Page 41 of Wicked Vengeance

“It’s a girl?”

“Oh we don’t know yet for sure, but I feel like it is. Fingers crossed. Our girls can grow up and torment us together.”

“And if it’s a boy?” I laugh, following her into the kitchen to help clean up while we wait for the guys to come back in.

“Well, we can arrange their marriage and be crazy old mother-in-laws together.” We both laugh, washing the dishes and putting everything away. We plan our hypothetical futures and revel in the fact that we have futures at all. Neither of us should still be here, but we didn’t let the cruelness of the world stand in our way. I’m incredibly grateful that I met Snow, and she’s become more than just my friend. She’s right. We’re family. I grew up an only child, but when I imagine what it would be like to have sisters, Snow and Ella would be my sisters. Dax, Ronan, and Jasper would be my overprotective big brothers who would scare away the boys.

By the time we’ve got the kitchen clean, my heart doesn’t feel so broken and hopeless. I survived– again. And my heart is full of love and laughter. The brokenness I feel doesn’t feel so hopeless right now. I’ve got my family, my Shadows, and my daughter. We’re all alive and safe. I’m choosing to hold onto this feeling for now. I refuse to let King win. He might’ve escaped, but he’s just prolonging the inevitable. We’ll find him, and when we do…

My thoughts are cut short when the front door swings open and our guys come in. Snow and I are on the couch in the living room, sipping some tea she made for us. Their serious faces put me on alert immediately.

“What’s wrong? Is it Emera? What happened?” I’m up and meeting them before they’ve even had a chance to speak. I can feel it in my bones. Something is very wrong.

“No- no. It’s not Em. Here, sit down.” Royal says, leading me back to the couch next to Snow. Dax and Ronan stand behind her, resting a hand on each of her shoulders.

“Well, what is it? You’re freaking me out,” I ask, sitting down as Royal takes my hands in my lap and kneels in front of me.

“I’m so sorry, Raena. Ella’s mom just called. Someone set a fire at Twisted. It’s gone.”

“What the fuck? No! Who would do that? Why?”

“You know who did this, Angel,” Royal says sympathetically.

King.

“Of fucking course, it was King. That’s where they found me.”

“Well... It’s not just that. We burned his house down when we got you out of there. This is his retaliation. And Raena, it’s not just Twisted.”

“Where?” Chills run up my spine. The only two other places he knows about are The Shadows house and…

“Your Grams’ cottage. I’m so sorry. It’s gone, too.”

If I wasn’t sitting, I have no doubt my legs would buckle. Grams’ cottage. I didn’t want to go back there until everything with King was settled. But of course he had to take one more fucking thing from me that I can’t get back. The boulder sitting on my chest feels like it weighs a thousand pounds. I’ve lost everything that belonged to her now.

“In the back of my mind, I thought it would always be there– waiting for me to be ready to go back,” I say. My voice echoes in my ears and my vision swims around the edges. “I’ve lost so much. He’s taken so much.”

“We know, Baby Girl. We won’t let him take anything else from you. I promise,” Alek says, leaning down behind me to kiss the top of my head.

The desolate feeling dissipates as rage fills my veins. I hold onto that anger, latching onto it with both hands. I need it. It’s the only strength I have left. My whole body is shaking with it. “I fucking hate him so much.”

“So do we. He won’t get away with this. Any of this. We will hunt him with you to the ends of the Earth, if that’s what it takes to quench your thirst for vengeance.” Royal squeezes my hands as he makes a vow to help me. I want to let them. I don’t want to do this on my own anymore. But I can’t.

“No. King has literally tried to take everything from me. I won’t allow him to take you, too. Any of you. I— I fucked up. King knows I’ve been with you. I’m so sorry. He’s going to come after you next. I know it. I can’t allow that. I need to leave. Please let me go.” My panic reaches an altitude I didn’t know was possible as I try to stand from the couch, my labored breathing making me dizzy. Royal doesn’t let me stand, blocking me in with his ridiculously hard body.

“Whoa— stop. You’re going to pass out. Breathe. Put your head between your knees.” Alek’s voice filters through my panic, and he pushes my shoulders to make me bend at the waist. I try to take in deep, measured breaths to calm the war waging inside me– fear and rage battling for dominance. I will not let King hurt them like he’s hurt me. I have to protect Emera from her evil, rapist father, who will likely turn her out to his disgusting and equally evil friends.

Over my dead body, will I ever let that happen.

“I can’t– I need to–” I don’t even know what I’m trying to say right now, but it’s coming out broken and unintelligible.

“Move.” I hear Alek say right before Royal’s boots disappear from my view of the floor and bigger ones replace them. Massive arms lift me up, pulling me into his chest in the most protective, warm embrace. “I’ve got you, Baby Girl. Breathe with me.”

Sitting on the couch, he rocks me back and forth, one hand in my hair holding my head to his chest and the other running up and down my back, soothing me. We stay like this until my breathing returns to normal and I feel so relaxed in his arms that I feel like I could sleep for days.

“That’s it. You’re okay,” Alek whispers into my hair. “I’ve got you.”

“I can’t let him hurt you. You all mean too much to me. He won’t stop. I need you to take Emera far, far away and let me kill him.”

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