Page 16 of Wicked Vengeance

The lack of oxygen still doesn’t keep her from opening her pretty little mouth.

“You can stuff me with a thousand Kingsmen cocks, and I still won’t be your fucking puppet.”

She doesn’t struggle against my grip, and that pisses me off more. Even when her eyes start to roll into the back of her head as she loses consciousness, she doesn’t so much as flinch against me. When her body relaxes against her restraints, I still don’t let up. Not until the door to this room slams open do I release her.

Jackson steps inside, the fear in his eyes letting me know I’m not going to like whatever news he feels is worth interrupting me with right now.

“Boss, we’ve got a problem.”

Chapter 12

Royal

“She won’t leave my sight, Royal. I’ll protect her with my life,” Ella says, trying to assure me as she waits for me to hand over the most important little girl in my life.

We just got her back, but to make sure she’s safe, we have to send her away again.

It’s not fucking fair.

Em seems to understand the gravity of the situation because this little ray of sunshine pats my back soothingly like she needs to console me. It warms my heart just as much as it shatters it. She shouldn’t have to understand these things at this age. She should be upset. She should be the one needing to be reassured and consoled. Even if everything else King has done was irrelevant, this would be reason enough to string his innards around the playroom like a Christmas garland.

My arms tighten around Em, squeezing her one last time before pulling back to look into her bright green eyes– just like her mother.

“Okay, Little One. You’re going on an adventure with Aunt Ella now. I need you to do exactly as she says. Laurelyn will be with you, too. We'll come get you as soon as we can.”

“Pinky promise?” Her little eyes stay on mine as she raises her tiny finger between us. Emotion bubbles in my throat as I grip her little pinky with mine.

“Pinky promise.”

Alek and Maddox have already said their goodbyes, and my eyes find their matching watery smiles as they watch me struggle so much with this.

“Ella…”

“I’ve got her, Royal. I swear. Do you need me to make a pinky promise, too?” Her tone is playful, trying to lighten the heaviness of the shitty situation we have all found ourselves in. But at least she’s alive–back in our arms, even if we have to send her away to protect her. It’s just for a little while. Until we find her mother and deal with King, then she’ll be back, and our family can breathe.

Kissing her forehead one last time, I allow Ella to pull her from my arms. It still feels like she’s pulling a part of my soul from my chest, but I know it’s for the best.

“With your life, Ella,” I whisper.

It’s a command and a plea— one I know she will honor until her last breath— not for me but for her best friend. She will protect Raena’s child no matter what.

“I love you, Em. We’ll see you soon,” I say as Ella nods and turns for the car. Laurelyn and Jasper are already standing beside it, waiting for us to finish our goodbyes. Snow and her remaining men stand close by, and I know they are struggling with sending one of their own away, too. Em peeks over Ella’s shoulder, her toothy smile big and wide as she waves to us. Then she disappears, and Ella straps her into the big kid car seat that her mom acquired from somewhere.

My brothers surround me as I run my hands down my face, wiping away the unbidden tears. When my hands return to clenched fists at my sides, Alek and Maddox each grab one, intertwining our fingers. Their silent support hits me right in the gut. We all watch the taillights fade into the distance, taking our little girl with them.

I don’t cry. Ever. This makes twice in one day.

The sad part is… I don’t think it will be the last time.

My control is slipping without my Dark Angel here to rein it back in.

The sun has faded into the forest and risen again three times since we sent Emera to White Harbor. Yet, we’re down in our basement, talking ourselves in circles about how to find Raena without getting ourselves killed. Ronan and Dax just took Snow upstairs to get some rest in my room– I won’t be sleeping anytime soon anyway. We’ve barely slept at all.

Even though we outsourced security, calling in a favor from the ‘Brothers’– that alone should ease my mind, but it doesn’t– it’s not enough. We’re all just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Maddox paces back and forth, pulling at his hair like a madman. Alek is on his phone, running through our contacts for any trace of our girl or chatter about our missing men. My head doesn’t want to believe they would’ve betrayed us, but my gut screams that’s exactly what happened. The alternative is they are dead, and I don’t like that option much either. If they did betray us, they won’t enjoy being on the other end of the Shadow’s wrath– or Maddox’s blade.

Bringing the glass tumbler of whiskey to my lips, I down the remaining amber liquid. It’s not enough to numb the empty hole in my chest, just enough to calm the fury as the burn slides down my throat.

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