Before she disappears into the bathroom, she looks from me and then to Griffin, who’s standing very carefully still, and for a second I pity the fool. He’s caught between Prudence and Asher in a way I’ll never be. Poor bastard. I couldn’t imagine feeling this way for two people and having to pick a side when they butt heads.

No fucking thanks.

As soon as she’s locked in the bathroom there with the shower running, Asher sits on the edge of the bed with a groan. “Jesus fuck, what did I say? I didn't mean anything— Her scars aren't— Fuck me, I'll never figure her out,” he complains under his breath.

Griffin stifles a laugh under his hand while I roll my eyes. “It's not her fault she expects you to cut her down every chance you get," I drawl, trying to keep my temper under control. I don't like thinking about how he's hurt her, it enrages me, but then I'm a fucking hypocrite, aren't I? I've hurt her too, maybe even worse, and somehow I won her over. Asher'll get there if he really wants to, he just has to show Prudence that he's more than a bullying dickwipe. A fact she'll be hesitant to believe, I'm sure.

"No, it's my fault, I know," Asher sighs, running a hand through his hair and tugging on the strands. "I just really don't have the energy to work this shit out with her right now." I narrow my eyes at him, not liking the way he said that. Like there's more going on and he's bone tired from navigating through it.

"What do you mean?" I ask. He doesn’t meet my gaze, but Griffin does, and the heavy weight I find in his icy eyes makes my skin prickle. “What is it? Has something else happened? Something besides your dad texting you?”

Asher shakes his head, pushing to his feet and heading for the door. “No, sorry, I’m just on edge,” he mumbles. Yet I don't believe him for a fucking second.

I raise my brows and plant my hands on my hips, giving Griffin a very pointed look. “Secrets are exactly what got us so far up shit’s creek in the first place. Whatever it is, I want to know. I deserve to be in the know.”

Asher walks straight out the door without responding, and I flip him the bird behind his back. Griffin presses his lips together while he tilts his head, like he’s thinking over his options and weighing each one carefully. Finally, he walks closer to me and murmurs, “Let’s get on the road first. He’s extra prickly since his dad knows where we are. Maybe once we put some miles between us and this hotel… he’ll explain.” And then he walks out after Asher, leaving me with more fucking questions.

“Yeah, that really calms me down, Griff. Thanks!” I call out after him.

I could knock Griffin out cold when he slides into the backseat with Prudence while I’m busy loading our bags into the trunk of Asher’s Hellcat. It’s not that I’m jealous of my friend, I swear, but it’s hard for me to sit in the front, so far from her, when I know how hard being in the car is for her. She struggles because of the accident with her mom, and I don’t like that. I’d rather be back there with her, holding her together as best as I can.

Griffin, the bastard, doesn’t even so much as shift in his seat when I tell him I want back there. He arches one brow, pulling Prudence closer into his side, and when she flashes me a sheepish smile like she feels bad and doesn’t know quite how to handle the situation, I give in with a huff of irritation. It’s not her fault I’m needy. But do I give Griffin a savage glare before getting in the front passenger seat? You bet your ass I do.

When Asher gets into the driver’s seat a few minutes later, he takes one look at me and then at the rearview mirror, and says, “I know where we can go. It’s safe, I think.”

“You think?” I snap at the same time Griffin asks, “Where?” Prudence doesn’t say anything, but when I look back at her, she’s holding Asher’s gaze in the mirror, her eyes all big and innocent right now, like she’s trying to give him her full attention without a fight. We’ll see how long that lasts.

“I told you that you have a sister, do you remember?” Asher asks carefully. Prudence doesn’t say a thing, but she offers a jerky nod, as if she’s still coming to terms with that information. Either that, or she’s not sure if she believes him about it yet. Asher starts the car and wraps a hand around the steering wheel tight enough to stain his knuckles white. “That’s where we’re going. So I hope you’re ready to meet her, Prudence.”

8

Prudence

Being tucked into Griffin’s side during the drive is almost enough to put me to sleep. He’s so big and warm, and with his arm around me, his fingers gently playing with my hair, I’ve been right on the cusp of slipping into slumber for an hour. But I’m not able to just drift off so easily. Not with Asher’s words ringing in my head the whole time.

He hasn’t said anything more about how the fuck he knows this supposed sister, where exactly she lives, and why he’s so sure we’ll be safe there. In fact, he hasn’t really said anything at all since pulling out of the hotel parking lot. It’s put me on edge, more than I’ve already been, and the hours in this car have dragged by because of it.

It really doesn’t help that every little bump we drive over throws my mind back to the accident I barely survived and I have to fight to wrangle my trauma back into its box.

Griffin tightens his arm around me and presses a sweet kiss to my forehead, as if he can sense my unease. I lean into him with a sigh, resting my head on his shoulder and trying to block out the bumpy road we're on. We left civilization over an hour ago, and since then, it's been nothing but long stretches of poorly maintained roads that have really been testing me.

“What do you want to do when this is all over?” Griffin murmurs softly to me, offering me a distraction I so desperately need. He speaks quietly so as not to distract the other two up front, which is probably a good thing. Asher is gripping the steering wheel like it’s the only thing keeping him from strangling his cousin, who I’m learning is absolute shit with directions. It’s actually been kind of funny to watch, but I’ve bitten back my smile for the sake of keeping the peace.

“What do you mean?” I ask Griffin, drawing an invisible pattern on his jeans and glancing up at him.

He smiles softly, reaching up to tuck my hair behind my ear and then graze his fingers down my jaw. “When The Celestials are gone,” he clarifies in that rough voice of his that I absolutely adore.

Blowing out a heavy breath, I shrug one shoulder and glance out the window, watching trees pass in a blur. “I’m not sure. This has been my life for… years. Taking them down, finding answers. I don’t even know who I am without this mission driving my every decision,” I answer, but not quiet enough to leave Creed out of it. He turns back to look at me with so much adoration in his eyes that I know what he’s thinking without him needing to say a word. It doesn’t matter if I feel lost after The Celestials are dealt with. I’m his, and that fact won’t change.

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