Page 134 of Hell Breaks Loose

And I don’t see anyone else stepping forward to take the lead.

“I’m not?—”

“Bullshit.” Alaya speaks up from another radio receiver.

“Excuse me?” I spin, losing my cool and snatching the com from Grizz’s hand. “Listen here, Alaya?—”

“No! You listen, D-cups. Whether you’re the right bitch for the job now with all these people has yet to be seen, but Ora’s right. You’re the best suited to the job. Always were.”

I swallow, losing most of my bluster.

Gavin, Tell, and Ora all nod along with her words.

Openly deferring to me. And it has a very immediate effect on the gathering of worried Sanctum Harborers.

Well, shit.

“Fine. We can hash this out more later.”

“Agreed. For now, those assholes down there are either coming to collect you and string you up, or they are lost without a leader and you’re the closest thing they’ve got. Marco’s dead. You were his queen.”

Fuck it if she isn’t right.

Why is she always right?!

“Time I start acting like it, huh?” I huff, shaking my head.

Squaring my shoulders, I lead the way, my mind racing to figure out what I’m going to say. Assuming they aren’t here to wipe us out.

Or even if they are.

Not that several dozen gangsters have a chance against an entire town’s worth of people. Still. I can’t risk a single citizen dying at the hands of an invader.

Even if they don’t trust or like me, I’m responsible for their safety.

“Hellena.” Sing nods as I reach the line of their barricade, locking eyes with him. His slip to the side for a moment, catching Ora’s smug glare.

“Hiya, slick. Back for some fun?” Ora bobs her eyebrows.

Sing blinks. Swallows.

Does she make him… nervous?

“We didn’t come to fight. I mean. You.”

“You didn’t come to fight me? Then what?” I’m being obtuse. Playing stupid. But I’m in no fucking mood.

Best to make them work for it.

“I wanted to… we all wanted to see if there was anything we could do.”

“I can think of a few things,” Ora hums.

“Shush.” I swat her arm, and she grins mischievously. “Why didn’t you just leave? Go back to Cali or to Marco’s mansion south of here? Isn’t there a power vacuum and a throne for all of you to fight over?”

A ripple filters through the ranks, murmurs and shuffling feet. Like a bunch of grade-school bullies who got in trouble and don’t know how to say sorry.

“Most of the men here were loyal to… me.”

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