Page 46 of Devious Kingpin
Still nobody was following me. I could hardly believe my luck.
I kept driving, my mind in a state of turmoil. I had no idea how I got there, but the next thing I knew, I was pulling up at my destination. The lookout that would have usually been busy with tourists was empty this time of day. Stepping out of the car, my legs were shaking as I ignored the stones that bit into my bare feet. Each step closer to the edge of the cliff almost brought me to my knees, yet I stood. I probably looked tall and proud, but in truth, I felt broken.
It didn’t matter because as I stood on the edge, pebbles digging into my feet, I finally felt free.
Free for the first time since I was raped.
Free for the first time since I learned who I was.
Free for the first time since I started to make those accountable for my pain pay.
I stared at the ledge of the steep mountain, the breeze pushing against my dress. Almost as if it demanded I take a step back. Instead, I tempted fate and took another step closer.
For some stupid reason “Hush Little Baby” played in my mind. Not the children’s version, but the one sung by Ashley Ryan. I never had a mama who protected me. Aunt Aisling couldn’t protect herself, never mind me. She’d been too focused on Wynter’s career to see the signs. Besides, the same was too great to admit it to anyone else. It was my cross to carry. My burden.
So I’d taken matters into my own hands. By now, they were drenched with blood. It only took learning about my birth parents’ brutal death to push me into a murderous rage. I lowered my eyes, almost expecting to see my palms stained red.
They weren’t. The French manicure and white dress mocked my lost innocence. It almost made me laugh at the irony.
Balling my fists around the lace, I closed my eyes. Maybe it all had become too much. The sins. The lies. The pretense.
Even now, it led me into a forced marriage.
Dante wouldn’t want me if he knew the true me. The damaged me. I hid it all underneath my rebellion and not even my cousin, who had known me my entire life, could spot it.
A scream bubbled in my throat. I was that lost girl again. Terrified and alone. I didn’t scream that night all those years ago. I only cried and begged.
But today, I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I let out a scream so loud that it scratched my throat. The breeze carried it down the canyon, right along with my pain and memories. I had tried so hard to keep them locked away. I had tried so hard to convince myself it didn’t happen. That it had happened to someone else.
Yet, here I was. It would seem ghosts did have a way of catching up to you.
I lifted one foot and inched further to the edge. Was this the end of the road for me? There was no more earth to step on. Only thin air.
Adrenaline twisted with fear shot through my bones and warned me to take a step back.
I should end it all, my mind whispered. But could I do that? Wasn’t I stronger than that? I was scared, but maybe also just brave enough to try and push through it. Maybe I could just let Dante fuck me and—
My breath cut short. Goosebumps rose on my skin and cold sweat beaded over my forehead. A shiver of terror zapped down my spine. It was irrational. I’d tried for so long to get rid of that fear of being suffocated. A body heavy on top of mine.
My lungs tightened. My head swam. Despite the fresh air and the wind, it felt like oxygen was in short supply.
One minute I was standing still, wind in my hair and horror in my heart. The next, a set of strong and warm arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me backward.
“What—”
“If you jump, Juliette, so do I,” Dante said, his voice muffled against the back of my head. “You want to fly, my wildling? We’ll fly together.”
Panic punched through me, but oddly enough, it was quickly replaced by a relief so strong, I felt tears burning in my eyes. My body started to tremble. My hands covered his strong forearms, nails digging into his skin.
Then to my horror, tears came. Sobs shook my body. Salt stained my lips, bruised from chewing on them nervously over the last twenty-four hours. The buttons of his shirt pressed against the skin of my back, his breaths hot against the nape of my neck.
“Come on, Juliette. Let’s go home.”
I shook my head, sobs wracking my body. But when he tugged me another foot backward, I let him. Then he gripped my hips and pulled me further back and away from the edge. My head fell back against his chest, the familiar scent of him filling my lungs and exhaustion settling into my bones.
“What are you doing here?” I gasped, my voice raspy.
Once we were a distance away from the edge, he turned me around, bringing me face-to-face with him.
