Page 49 of Wicked Revenge

“I’ll be just fine. These guys won’t let me do anything stupid. I might get leashed if I try,” I joke, aiming to ease the tension. And leave it to Royal to take my words to heart.

“Oh I can definitely put a leash and collar on you, Angel. If that’s what you want.”

“No, Sir. Thank you, though,” I sass back at him.

“Okay then. Well, call me, babe. They have my number,” she says as she starts back towards her truck. I look back at Alek, and he gives me a reassuring smile and nod.

“I will,” I say. “Be careful.”

She responds with a wave of her hand, getting into the truck, and backing down the narrow trail.

“Where to now, baby?” Alek asks, his helmet already on as he double checks mine is in place correctly. They haven’t even thought to ask me if I know anything. They just assume, and it makes me giddy. I can’t wait to see their faces.

“It’s fine, Daddy,” I tell him when he tries to check it for the third time. “I need to go to my cottage to pick up a few things, and grab Nightshade.”

“Is that your cat?” Maddox asks, his face looking excited at the idea of me bringing a kitty home with us.

“Nope,” I say, popping the ‘p’ before snapping my visor shut and speaking into their helmets. “I’ll direct you as we go. Just head back the way we came and take a right at the main road.”

They mount their bikes, and the sound of the engines is barely heard throughout the forest. If it wasn’t for the vibration I feel in my core, I wouldn’t even know the bike was on. They must have made similar noise canceling adjustments like I did to mine.

Maddox is right about one thing. The combination of the bike’s vibrations and my aching core pressed against his hard body feels delicious.

It doesn’t take long to make it back to the main road, the guys sticking to the side of the trail to avoid the puddles. They take a right like I instructed, Royal riding in front, and Alek behind us.

Before long, we are turning down my driveway.

“How did you know about this place?” Suspicion colors Royal’s tone, making me nervous.

How does he know about it?

Maybe they knew who lived here before me.

“A friend of mine found it for me. I purchased this with cash under a fake name he helped me set up. This place was owned by a corporation. I needed privacy while still being inside Shadow Forest.” My voice shakes with uncertainty, and I know they can hear it through their helmets.

I don’t know why his question makes me nervous. Maybe it’s because I haven’t told anyone about my time in White Harbor or my friends who helped me after I escaped. If I’m going to trust these guys, I will have to tell them everything. I just hope I’m strong enough to do it.

“This place should have never been sold,” Royal growls into the speaker. He’s angry. I don’t understand what’s going on.

We stop just in front of my cottage, Royal dismounting his bike first and throwing his helmet to the ground. “Fuck!” He charges at Maddox, who has barely had time to put the kickstand down to stabilize us and take his helmet off. He drags him off the bike and my hands immediately grab onto the seat to keep myself from falling off. “Explain, NOW!”

“What is going on?” My voice is barely a whisper, his outburst setting me on edge. I don’t like the shouting and angry displays. It fucks with my PTSD in a way I can’t control. He wasn’t even this mad when he found out I tried to run this morning.

“Royal, chill. I didn’t sell it. I don’t know what the fuck happened,” Maddox says, confusing me even more. This was their house?

“You know what the place means to me.” Royal’s voice breaks as he lets Maddox go. I feel like I’m suffocating. I can’t breathe. My vision starts to dim, and I feel something cold against my ass. I can’t see the guys with my eyes squeezed tightly shut. I think I’m going to pass out.

I can barely hear someone shouting my name through my muddled senses. Everything is distorted. Suddenly, like a pressure valve releasing, I’m able to suck in a deep breath. It takes me a few moments of sucking in life-saving oxygen to realize someone took off my helmet. I didn’t even realize it was still on.

“Raena, take a deep breath for me. In. Good girl. Now out. That’s it. Again.” Alek kneels in front of me where I must have fallen to my ass in the wet grass. I feel a solid weight at my back and comforting pressure around my chest. I keep breathing as he instructed, and soon, the ringing in my ears quiets down, my vision returning slowly. It feels like I was in that state of panic for hours, but in reality, I know it was only a few minutes, maybe less. Maddox is behind me, his chest allowing me to rest my back against him, his arms bound tightly around me, pinning my arms across my chest.

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” My words stutter out on a slow exhale.

“No. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” Royal squats down in front of me, next to Alek, raising his hand to my face and causing me to flinch back at the sudden movement. It was just a reflex. His hand stalls in the air, a look of anguish crosses his face before he falls onto his knees completely. “Oh, Angel…” He starts, but he drops his hand to cover his face as his voice breaks. I wiggle out of Maddox’s hold, scrambling to my knees in front of Royal, grabbing his hand.

“I know you’re not going to hurt me,” I say, grabbing his hands and placing them on my cheeks to cradle my face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to flinch away from you.” My eyes plead with him to understand that I’m not scared of him. He didn’t hurt me. “I thought I was over the panic attacks before I came back, but this isn’t your fault, Royal. I’m just broken.”

He looks up into my eyes, his icy blues raging with so many emotions. “Don’t you dare make excuses for me, Angel. You are not broken. This is my fault. I am a grown man. I shouldn’t have acted like a hot-headed asshole.” He raises himself on his knees, pulling me into him and tilting my face to look up at him. “I will never raise a hand to hurt you, Raena. I swear.”

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