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The chime on the door rings, and Ms. Lissa hurries away, heading down the hallway that leads out back. I stand in shock, staring at the dresses and then at Holly, who peeks her head in, her smile melting off her face the moment she sees me.
“Get your brothers. Now!” I say, dodging past Holly to head toward the back hallway. I only peek my head in, seeing a couple of closed doors and what looks to be a back exit.
“Kinsey, what’s the matter? What happened?” Arsenio grabs my wrist, easing me away from the hallway, taking the spot I filled. “Are you hurt? What’s going on?”
I shiver, my heart racing. “I was threatened by that attendant. She gave me a message to pass on to you.”
Arsenio growls and charges into the hallway, kicking open the first door to check inside. I stare behind him, not wanting to take my eyes off the situation. I worry about Arsenio and any sort of confrontation.
Warm hands slide around my waist as Enzo tugs me back. “Tell me—”
“Brother, get in here.” Arsenio’s voice bellows through the air. “Kinsey call for medical. There’s a beta tied up and unconscious.”
My legs wobble as I yank from Enzo and head back toward the couch for my phone. Holly already presses her cell to her ear, calling for a medic. My head spins with a dozen emotions. Why is the world out to get us? It’s as if the only way to make it in this world is to be worse than our enemies. Because those who try to do good only get hurt in the process.
“What was the message, sugar? What did the attendant say?” Arsenio returns to me, leaving Enzo to tend to the worker, who must’ve been attacked so that the passing omega could get close to me.
I want to think that we should’ve been better prepared, but there was no way of knowing. We thought she was handled. Madame Tamsin wasn’t supposed to bother us again. But there’s nothing like an eternal grudge that an alpha will carry.
“She wants the omegas you guys picked up. An alpha claims they belong to her. I think it was Madame Tamsin.” I rub my hands together, shifting on my feet. “She’s insane. We can’t do that to these omegas.”
“We won’t. Tamsin thinks she can manipulate us like everyone else, but they don’t know what we are capable of. She won’t be a problem for long. I’ll ensure it myself tonight. You have my word.” Arsenio touches my chin.
“I want to go with you to the Vixen Lounge. I need to see it for myself. I need to be there for her Gorgeous Girls.” I expect him to deny me. I expect him to want to lock me away until he and his brothers murder all of our enemies.
But he doesn’t.
He slowly nods his head. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll stand by your side. That club is ours. Tamsin will regret ever thinking she was strong enough to control anything in a territory. We’ll make her pay.”
Chapter seventeen
Kinsey
Revenge
WhenWildercommandedJudeto gather their army, I didn’t expect it to be so many people. Where I grew up, things were run by gangs, and gang wars usually consisted of one or two vehicles with a couple of alphas and weapons.
Our sedan rides in the middle of a caravan of ten SUVs, with at least sixty members of the Gilded Sands Pack. Many are betas, but they’re well prepared and heavily armed. My guys are no longer playing around. There’s too much at stake. They’ll make a name for themselves.
No one fucks with the new kings of Gilded Sands.
“I need you to pay close attention, Kinsey. You’re coming with us because I’m not letting my brothers or myself handle this alone, and I’m not leaving you alone at the palace. You’re not a soldier. You’re our queen, and we will make you the face of our fight for power. You will not leave my side. Do you understand? We’re not going easy on anyone.” Wilder touches my chin, turning my face, forcing me to meet his icy blue eyes. “Blood will be shed. We have been trying not to be the monsters others are, but I don’t see a choice. I’m not giving in to Madame Tamsin’s demands. It was bad enough that I had to do so temporarily with Rommel. If you don’t think you can stomach it, tell me now.”
A part of me wants to tell him that I can’t. I can’t watch as our pack storms into the Gutter District, taking out anyone who stands against us. Because this is a hostile takeover. This will get us recognized as the brutal monarchy of Gilded Sands, and it might even cause problems with the Saint Vista Pack Regimes. But again, we don’t have a choice. I recognize that now. Sometimes you have to be a villain to save the day.
Especially when everyone else are monsters.
Does it make it right? I don’t know. After what I’ve been through, all I can think about is destroying everything to rebuild as I was destroyed and made stronger. Of steel and bulletproof glass instead of the porcelain my parents raised me to be as an omega.
“Give me a weapon, and I’ll stand beside you.” I hold my hand out to Wilder.
Enzo sets a sheathed blade on my palm. “No, baby. You’re going to stand behind him and in front of me. It’s Desmond and Arsenio you’ll be beside.”
I try not to smirk at his words and fail.
“Now is not the time, brother. We’re almost there. Word might have already spread, so we need to be on guard. We may not have the element of surprise we need.” Wilder squeezes my hand. “But he’s right. You’ll be behind me.”
The glowing city of the Gutter District looms ahead of us like a deceptive mirage. From here, it looks like it’s blooming with life, the lights blinding the fact that within the concrete and steel city lies those built with knives and hate. Those desperate and without. It’s a city built on the backs of others as the leaders walk on them as if the streets are made of the flesh and bones of the weak.
