Page 86 of Wicked Revenge

My knees threaten to buckle, and my body feels like it’s on fire under the intensity of his depravity, the way his eyes never leave mine as he stakes his claim.

“My Bloody Queen.”

The flames consuming my body turn into a raging inferno at his declaration. At all of theirs combined, really. I expect my body to combust at any moment.

I know I’m fucked up when Maddox licking our blood from my hand has my thighs slick and my clit throbbing. I push down the desire for fucking my delicious men to the back burner, for now.

“I need to call Snow. I know they can help us,” I tell them as they get to their feet and surround me like a pack of wolves, ready to solidify what we are all feeling at the moment.

Their eyes stare into mine, hunger radiating off of them like starved men, but they shove it down the same way I did, with a silent promise that we will resume this soon.

Very soon.

Spotting my bag on the floor by the door, I step around them, walking over and tossing it up on the side of the bed beside the clothes Royal had tossed there earlier.

Instead of putting them on, I pull out my own leggings and a thin black tank top from the big pocket, slipping into them quickly before unzipping the small front pocket and grabbing the burner phone. I haven’t even turned it on since I left White Harbor.

Anxiety churns in my stomach as I crawl onto the bed and sit cross-legged in the middle against the headboard. I know I should have called and checked in with them, but I didn’t want to allow the sadness of them not being here distract me from my plans. I needed to do this on my own, though I have no doubt Snow will understand.

All three of my men surround me on the bed, offering me silent strength with their subtle touches as I blow out a slow breath and power the phone on.

As the screen comes to life, I bring up the only four contacts in the phone. Clicking on Snow’s name, I place the phone on speaker and sit it on the bed. We wait anxiously as the trill ringing sounds out in the otherwise quiet room.

“Red? Are you okay?” Snow's soft voice filters through the speaker, panic bleeding into her voice that immediately makes me regret not calling sooner.

“I’m okay,” I rush out, trying to ease her fears. “Listen, I can’t explain everything over the phone but I need your help.”

“Name it and consider it done,” she responds immediately. I knew I could count on her.

“My daughter is alive,” I whisper, my words breaking under the crushing of my vocal cords, making it hard to speak past the lump of emotion in my throat. “King has her. But we don’t know where. I need you to come to Shadow Forest and help us get her back.”

“We’re on the way,” she says, her own voice thick with emotion.

She knows everything about my time as King’s prisoner and the loss of my daughter. She saw me at my lowest point and was there to help me pick up the pieces of my shattered life.

There is some rustling filtering through the speaker before I hear a man’s sleepy voice in the background. “What’s wrong?”

She must pull the phone away from her face because I can barely make out the words as she fills him in on the very few details I’ve told her.

“Red,” Ronan says, his voice clearer now. “We’re getting ready now. We’ll drive all night and be there tomorrow afternoon. Are you at the cottage?”

My eyes dart up to Royal questioningly, knowing they don’t allow just anyone to come into their space. “We’ll text you the address,” he says loud enough for Ronan to hear, squeezing my thigh reassuringly.

“Who is that?” Snow asks suspiciously, sounding like she is further away from the phone.

My eyes widen comically when I realize I don’t know what to call him– or any of them for that matter. Friends? My boyfriends? Neither of which sounds right. They are so much more than that.

I know she would understand, considering her own relationship with three men, but I don’t know how to explain that in our limited conversation over the phone while all three are listening intently.

“I’ll explain when you get here,” I say simply, choosing the coward's way out.

“Yes, you certainly will.” Her voice is still serious, but I can hear the smirk through the phone that I know is painting her lips right now. She knows how I usually act around men, so she definitely can tell something is up.

“Thank you, Snow.”

Emotion crawls back up my throat at the gratitude I feel for her willingness to help me. I’m not surprised, though. That’s just who she is. She has built her entire empire around helping others, trying to restore the legacy her father had.

She took me in when I was a broken, beaten mess. Tears well in my eyes at her compassion and how she unconditionally loves her people. I am just fortunate enough to be one of those people.

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