I bend down until we are eye level and ignore the lights of the approaching cars. I stare into her blue eyes. “Half of what you hear and all of what you see, Tink. What do you see when you look into my eyes?” I push on, not allowing her to answer. “Can you see the hate? What about disgust?” She doesn’t shy away. “Do you see the hunger for your blood? I told you I wanted tocarve the flesh from your bones and hold your heart in the palm of my hand as it beats for the last time, then slice your lips from your face and hang them above my bed.” I wrap my other arm around her waist and pull her flush against me as I ghost my lips over hers. “I crave your pain, your hurt, your fall from grace, and long for the day that I get to taste your blood on my tongue and know I was the one who destroyed the Princess of Somerset.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
TOREN
His words are a sledgehammer to my heart. It beats inside my chest but I feel like it’s already been ripped out and sits in the palm of his cruel hand. He warned me, he told me straight to my face he would destroy me, but I ignored the warnings. In my fucked up head I thought I could fix him because, if I fixed the god of darkness, then maybe… just maybe there would be a chance for me to be fixed.
Oh, I was so wrong.
Xaden doesn’t want to change, he accepts who he is and embraces the darkest parts of himself without remorse. He is a cold blooded killer. He murdered my friend right in front of me and yet, I stand here with his dried cum between my thighs and inside me, spitting on the death of my friend just by being in his pressence… but I’m a fucking moth to his flame.
The lights of the approaching vehicles carrying Caspian and his men doesn’t distract me from his vortex of a gaze. Those gray eyes sear me, seeing right through me but he doesn’t see the secret I hide. He just sees a filthy Kellar standing before him and I will use that against him in this war. I’ll reclaim my power. I’ll never be powerless again in this fucking war I was dragged into.
I’ll use the power of the Denver Kings to help me be free of them all and raise my child alone. I won’t allow the darkness of my past to taint my future.
I inhale and taste his breath on my tongue, his lips ghost over mine and I hate how my body heats just from his nearness.
“I told you I would never lie to you,” I say quietly. “My heart is yours to do with as you please.” I press forward until my lips pressed against his, then pull back enough to look at him. “But, be warned, I’m not the same girl you first met. I’m hardened and angry. I know the truth and won’t be blindsided again. You will get your chance to stand against me in this fight, just make sure when I pull the rug out from under you that you are prepared to pull that trigger because I won’t hesitate.”
At the sound of car doors opening he releases me with a shove and I have to bite back my smirk. He may be under my skin but I’m under his as well and it’s fucking with his head. I’ll use every advantage I can until the time comes for me to take over.
“Toren!” I turn away from Xaden to see Harper running at me. I spy Carn out of the corner of my eye ready to stop her from getting to me so I hold my hand up, halting him. She slams into me hard enough to knock the air out of me. Her arms band around me like a noose, then she buries her face into the crook of my neck and weeps. I stand here stiff and confused by her hysterics that it takes me a second to return her embrace.
I watch Xaden over her shoulder stalk toward Cas and the rest of his men. My eyes widen. I recognize some of the guys stepping out of the five cars as they go to our school! Harper pulls back, drawing my attention back to her. She swipes away her tears with the backs of her hands. Her eyes dart behind me and I know it’s because Carnage, Halo, Vatican, Pope and Omen stand there.
She shakes her head and focuses back on me. Worry and fear shine in her eyes and I feel a pang of guilt for being the reason for that look. “Are you okay?”
I force a smile and nod. “Yeah. I’m okay, Harp.”
The tension drains out of her and her shoulders drop. “I’m assuming those guys behind you are the Denver Kings that Caspian is so pissed about?” The devilish glint in her eyes has me smiling.
I nod. “Yes, they are here to help me.” Her brows draw in as she studies me and I can see the question burning in her eyes but I push on. “When I get a chance, I will explain everything.”
She sighs and nods. “Okay. But, Tor, I’m sorry about Kellan.” I suck in a sharp inhale and nod, unable to utter a single word past the lump in my throat.
“We clear each level, subdue the staff and release the prisoners.” I look over at Xaden and take in the sight of him pacing in front of his men. He looks like the devil preparing his hellhounds to go and reap souls. Darkness is like a cloak that clings to him even with the sun beginning to make its presence known. It’s almost like he repels the light.
“Jason will be here shortly with a bus to take the prisoners away from here. All the staff is to remain for questioning before we burn this place down,” Cas adds, sounding just as authoritative as his friend.
“We’ll cover your back, but stay by us,” Halo says from beside me. I nod but don’t look away from Xaden and Cas as they instruct their men. When Xaden finally turns to storm the walls of my hell, our eyes lock for a split second and the look in those gray eyes robs me of air. I see the excitement and hunger for the kill. He doesn’t attempt to shield his emotions from me, he wants me to see him and know who I have let inside me.
Carnage grips my arm and drags me inside with them while Xaden’s men break off and begin to circle the building.
“You stay behind me at all times. You move when I say, you breathe when I tell you to. Am I clear?” Carnage says in a tone I have never heard him use before.
“Got it,” I answer timidly.
“She stays here,” Xaden snaps, drawing my attention to him and Cas to see Caspian has Harper’s arm gripped in his clutches.
“I want to be able to recall every detail of this place in case we need it and she is the way to do that before we burn it down.” My brows draw in at Cas’s words and Xaden’s expression mimics my own.
“How the fuck is your pet gonna do that?” Xaden snaps impatient.
“She has a eidetic memory.” Caspian’s declaration has me snapping my gaze to Harper, who is looking down at her shoes in defeat. I didn’t know that about her. What a burden it must be for her to recall every detail of her life. I know that sounds stupid coming from me since I was actively trying to remember, but there are moments of shame I am so grateful I can forget unlike my poor friend.
“Fine, breach the back. I don’t trust those cunts so I’m shadowing them,” Xaden says, then jogs over to us. I expect him to breeze past the six of us but he surprises the hell out of me when he snaps his arm out, grips my hand, then pulls me after him. I look back to see Carnage stewing in outrage but Pope holds him back as Xaden and I make our way toward the front of the building.
In my head I thought he would slink against the wall and do it like they do in the movies, instead he stands in front of the door, lifts his leg ready to kick the door open, then raises his gun in his free hand. I tug on his arm, pulling him off balance and earning a snarl from him.
