Page 37 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

What did they expect from me? That I would just open up and let them in after all these years? We didn’t know each other, not anymore. They didn’t know the truth about King and the cities. If I had to push them away to keep them safe, then that’s what I’d do.

I take a minute to gather myself and my fucked-up emotions, before turning to the rest of them.

Axel’s sneer is firmly back in place, no longer avoiding me.

Kai’s brows are drawn together, his head cocked to the side as he watches me. Rion is staring right through me as though he’s seeing past the mask I wear.

“What are you doing here?” I clear my throat avoiding their intensive gazes.

“We could ask you the same thing?” Axel jeers.

I give him a look of disbelief. “I live here, dickhead.”

Axel drops the sneer looking confused. “You live here?”

“Above the club, yes.”

The guys share another one of their secret looks I was no longer a part of.

“Something that will change.” Rion crosses his arms staring me down as if I’d drop to my feet and obey his command.

“Well, what King wants, he gets, so unless you have a spell that changes his personality then you’re going to have to deal with it.”

Another look shared between the guys. This time one filled with confusion and suspicion.

Shit! Why couldn’t I just keep my mouth shut around them?

“Stepdaddy too overprotective of his little princess?” Axel mocks.

“Fuck off, Axel! And don’t call him that!”

“What, Daddy?” Axel’s smirk turns cruel seeing he’s pushed a button.

“DidDaddynot getyou the newest phone?”

The shithead hadn’t a clue what I went through or how fucking demented King was.

“Shut it!”

I feel myself unravelling in front of them, losing the cool and collected persona I usually wore like armour.

Axel’s harsh chuckle scrapes off my ears like a course rug.

One little taunt and I was losing it?

I was stronger than this. I lasted six years of torture, and this dickhead wasn’t going to break me with some fabricated bullshit.

I’m about to let loose on Axel when Kai gives him a hard look.

“Enough.”

Axel glowers at Kai’s command. “She—

“Leave it, Axel!” Rion growls, his gaze staring straight at me.

Axel looks over at me and whatever he finds makes him pause and frown.

I didn’t need this. I didn’t need them.

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