Page 59 of A Sky of Storms
“Never said it did,” she snapped back. “Do you still want the ring or are you going to let your pride get in the way of sense?”
“Did you fuck me so I would stay? Seal the deal?” I asked, facing her. Her lips were swollen, her dark hair even more of a tangled mess than it had been. “Is that how you keep Noah and Zane around? Have you made deals with them too?”
“You’re such a dick!” She threw her hands in the air. “Fuck you!”
“You already did, Princess.” I smirked because I could see she hated that she had. I bet she was fucking pissed that she enjoyed it too.
“You’re such a miserable asshole!”
“And you are sugar and fucking spice.” I scoffed.
“This was a huge mistake,” she snapped. “One I won’t be making again.”
“Princess, you couldn’t handle what I’m packing even if you did. What just happened? It was foreplay compared to what I can really give.”
“You wanna talk about it, go see a therapist.” Her eyes flared. “I don’t care to hear about the dark shit you do in the bedroom.”
I walked towards her, pressing her back against the tree. “In the bedroom, in public, after watching the light from my enemies’ eyes go out…” I shrugged, wrapping my hand around her throat. Her breath sharpened as my hand tightened, but she didn’t shove me off, instead she pressed closer. Fuck, despite what I’d said, I knew she could take it. All the fucked-up things she accused me of enjoying—the things I knew she’d enjoy too. If only she wasn’t so fucking infuriating. I released my hand, stepping back and sneering. “Unfortunately for you, I’m not interested in Zane’s sloppy seconds. He can keep you.”
Her eyes burned and she stepped forward. “You fu—”
“Guys, hate to break up what looks like a pleasant discussion between two mature people, but can you stop for a second?”
I turned to see Noah striding towards us, twigs snapping beneath his boots. He didn’t show any sign of knowing that we’d fucked, but then again, the guy was good at hiding. Not that I cared if he knew or not. It was a release. Nothing more.
“I’m leaving,” I announced.
“Yeah, great decision. Really smart for survival, Ace,” Noah replied. “That monster was proof that we need to all stick together. We made a deal to watch each other’s backs before, this is no different.”
Why were these people so adamant about protecting each other? I didn’t need anyone. I had my gang, but even then I didn’t expect them to stick around. Everybody leaves, it was just human fucking nature.
I still needed the ring though…
“Fine,” I huffed, and without looking at the Princess I stormed through the trees to their shelter. When I reached the hut, Zane was sitting inside, a hand pressed to his side and Kendra asleep with her head on his shoulder.
“The roof is missing,” I commented, looking up at the night sky. “You thought this place was safe?”
“They need to rest,” Noah said, walking into the hut with Fallon a step behind. “We can find somewhere new in the morning.”
“Whatever.” I shrugged, my eyes unintentionally finding Fallon’s like a magnet. I had a feeling I was going to regret my decision—among other things I’d done tonight. What had happened between me and the princess had changed nothing between us except for making me hate her more. I wasn’t like Zane or Noah. I wasn’t going to fall victim to her manipulative shit.
Themarshlandwaseerilyquiet for the first time since arriving after the guys had taken down that monster. We’d spent the better part of the morning searching for a safer place to bed down. Thankfully, Kendra knew of a garrison like the one Kayden had commandeered, and I was praying it would be empty when we arrived.
Guilt speared through me as I sneaked a peek at Zane. Naturally, he was in his usual cheery mood today, despite the injuries he’d received fighting yesterday. I’d done my best to lure the beast away, but it was smarter than I’d given it credit, turning back for easier prey … or so it had thought before Ace killed it.
Zane had excitedly told me about it numerous times last night as I’d patched him up, much to Ace’s delight. The guy had a permanent scowl on his face, and I was beginning to wonder if he knew how to crack a smile at all.
He was prowling on the other side of Noah now through the forest, his jaw set and his movements stiff as we approached the looming tower in the distance.
Zane’s arm wrapped around my shoulder, and I snuggled into his warmth with a sigh, smirking at the lion’s smile he gave me that promised we’d finish what we started yesterday morning.
I sighed. And yet, last night I’d stooped to cavorting with a psycho like Ace. I had to stop myself from groaning. What the hell was I thinking? I could admit there was something sexy about a bad boy—what is it about a dark-haired, broody asshole that makes me forget my morals and better judgements?—but Ace was a gangster, a murderer, and a thief … he was almost as bad as my parents, and I sure as shit wouldn’t allow a guy like him to land his ass on the throne, fine as said ass may be.
Had it been the adrenaline? The realisation that any day out here could be my last? After what I’d done to Mark, what happened between Ace and me should have been the last thing on my mind. I’d killed a man, and not just in defence but in a violent, emotionally fired act.
I still wasn’t sorry.
Maybe I was more broken than I realised. Maybe my parents had fucked me up so bad the lines between right and wrong had become too blurred. Andmaybethat’s why I’d let my animal instincts take over and Ace and I had collided in yesterday’s hate sex. As much as I despised the man, I had to admit, I could see some similarities between us. He was just as broken as I was and just as determined. We both had seen and done bad things and that sort of shit leaves a mark on your soul. We were branded by those who had raised us but were now forging our own paths. Ace was a survivor, just like me.
