Page 67 of The Broken Queen

I didn’t say anything, I just nodded. I remember that night perfectly. I was about to kiss Raven, to take what was mine in her room, on that bed, but Elijah showed up and ruined it. Then she took off and never came back, so I went to the gym to let off some steam.

He poured another shot and downed it quickly. “Well, something went down that night. I told you that I was leaving, but I ventured off and found Raven in the library.”

I didn’t say a word, but my body wouldn’t move. I was frozen in time, thinking about every scenario that may have happened between the two of them. My mouth was shut, my jaw ticked,and my hands were fisted at my sides.Did he kiss her? Did they have sex? Did he fucking hurt her?My mind wouldn’t stop.

“What...happened,” I said through gritted teeth. He was testing my patience.

The room was dead silent, so when he swallowed, I could hear it. “I was so mad at her for being such a bitch to you, for always playing with your emotions when you could’ve been with someone else. You could’ve been with me.”

What the hell?I never knew that he was gay. The way he played around with girls made it hard to believe that was the truth.

“What did you do?” My patience was wearing thin. I didn’t care that he was gay, I had many friends who were. But I was straight and that would never change. I never batted for the same team. I was all for women, but there was only one I wanted to mess with.

He took a deep breath, and this time, he lifted the crown bottle to his lips and chugged. The fucker wouldn’t be feeling well in the morning.

He slammed it down on the counter and confessed everything. “I attacked her. I found her in the library, knocked her to the ground, got on top of her, placed my hand around her neck and squeezed. I lifted up her shirt and felt her bare skin on my fingers. I tried to go further, but she fought me. I have the scars to prove it. Not to mention, Markus came in and basically threw me off of her.”

He kept going; but I was focused on one thing.

I attacked her.

I felt her bare skin on my fingers.

I was on top of her.

Those words were moving around and around in my head until I saw red, and I snapped.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Slade

There were yells in the background, screams. Someone was telling me to stop, but I couldn’t. I was in a rage. Elijah’s face was bloodied and bruising, but I couldn’t stop. His eyes were closed shut, and his lips were bleeding.

But I couldn’t stop, not until I heard a voice in the background, a gentle hand on my shoulder, pulling me back. “Slade, you need to stop.” It washer.

I shrugged her hand off, pulled my fist back, and got off of him. Then a whole new rage took over, all directed ather.

“This was another secret you’re keeping from me?” Despite my anger, she managed to stay calm. She was too calm.Something was off with her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

She looked down at Elijah and winced. “Yes.”

“Why are you keeping so much from me? I should’ve known about this years ago. Then I would’ve thrown him out on his ass, like the trash he is.”

“This is exactly why I didn’t. I’m not stupid, Slade. He’s your best friend. I’m not getting in the way of a friendship that has been alive for years. He’s loyal to you. Maybe not in that moment, but for the most part he has been loyal to you. He didn’t get far. Markus was able to stop him. I’ve learned to cope with it. I’ve even learned to forgive him. I’ve suffered through farworseand managed to live through it. If you want to continue to pummel him to a pulp, that’s on you. But I guarantee that you will not only lose him, you’ll lose the others around here who have become your family. If you want to take down my father, then you need to put your pain aside and suck it up. You needhim, and you need everyone else here.” After she said her two cents, she walked out of the compound like she had never been here in the first place.

Something was off with her, and Iwouldfind out. I controlled my breathing and turned back to Elijah, a crowd brewing around us. “If you want to remain myfriend, you won’t go near her again. I’m serious this time. I’ve handled your smart ass comments about her, but I won’t put up with you putting your hands on her.Even if it was years ago.She’s suffered through enough at the hands of men. Keep your fucking distance.”

I met the eyes of each one of myfamilymembers. “If any of you so much as think about talking shit to her, I’ll kick your ass out on the street. I’m about to make my move and take back what is mine. Throne and all. If you want to remainloyalthen back the fuck off.”

I left Elijah bleeding on the floor, letting a few of our friends flock him and help him up. After everything I’ve done for him— getting him off the street when his parents kicked him out, bonding him out after getting cracked up on coke, to being a friend, a brother— I thought I could trust him with my life.

I meant what I said. I’ll stay his friend, but the trust I had given him, the trust he earned, is gone. He’d been lying to me for years. She has been lying to me for years.

I was fucking over it. She won’t keep a secret like that and get away with it. This time, she was going to be punished.

RAVEN

Fucking Elijah.

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