Page 193 of Unmasked

I couldn’t even stop walking as I neared.

“Let’s go.”

My order had both stepping in to follow at my sides. The walk to The Place of No Return was quiet. None of us spoke. I couldn’t have if I wanted to. Wrath ruled me. The main doors opened by the two guards, and the Reeve stood from a bench across from the third door down.

“Your Majesty.”

He held up the key… waiting… knowing…

I took it, turning and heading for the door. Metal ground, and the click was loud as the door unbolted. I swung the heavy barrier open, watching as Lawrence stood from the ground at the back of the room. His gaze was narrowed. Not afraid but expecting.

I shrugged my jacket off, throwing it to the ground. The slap of fabric to stone had Lawrence racing for me. He was fast, but his anger made him stupid. I stepped to the side, wrapping my hand around the back of his head, and pushing him to stone. He slid against the rough surface letting out a frustrated cry.

“Pathetic.”

A loud yell left him, and he jumped to his feet, coming right for me and swinging. I slapped his hand to the side, sending my fist crushing into his cheek, right where Penelope’s face was bruised. Lawrence hit the ground hard, panting as he swayed and got back to his feet.

“Weak. You hit her.” I motioned him forward. “Come hit me. Or maybe I need to be restrained as well. Is that it?”

“Fuck you!”

“Oh… not me. But you...” I laughed. “My guards are going to tear you apart. You raped my queen. Now I’m going to show you all the shades of rape. You’re going to bleed. Scream. You’re going to be so used up by tomorrow night, you’ll have to be dragged into trial. There will be no walking for you.”

His eyes rounded in fear for the smallest moment before Lawrence wiped the blood beginning to trickle down from his nose. Crimson was already dotting his forearms and chest where he’d connected against the stone from my push.

“You’re going to have me raped? By men?”

I didn’t back down as he put himself inches from me.

“Raped. Defiled. Violated. I’m going to have them humiliate you while making you suffer worse than you ever have. And they will gladly do so for their queen. They love her. They admire her. You have no idea how much you fucked up by hurting her.”

“You hurt her.”

“Hurt her?” My head shook. “I’ve never hurt Penelope. I love her enough to die for her.” I shoved him hard sending him stumbling back. My finger pointed right at his face. “What about you? Would you die for her?”

“I am dying for her.”

I smiled. “But not by choice. Poor little fake King Lawrence, always trying to play the hero.” My head shook. “Not this time. You will die the spoiled rapist abuser you are. And you will die the most painful death I can manage. Penelope deserves that after what you’ve done to her.”

“Loved her?”

I took two steps forward, smashing my fist into his mouth, only to crush his cheek with the following blow. He hit the ground hard, swaying from almost passing out.

“If you say that again, I will break every tooth you have with a mallet. You don’t know what love means. I do, and I’m about to show you the difference, because when you love someone, you protect them. You honor them. You kill for them.”

He looked up. “What do you think I’ve been trying to do? You want to sit here and lecture me on love?” Lawrence pointed to Theodore. “I did try to kill for her. I did honor her. I gave Penelope her title back. I gave her Rosemoor and a dozen other properties. I offered to marry her. I did everything right. But you… you ruined that. You fucked with her head. You broke her mind and forced yourself inside. You turned her into a killer. Into a cold, heartless machine. All I did was try to fix what you broke.”

My hand rubbed down my face.

“There is no talking sense into you. I don’t even know why I’m trying. You are the one who is broken, Lawrence. Nothing I say will be absorbed. You will twist it to justify what you’ve done, ignoring the pain you have caused others.”

I held up two fingers.

“You were responsible for the loss of my first child. Right now, Penelope is in the process of possibly terminating my second. Or yours,” I ground out. “We’ll never know because she doesn’t want to. To know would destroy her.”

A roar came from Lawrence.

“She has no right to⁠—”