Page 76 of Toxic Vengeance

Chapter Twenty-One

Marcus was ready to explode as Kiyomi’s words faded into silence, looking at the other women as his pounding heart threatened to come through his ribcage. These were her sisters. Her fellow Valkyries, and they should be telling her—

“You’re not doing that,” Trinity announced curtly to Kiyomi, and Marcus released a ragged exhale in relief.

“Yeah, let me add to that,” Chloe said, arms folded and a pissed-off expression on her face. “No way inhell.”

Megan nodded. “Yep, what they said, forget it. Wash the idea of you going to Rahman right out of that pretty head, because it ain’t happening.”

“Only over our dead bodies,” Eden finished, staring hard at Kiyomi.

Marcus eased his death grip on the top of his cane, his heart rate slowing. This was what he’d needed to see. Since voicing his opposition to Kiyomi’s suggestion he might have been another ornament on the fucking mantelpiece for all the attention the women had paid him so far…except Kiyomi had kept glancing over every so often, as if seeking his reassurance.

Hearing her say what she’d been subjected to at Rahman’s hands made it feel like someone was driving nails into the pit of his stomach. He’d seen her when she’d first come here. He’d seen the state she’d been in, bleeding and broken as they’d placed her in bed. Hearing her imply that she was willing to consider offering herself up to the brutal son of a bitch who had abused her so badly, all in an effort to try and draw out this “Architect”?

No. Just fuckingno.

“We’ll find another way,” Amber told Kiyomi, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. “Together. We’ll get him together, just like I promised.”

Marcus didn’t know what promises Amber had made to her, but he didn’t like the look in Kiyomi’s eyes. That quiet determination and resolve that said she hadn’t let her idea go at all.

The meeting broke up, and the women all headed for the door. Jesse walked in, caught Amber two steps from the door and took her laptop away.

She reached for it. “Hey—”

“Hey nothing,” he told her. “Bed. Now.”

She opened her mouth to argue but he merely bent and hoisted her over one shoulder, carrying her out of the room and ignoring the heated string of arguments she unleashed on him.

Too right, Marcus thought in approval. He sought out Megan and stopped her from leaving while everyone else filed out. “What’s wrong?” she asked when she saw his face.

What’swrong? “I’ll tell you what’s bloody wrong.That.” He thrust a finger at Kiyomi’s retreating back, barely keeping his voice down. “She just told you she’s willing to offer herself up as bait to the man who tortured and violated her. You need to go talk to her, alone, and make sure she drops that whole bloody line of thinking,” he shot back, outraged and heartsick at the thought of Kiyomi offering herself up to that sadistic bastard like a sacrificial lamb. “She’s one of you. You’ve all been through enough, especially her.”

Megan frowned. “I know that. We all do. We’d never let her do something so reckless.”

“So you’ll go talk to her until she drops it,” he challenged, unwilling to let this go. “That none of you would ever let her sacrifice herself for the rest of you—because that’s what she’s bloody well thinking.”

Megan’s eyes widened. “Marcus. We’ll handle it, I promise you.”

“So then handle itnow—”

“Is everything okay?”

He whipped his head around to find Kiyomi watching them from the doorway. Her expression was composed, her voice calm, but he didn’t believe she was calm at all inside, and it sliced him up to think of what she was prepared to do to help the others.

“Yes, fine,” Megan answered with a smile. “Marcus just wanted to talk to me for a second but we’re done now.” She gave him a pointed look, then started for the door. On the way by, Megan set a hand on her shoulder. “It’s been a long day. Let’s all get some sleep and then we’ll talk again in the morning, okay?”

Kiyomi nodded. “Sure. Sleep well.” As Megan stepped past her into the hallway, Kiyomi turned back to Marcus. “Thank you for staying.”

She might as well have reached into his chest and crushed his heart in her fist. “Of course.” If she needed him, he’d be there.

She gave him a little smile that belied the shadows lurking in her eyes. “Think I’ll go up too, maybe read for a bit.” She turned to leave.

“Wait.” He caught her forearm. She stopped, her eyes snapping to his, and he felt the connection between them crackling like a live wire, sizzling from his hand up his arm. He released her. “What you said…”

She waited, watching him.

“You’ll all find another way to get what you need.”

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