Page 9 of Outcast

"What do you want?" I asked, but I already knew this was pointless. I might as well walk away now, except my feet stayed glued to the stone. Information was power.

"Turns out there are some holdouts who feel a woman shouldn't lead." She shrugged. "I could kill them. Or you could come to my side and show support."

Valentina didn't care either way, that was clear. But what she did want was the quickest path to ultimate power. For whatever reason, she thought that was getting me to her side.

"There's no fucking way that I would ever do that, you psycho bitch. But you do know where Grace is. If you tell me, I'll make sureyourdeath is quick. No torturing like our brothers want to do."

"Your brothers maybe, not mine."

"Tell me where she is." I pulled myself up to my tallest height and did my fucking best to intimidate her.

"Come to my side," she returned.

"Hell will swallow us first," I growled, losing my patience.

Multiple sets of footsteps were coming our way. Fuck, my brothers found me. With Valentina. They were going to think I was a traitor.

All because of this cunt.

"Tell me where Grace Degas Black is."

Valentina turned to look at her guard. "Plan B."

"You fucking cunt! What is your game? What's your goal? To kill us all? It's never going to happen."

"Matt?...Matt?" Henry's face wavered back into view. "You okay, man?"

The world rocked as I fought to hold my balance. I was close to passing out. "Yeah," I gasped, working hard to find my breath.

"What's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost."

Not a ghost. Only the shock and betrayal on my family's faces before I was shot and kicked over a cliff. That they could think I was conspiring against them had hurt more than the bullet-shaped hole ripping through my body.

2

RITA

Three Days Earlier

Istared at the name plaque on the door.

Margarita Aguilar- Co-Founder

Black Point School for Girls

An elite school helping those less fortunate on the outside. On the inside? A place to teach girls how to handle themselves and how to make a career out of it.

Twisting the knob, I pushed it open and stepped inside. The hallway was empty. Why the hell wouldn't it be at 10:30 in the morning? All the girls were in classes and learning how to kickass.

Me? I needed my beauty sleep. I couldn't properly kick ass unless I had a solid eight hours. It just wasn't happening. Then I needed an extra hour to get myself ready for the public.

I wasn't high maintenance though. I knew some bitches who needed three.

And I still looked better. It was these good genes I got from my dear oldPapá.

The light coming from the floor to ceiling windows nearly blinded me as I dumped my designer bag on the table. Every inch of the office was sleek, but sexy. I'd paid massive bucks for a woman to decorate it to my tastes.

It was nothing like I'd ever been part of before.

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