Page 27 of Revenge of a Queen

The way he says princess is nothing like the soft affectionate way Jace says it, but more like he wanted to say whore, but is playing nice. He hasn’t changed over the years, he still has his thin blonde hair slicked back, with too much product and somehow his eyes manage to be the same blue as Asher’s, yet dark and sinister at the same time. I make quick work of checking the surrounding areas by flicking my gaze across the land to see if there is anyone else here, but I come up with nothing.

“I don’t go everywhere with an entourage, my men are fine waiting in the car,” he says cockily, clearly knowing where my line of thought just went. I mean what does he expect me to think, he put a fucking price tag on my head, dead or alive? Who the fuck knows but I won’t take any chances.

“Maybe you should, you never know who you might come across,” I reply, keeping my tone flat and uninterested.

He smirks a mocking smile like the thought of me alone doing something to him is just hilarious to him. He looks me up and down and it takes everything in me not to shudder. Remember your training Elle, remember what Zack taught you, panic will get you killed.

“It’s been a long time, Elle,” he adds, and he almost looks sad about it, like he cares. I guess he does in a way. He doesn’t care about seeing me, he cares about the pay-out he missed out on because of me.

“Not long enough, if you ask me,” I respond without missing a beat. I cannot show weakness, men like Elliot Donovan feed off of it. Catalogue it and use it to grind you down. I won’t allow him that benefit again.

“Visiting our old friend, I see,” he replies, choosing to ignore my last statement and finally breaking his appraisal of me as he cocks his brow at Michael’s headstone.

“Using the word friend, a bit loosely, I see,” I grind out through my teeth. He laughs, fucking laughs. The devil really does have a sick sense of humor, eh?

“Michael and I went way back, further than you think. He just lost his way and chose the wrong side; you know that better than anyone. He’s dead because of you, Miss King.”

Fuck, the urge to whip out my knife and gut him like the fucking vermin he is, is strong. Sure, people would notice but would anyone actually miss him? His victims sure wouldn’t and he deserves it. I don’t think anyone deserves it more, except maybe Greg. I’m biting my tongue so hard I taste blood which is fitting. Blood mixed with a Donovan, it’s practically their signature, they go hand in hand.

I ignore his obvious attempt to rile me up and stand my ground.

“What are you doing here? Michael didn’t like you and I think you know how I feel, so just turn around and leave,” I say with as much confidence as I can muster. Luckily, he doesn’t know me well enough anymore to see how much his presence is affecting me.

“Don’t be like that, we all know you're my favorite King,” he smirks a devilish smile like we are in on some joke together, in a way I guess we are. The world’s fucking sickest joke. “We could be friends?” he continues, and the way the word friends rolls off his tongue almost makes me bring up fucking bile in my throat. I know exactly the type of relationship he would want us to have and it’s far from fucking friends.

“After what you and your son did, I’d say we are beyond ever being friends, don’t you?”

“So, enemies then?” He inquires with a smile so big it could rival the Cheshire Cat.

“Enemies would require me caring enough about you,” I quip back and the lie burns on my tongue and I am sure he can sense it.

“Ah, I see. You know someone cared enough about me to burn one of my businesses to the ground,” he says, watching me for a reaction but I don’t even fucking flinch. I can’t. My life depends on it. I am far too aware that I am in the middle of a graveyard with the most dangerous man in town. Anything is possible at this point. When he sees that I am not giving him a response he takes one last look at Michael’s headstone and then tips his head at me.

“I look forward to seeing you again soon, Miss King.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will, Mr. Donovan,” I gleam at him, imagining how it would feel to plunge my knife into his gut. I watch him walk away, every second imagining the different ways I could make him bleed. Every single one of them doesn't feel like enough. Fuck.

I stand there staring after him until long after he is gone and then I take a deep breath trying to push past our interaction when another voice cuts through the wind, “That was an interesting family reunion,” Marcus' rough voice hits my ear.

I whip around and the sight of him almost breaks me, fuck he looks so bad. He looks nothing like the playful and lusting boy I was with in the alley last night. He looks like he hasn’t slept or digested anything other than alcohol and weed. Fuck. I did this to him. When am I going to stop taking things from him? Stop hurting him?

“Marcus,” my voice comes out in a raspy whisper and I don’t even know if he heard me. All the confidence I held in my interaction with Elliot has completely disappeared. Unlike Elliot, Marcus knows me so well he can practically see what's written on my bones. Or at least he could until I covered myself in lies and secrets.

“Care to shed some light on that little interaction?” he says, but my mind is blank. I have no idea what to say to him or how to keep lying to him. I am just so tired of keeping him in the dark.

“I--” I start but he flicks his wrist, cutting me off.

“Save it,” he says, sensing the lies burning in my mouth and he starts past me to leave.

“Marcus wait---” I begin after him and he whips around.

“I did wait, Elle, for three fucking years I waited. Look where it got me!” He yells back and I don’t know what to say because he is right.

“I’m sorry,” I reply, knowing that those two words will mean nothing but what else can I say? He is right.

“For which part exactly?” He huffs a mocking laugh like he can’t believe I would have the audacity to even say it when it’s so useless.

“All of it,” I say, sadly dropping my shoulders, all of my bravado shattered, because what else can I say? Nothing more without telling him the whole truth.

---