Page 35 of Revenge of a Queen

I freeze slightly but I see Asher catch it and just when I think he will do what every typical Alpha male would do in this situation and hype the macho shit of, ‘Fuck off I’m not gay,’ he smirks. His eyes take me in from head to toe and darken into a stormy blue before he looks to Jace and says, “In his fucking dreams.”

Oh, if only the little psycho knew the stuff he got up to in my dreams. I lick my lips willing him to play this game with me, “No, in yours, dark prince,” I fire back.

He brings his blue gaze back to mine but before he can say anything, the door swings open and we all freeze. Marcus appears alone and he lets the door close behind him before leaning back against it with a sigh. He stands there in silence for a minute before collecting his thoughts and when he stands to his full height again his stare locks on Donovan’s. Fuck this won’t be good.

He stalks towards him and just when I feel Jace tense beside me like he is ready to intervene with me if need be, Marcus does the last thing I ever expected.

He grips Asher by the neck and pulls him towards him, “We are gonna kill every last one of them for her,” he says simply. Arousal surges into my body, thinking about how it would feel if I were to grab him like that instead of Marcus. I shut it down quickly.

Asher clamps his hand onto his shoulder, “For her,” he responds.

I look at Jace as he looks at me and we both speak at the same time, “For her.”

Asher and Marcus look at us and we all nod before Marcus backs away and slumps back against the wall and slides down until his ass plants on the floor. He looks broken.

I take a step forward, “I know this hurts, brother” I say to him softly and he flinches.

“Hurts?” he says, with his voice laced so pure with anguish as he looks up at all of us. “Fuck. I wish it did hurt. I wish I could feel some pain. All the fucking pain she no doubt felt. I wish it would slice through my body and leave me to bleed out until I could do nothing but fucking feel.” He pounds his fist against his chest, “I feel empty. Weak. Useless. Because somehow a simple dare between friends turned into the worst night of her fucking life. Changed the course of fucking everything and all I did was let it happen,” his voice is so strained with the emotion he is trying to contain. I can’t think what to say to make him feel better, but Donovan beats me to it.

“This wasn’t your fault, Marcus,” he soothes, “You were a kid, she was a kid,” his voice strains a little now too. “You should have been free to play a simple game without this happening. The darkness my father and brother create would make any man sick.”

Marcus’ glare focuses on that statement and I can tell Elle hasn’t even told him the half of what is going on yet. Before he can speak though she emerges, and we all swing our gaze to her. This girl. Four men at her mercy all willing to lay down their life for her without thought. She doesn’t realize how amazing she really is.

She takes us all in, offering us a small, soft smile before she finally turns to Marcus. She crouches down beside him and presses her head against the side of him like just his presence can heal her. I’m sure it will. He pulls back and the look they give each other makes me feel like they are the only two people in the world for each other.

She stands and holds out her hand to him, “Come on, Riv,” she says, as he puts his hand in hers. “Time to make them pay,” she adds as she drags him to his full height before swinging her gaze to the rest of us, “together.”

“Together,” we all respond.

Chapter 21

ELLE

Can you be calm in the midst of chaos?

Whenever I used to think about anyone else finding out about Cassie, it would make my heart race, my throat tighten, and my palms sweat. But here I stand, surrounded by four guys who know my whole truth, and instead of worry all I feel is calm. Like a weight has finally been lifted off my shoulders.

I have no idea what is going to happen next or if we will survive the plans I have in mind, but I do know one thing. We will do it together. Marcus, Asher, and I were always like the three amigos, well to me anyway. One for all and all for one. They may have hated each other, probably still do, but one thing was always more important than that, me. Now, not only do I have both my best friends back by my side but somehow my army of two has grown to four.

Four beautiful, broken, and completely deadly boys who for some reason have chosen to have my back. Do I deserve them? Not a chance in hell. Will I do everything in my power to have their backs? Without question.

I take in each of their expressions and all of their gazes are locked on me.

Asher is holding onto his usual impassive mask that he thinks is impenetrable and it is to most, but not to me. I have seen him on his best days, his worst days, and everything in between. He hates reliving that night just as much as I do, maybe even more. I hope he understands why we had to. Things had to change. There are too many secrets in this town and not enough truths, I didn’t want to keep being a part of that. He has more self-control than anyone I know, yet even I can see that psychotic pulse pumping through his body as he imagines all the ways to gut his own father and brother. All to avenge me. No one’s best friend is better than mine.

Jace has his own dark look. He too is trying to mask it with his sexy little crooked smile that makes most girls fall to their knees. If only those vapid bitches could see the real prize is his heart and not his cock. A heart that is tainted and broken beyond repair but still willing to bleed for those he loves. A heart that even after all the cracks it has endured, still somehow manages to have enough space for me and my daughter. Jace Conrad. A playboy, a man whore, a party starter, and somehow the sweetest soul I have ever met.

Lincoln doesn’t have to hide his emotions but that is mostly because they are always the same ones. Overthinking, calculating, and concerning. It is rare to be blessed with one of his smiles and that just makes them even more heartfelt. He is the type to think before he acts, assess before he attacks, and befriend before he trusts. Yet, for some reason that trust, he so rarely doles out, was given to me blindly and without question. He went against his own morals, his own brothers,all to keep a secret, and protect two girls he didn’t even know. Something I will never be able to repay.

Then there is Marcus. My beautiful River. I wish the emotions on his face were hidden and masked as well as the others. Then I wouldn’t have to see the heartache there. Ever since I came back here and locked eyes with him, I could see he was different, hardened. I knew that was partly because of me but mostly because of Michael. The look in his eyes now though, that is all for me. He looks devastated, destroyed, damaged. All because of a secret I thought I would take to the grave. But that's the thing with secrets they always come out in the end. It’s better he heard it from me.

Should I have told him earlier? Maybe. But that doesn’t matter now, we are here either way. I spoke my truths and he kissed me. Kissed me like he wished his lips could erase any pain I have ever felt. Who knows maybe they could? But the look in his eye now doesn’t make me feel like I have him. Am I his? Yes. I always have been. But is he mine? I thought yes, but that was before. Before that night, before everything that has happened over the last few months, before all the lies. This is the after and I don’t know how we live in the after.

All four of them eye me like I have all the answers. I wish I did. I wish I could just go over to the Donovan mansion right now, with these boys by my side, and put a bullet in the skull of every single one of them. That would be justice. Watching the life drain from their eyes would satisfy me. But would it be enough? Will it ever be enough?

My revenge has been delayed and derailed so many times since I returned that I figure one more day won’t hurt.

“Come on,” I say with a chirpier tone than I feel, and they all frown at me in confusion.

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