Page 7 of Forever Filthy

“I can’t.” The anguish is clear in his tone but I can’t find it within myself to give a damn. Where was this compassion when my world was falling apart? They all left me, every single fucking one of them—Vox included.

I crane my neck and meet his gaze. Unlike Archer and Ezekiel, who can shut down their emotions in a second, Hayze has never been able to do that. He likes to think he can be unreadable but the truth is he can’t. He wears his heart on his sleeve and that is one of his best qualities and the reason he hadso many girls falling to their knees for him. I mean, the fact he is six foot three with a killer body, tattoos on his arms, back and ribs with striking green eyes and brown hair you just want to run your fingers through also helps.

“Then let me take an idea from your playbook,” I snarl, step around him and stalk off back toward the way I came. I try to keep my pace even so they don’t see how rattled I am after seeing them. When I hear them running after me, I bite back the growl that wants to break free and stop me in my tracks as I wait for them to cage me in. Where was this persistence before?

This time when the three of them stand in front of me with their masks resting on the tops of their heads, I wasn’t prepared to see their faces. Ezekiel’s blond hair seems longer, his gray-blue eyes are filled with pain. Unlike the others, his ink is hidden beneath his clothes. I look at Archer next and the sight of his features pulled taut in anger just fuels my own. His brown eyes burn with rage as he stares at me, his black hair is slicked flat against his head. Unlike the other two, his ink is everywhere for all to see, wearing his tats like armor.

“Grow the fuck up, Vivian,” Archer snaps. I reel back in shock. “You think we had a choice? We did what we did to save your ungrateful ass and look at where that got us! You wound up shitting on me and marrying my best friend!” The pain is entwined with anger, I hear it in his voice but this motherfucker is tripping if he thinks I will stand here and take the bullshit he is spitting at me.

“I shit on you?!” I scream. I don’t give him a chance to respond. Hayze and Ez back up a step, leaving me and Archer facing off against each other. “You son of a bitch, you shit on me long before that asshole and you know it.”

“How?” he bites back.

“You took my fucking virginity and then acted like it never fucking happened just so you wouldn’t have to face my brother'swrath!” Hayze and Ezekiel both swing their gazes to Archer, I can see their anger wafting off them in waves. “Do you have any idea what that did to me? You fucked me then snuck out of my room. The next morning, I tried to talk to you but you avoided me only to text and tell me it was a mistake and should never have happened.”

“You dumb fuck!” Hayze snaps at his best friend.

“I’m gonna break your fucking jaw,” Ez spits.

Archer throws his hands in the air. “Oh, so you flirting with my two best friends was your way of paying me back? Oh, no, that’s right, your form of payback was changing your fucking last name to match his!” he roars. I stumble back a step. Ez darts an arm out, wrapping it around my waist. Fire instantly burns through me at his touch, but I don’t get a chance to think on it too much because Archer is right there shoving him away from me. “You may be married to her but you don’t fucking touch her!”

Ezekiel pushes forward and gets right in Archer’s face. Hayze drags me back and anchors me in front of him. His warmth instantly seeps into me and I’m powerless to stop myself from inhaling his intoxicating scent. Ezekiel grips the front of Archer’s hoodie and presses his forehead against his.

“She’s my wife, you need to deal with that shit, Arch. I won’t say sorry for marrying her?—”

“It never should have been you!” Archer snaps.

“It had to be me, brother,” Ez whispers. I hear the hint of regret in his tone and that shit hurts. I pull free of Hayze’s hold and don't spare any of them a look or even utter a word as I stalk off again. This time I don’t stop when I feel the three of them trailing after me. I keep my head down the entire walk back to the dorms. I want to scream at them to fuck off and stop following me, but I know from years of experience with them that they won’t listen to me. All my shouting will do is invitethem to talk to me more and that is the last thing I want. When I round the corner and spot the dorm building up ahead I almost sigh out loud.

As we draw closer I notice a couple coming from the opposite direction. I envy how loved up they look in the shadows. He has his arm around her as she huddles into his side, laughing at something he said. They step into the light at the same time as we do and then everything freezes as the guy and I lock eyes. My breathing hitches, my heart skips a beat and I suddenly feel like I’m five years old again under the pressure of his gaze. Shock is plastered across his face, his mouth is slightly ajar at the sight of me.

“Vi?” I tear my gaze from him and look at the girl who is staring at me like she has seen a ghost. I can’t even force a smile as I turn back to the guy at her side. When I feel the three behind come in closer that’s what seems to snap everyone out of their haze.

“What the fuck are you three doing here?” Vox snarls. Nova dropping her gaze to the ground and has me cocking my head to the side. The instant she lifts her head and locks eyes with someone behind me—I’m betting it’s her brother—I know without a doubt that this wasn’t some coincidence, they set us up.

I take a couple steps away from them to keep them all in my line of sight as I speak to Ezekiel. “Did you really think this was a good idea, setting everyone up to be in the same place?”

The dick doesn’t even look ashamed about his actions. I look to Archer and Hayze next and at least both of them don’t look guilty so I think we all have Ezekiel—the snake—Tempest to thank for this little reunion. We may be outside but I feel like I’m trapped between my past and my future. I closed the door to this part of my life. I moved on from the five of them and claimed my place as the lordess. None of them thought I was strong enoughto lead… well, Nova did in a sense but I saw the doubt in her eyes on the Night Of The Saints when I set them all free. Even though they betrayed me I gave them the gift of their freedom. What a fucking fool, right?

“Yes. None of you would have agreed to this if I hadn’t arranged it,” he answers without missing a beat. Vox growls and attempts to close in on Ez but Nova steps in front of him, placing her hands on his chest, halting his movements. I never thought I would see the day where a girl had any type of control over my brother but here we are.

“Vox, he’s my brother,” Nova pleads as she looks up at him.

Vox drops his gaze to Nova. “And that is the only reason I haven’t fucking snapped his neck for what he did to my sister, witch.” The other three say nothing. I shoot them a look, waiting for one of them to say something, any fucking thing to show they have changed but as usual, Vox’s word is law and they always submit to my brother. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out to see it’s David calling. I say nothing to the others as I answer the call and head for the dorms. They shout for me to come back but I don’t listen, I bring the phone to my ear as I punch in the code and stalk inside.

“David, I’m assuming something went wrong since you are calling me this late?” I say it as a way of greeting.

“Lordess.” His tone is low and he sounds stressed.

“What happened?” My tone is firm. I quicken my pace to get to my room quicker so I’m not having this conversation out in the open.

“YourBird—”That’s what we have been calling the fucker that leaves me letters, it seemed fitting since the bastard always manages to escape our grasp and flies away before he can be caught. “Upped his game, I think this trip to CHU may need to be cut short.”

“Why? What happened?” I grit out as I push my bedroom door open and sigh in relief that my roommate isn’t here. I lock the door before making my way over to the empty desk and dropping into the chair.

“You aren’t properly protected there. At least if you are here we can have around the clock guards tracking your movements.” The slight hysteria in his voice is putting me on edge.

“David, what the fuck happened?” I grit out.

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