Page 45 of Wicked Revenge

“I wouldn’t know. Now, can we talk about something else.”

“Listen, my kitty might be a virgin, but I have the soul of slut. I need more than that.” Her crass words and folded arms make me laugh.

“Wait, you’re a virgin?”

“Like I’d fuck anything in this town. Except maybe the Shadows, but I think you’ve already claimed them for your harem,” she says with a smirk. “Now, stop avoiding. Spill!”

“Fine. They… touched me. That’s all. I didn’t see anything they were packing. Is that enough for your slutty soul?”

“For now,” she responds, bouncing on her heels excitedly, a dreamy look in her eyes.

“Okay, then. Now, you said you brought me clothes.”

She opens the duffle bag, sitting on the counter. Pulling out what she brought, I notice everything is black. Leather leggings, corset style top with tiny criss-cross straps across the top of the chest attaching to the tiny shoulder straps. She also has a black leather jacket and knee-high black boots that lace up.

“Well, we haven’t seen each other in years, yet you know my exact style. It’s like no time has passed at all,” I joke with her.

“I might have snooped in your closet the other morning before coming out. I was surprised to see all black. You really are their perfect little shadow.” Her words seem to trigger something in me.

What the fuck am I doing?

There is a little girl out there who needs me to help her. I will not allow history to repeat itself. I have to figure out a way to get out and negotiate a deal with King without them knowing. Royal made it perfectly clear he wasn’t going to arrange this for me.

“Raena, what’s wrong?” Ella’s voice switches from playful to serious in a matter of seconds. She can see the fear on my face.

“Ella, I need your help,” I whisper, pulling her in front of me. “I need to save their sister. They don’t understand, but I do. I know what King will do to her if I don’t do this. He wants the hunter. I can negotiate a deal. Her for me. He won’t be able to resist. You gotta help me.” I am begging her. She is the only one who can help me. I know the guys won’t even hear of it.

“Whoa. Calm down. You want to turn yourself over to King? The man who tortured you for three years?”

“It’s the only way to save their sister before it’s too late.” She has to help me. She just has to.

“Raena,” she whispers, and I can see the hesitation in her eyes. “I don’t think that’s…”

“NO! Listen to me. That little girl is going to die if I don’t do this. Please just help me.”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. Just… take a shower and get dressed. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

“Okay,” I breathe out, relieved that she is at least going to try to help me. It’s a start.

She steps back out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I make my way into the shower, trying to remember how to work the panel. After fumbling with it for a few minutes, the water sprays from every direction, steam billowing from the scalding temperature. Stepping under the sprayer, I let my mind run through everything I need to do to prepare for giving myself up to King.

I try to push the guys from my mind. They might be what breaks me. My soul feels connected to theirs on a level I didn’t know existed, and now I will lose them because of King.

Yet again, he will steal whatever joy I manage to find in this fucked up world. And I’ll allow it, if it means saving their sister and returning her to them.

It would be an honor to the memory of what I wasn’t able to save.

***

I finished up my shower and got dressed as quickly as I could in the clothes Ella left on the counter. As much as I want to drag this out and spend this time with Royal, Alek, and Maddox, I know it’s just going to make my decision that much harder.

They won’t understand until they get their sister back in their arms. Then they’ll get it. Until then, I want to memorize every little thing about them and this place. Maybe I’ll be able to draw like last time and make physical representations of these memories to help me through when all I want to do is die.

I get my boots laced up and head back downstairs to find them all standing by the door waiting for me. The guys are dressed in their familiar blacks. The only things missing are their masks and gloves.

“Everything okay?” I ask, the looks on their faces are stoney and blank.

“Everything's fine, Rae,” Ella says, but her eyes tell me she is holding something back. As much as I want to ask, we can talk about it once we're alone.

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