Page 47 of Roses and Skulls

Now, back to the fact I had my hand down her pants. Judge all you want but I thought she recognized me. The way her lips parted, and her big galaxy eyes widened. What the fuck was I supposed to think?

I was on my way to see if I could secure a place in the Devil’s club per the asshole’s orders but then I saw my girl. When did she becomemygirl? Well, I guess she’s been mine since we were kids.

Firm believer here in unseen forces. I mean, why else would my dad and Jesse have had to endure so much shit in their lives? It was for us. For Billie Rose and me.

We are destiny.

She’s the only woman who will be able to keep up with me, or maybe I should say put up with me. Same thing.

When we were kids, she followed me around like a little puppy. I didn’t mind. She made me feel good. Like I was a fucking rockstar or something. Her parents tried to keep us apart, but she would always find a way to sneak out of the house and follow me outside.

She has a lot of firsts with me. Her first time climbing a tree, riding a skateboard, catching a squirrel, jumping off the shed onto a trampoline, you know, all the fun things.

I run my tongue over my teeth as I watch her haul ass down the stairs and slide into the board room. I crack my neck from side to side before shoving a sucker in my mouth. I’m trying to quit smoking and so far this seems to be doing the trick.

As I follow behind her, I think about how her eyes lit up the first time I taught her to light a firecracker. I mean, maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to let a five-year-old light a m-80 but you know, she begged me to let her try. You try saying no to someone with eyes like that. It’s literally impossible.

Anyhow, I’ve been waiting for Billie Rose to grow up my whole life.

This girl is going to make all my dreams come true.

I close the door quietly behind me. Her eyes raise to mine as she sits like a queen in her father’s chair. Her palms are face down on the table. One slides over and she picks up his gavel and without taking her eyes off me, she whips it at my head.

When I catch it with one hand, her eyes widen.

I shake my head and circle the table, going the long way around to get to her. I trail the gavel across the wood as I make my way around.

Her eyes track me, and when I get to a point where she thinks she can outrun me, she jumps from her chair. I leap on table and hurl myself at her, launching us both against the wall. A woosh of air rushes out of her pretty little mouth as her back bounces off the wall.

Tiny hands push against me. “You’re such an asshole. What the fuck do think is going to happen when I tell them?”

I step back, pinning her to the wall with only my gaze.

“What doyouthink is going to happen?” I return her question with one of my own.

“They’re going to lock me up,” her voice cracks as she pleads with me. “I have things I need to do first. Please talk to your dad. I’ll tell them. I will. Just…” A tear slips down her cheek. “Just buy me a little more time.”

“Things that involve Draven?”

She nods.

“Let me see where you cut yourself,” I tell her, pulling the sucker out of my mouth and pointing at her legs.

Her brows pull together in distress at my request. “Elijah.”

When I don’t respond or move, she knows she has no other choice. If she wants me to buy her some time before telling her parents, then I need to see. I want to know just how big this problem is.

Chapter Ten

Billie Rose

Ishouldn’t have let him trap me in here. Dammit, why didn’t I high tail it out of the warehouse the minute William turned his back on me?

Truth is, I know there is no way around this. It was always going to happen. It was just a matter of when. I’m hoping that if I show him, he’ll think I trust him, and it will give me time to make things right before they find out.

If I can make Draven pay for grandpa’s death, then maybe they won’t hate me as much when they find out the truth.

The truth. That they are right and I’m just a worthless princess who needs everyone to keep her safe. Someone who needs others to slay her dragons.

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