Page 80 of Pretty Spiteful

“I plan to do a lot more than just that,” he says so seriously that I’m momentarily taken aback.

However, a new wave of anger surges. “How could you be so fucking stupid?” I demand. “You think she won’t do the same thing to you? You think she isn’t going to go running back to her nice little life as soon as this psycho is caught? She’s going to do to you what she did to me.”

“Haven’t you been listening to a word she says?” Hawk argues with a scowl and fuming eyes. “Things won’t be like last time. She’s not the same person she was at eighteen, and neither am I. Neither are you, for that matter.”

“No, I’m not,” I agree, “becauseof her.”

Hawk rolls his eyes, pissing me off with his nonchalance. “You need to stop blaming her for all your problems.”

I gape at him for a full minute. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“She didn’t hurt you on purpose. It’s not like shemadeyou fall for her. None of us could have known how messy things were going to get. I really think if you’d just talk to her, that it would clear the air.”

“I can’t believe what I’m fucking hearing. Her pussy must have manifested magical abilities because it’s obviously scrambled your brain.”

“Hey!” Hawk growls in warning. “Watch it. I get that the way things played out, you got burned, but she was always going to leave, man. Didn’t matter if it was the start of summer or the end. She was always leaving, you just didn’t want to accept that.”

“I would have gone with her!” I yell into his face. “I just needed more time to be sure, but I would have gone with her.”

Hawk’s eyes widen, his shoulders dropping some of their tension. “Did she know that?”

My body tenses before I drop his gaze. “No, she didn’t. But that doesn—”

“Itcouldhave changedeverything,” he argues.

“Whatever,” I snap, refusing to give his words any bearing. “I’m not ready to forgive her yet.”

“Fine, but hopefully, with all that punishing you’re doing, you’ll realize your problems run deeper than just Emilia’s hurt. You showed up at Pac with shadows on your tail. All she did was send them scurrying into the corner, and when she left, they re-emerged with a vengeance.” My eyes narrow as he purses his lips. “But Wilder, it’s not her job to banish whatever it is you refuse to deal with.”

With gritted teeth, all I can do is scowl at him before storming back out of the gym. Stomping up the stairs, I head straight for the front door, not even stopping to grab my coat to fend off the autumn weather.

What-the-fuck-ever.

Hawk has no idea what he’s talking about. He didn’t even know me back then. My fingers subconsciously touch my side before I rip them away with a snarl. I’ve accepted that part of my past. Accepted that it was my fault. Accepted that I was reborn in those ashes into this uncaring, selfish bastard. Emilia made me forget for a little while, but ever since she left, I’ve been seeing clearly again.

This is who I am. Who I was always meant to be.

And it’s time Emilia realized that.

My feet hit the pavement, and I turn left down the street with no destination in mind. Just anywhere away from this house.From her.At least when Hawk was on my side, I could vent to him. I doubt he will be quite so understanding now that he’s getting his dick wet.

Pathetic asshole.I should have known he would cave sooner rather than later. I’m still not convinced it’s anything other than sex. It’s not like Hawk has ever wanted anything more from a girl. Even with Emilia, it was simply her pussy he was after. Whatever the fuck that woman is hiding in her vagina, it’s like catnip to our dicks.

And now she’s got her hooks in Kai, too. Poor man. She’s dangling a fucking plastic fish in front of his face and hoping he’ll take the bait. And because he’s a red-blooded male—not to mention a huge fan of the big, tough bodyguard trope—he’ll fall for it, hook, line, and sinker.

I’m still stewing in the heat of my anger when the squeal of car brakes has my head snapping up to where a blacked-out car has slammed to a stop at the curb beside me.

Three men wearing all black with balaclavas hiding their faces spill out, their eyes set on me.

I quickly back up. “What the—”

One launches at me, and I throw my arm out, clocking him in the jaw, but the move has me losing sight of the others. One of the sneaky fucks attacks me from behind, grabbing my arms and attempting to restrain me.

I fight against him, but three-on-one is not a fair fight, and I’m quickly overwhelmed. Zip ties snake around my wrists, securing them behind me, and I’m unceremoniously shoved into the back of the car. A hood is thrown over my head, and the world goes black. The driver presses down hard on the accelerator, and I’m pushed further into the seat as we speed away from the house.

No one has any idea where I went, and given the way I stormed out of there, it will be a while before they even know to come looking for me.

Fan-fucking-tastic. Just one more thing I can blame Emilia for.

---