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“Reign, get your fucking dogs back in line,” she snaps, looking over at me. “And get the fuck out of my house. The press will have a field day with this shit just like your shit show of a life.”
“You aren’t even going to apologize?” I genuinely can’t believe her.
“For what?” she retorts. “We both do what we have to do to get on top. We play the game, Reign, and you can pretend all you want that you don’t, but we both know that’s a lie. If you’re in this world, you’ve played the game. Fucking Tucker wasn’t personal, so get the hell over it.”
“You nasty bitch.” I shake my head in disbelief, even as my wound rips open from wondering if she’s right. Am I no better than her?
“Me?” She steps closer, looking down her nose at me. She’s wearing the expression she perfected to tear down those she thinks are below her. “You’re nothing, Reign. Just a has-been rock star who’s too dumb to even capitalize on her cheating fiancé. You’re still that scared little street girl.”
“Stop it.”
“You’re still that country bumpkin with the dead little brother. I’m betting he’s so happy he’s not alive to see the mess you are now—” Her words cut off as Dal wraps his arm around her neck. “You can’t do this!” she coughs out.
“She can’t, but I can,” Dal states coldly. “I’ve killed many people, Miss Warner. You would just be another name on a list I don’t give a fuck about, but her? I give a fuck about her, and you have upset her. You are going to apologize, and you are going to beg for her forgiveness.”
“Dal,” Raff warns.
He squeezes his arm tighter, making her struggle as her face turns red. “You will get on your knees like you did for her fiancé, and you will beg her for mercy. She will decide if you live or die.”
“Reign,” Raff hisses, and I nod.
“Dal, let her go.” His eyes go to me, and I see the question there. He would kill her, a famous model, simply for disrespecting and upsetting me.
I think I might be falling in love with this man, even if he is batshit insane.
“She’s not worth it,” I whisper, shaken at the mention of my brother. She’s the only person I ever told, but I didn’t tell her everything, and I’m glad for that now. Worry still gnaws at me. Will she sell that story too? Will she tell them all about the past I would do anything to forget? “Let her go, Dal.” He promptly releases her, and she tumbles to her knees, clawing at the carpet as she coughs and splutters.
I crouch before her. “I like seeing you scared and humbled,” I tell her. “You’re right, I’m a mess. I play the game, and I play it well. I didn’t get where I am without faking my smile and giving them what they want—the pretty innocent schoolgirl, the bad girl, the fiancée . . . I played them all, and I played them all well, so trust me when I tell you this. I can play the grieving ex-friend if you cross me again.” Her eyes widen. “I saved your life tonight, but I won’t do it again. If you dare speak another word about me, or we so much as find out you are even speaking to reporters, then I’ll let Dal finish the job, understood?”
She nods, tears falling from her eyes.
“You’re an ugly crier,” I tell her sweetly. Standing, I smirk down at her. “Oh, and Sal? If you ever mention my brother again, forget Dal. I’ll kill you myself.” I look back at them. “Let’s go.”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like it was enough,” Astro comments, pushing from the door. “Are you satisfied, Reign?”
“Not at all.” My eyes land on her glass jewelry box. I kick the podium, and it tumbles and crashes. Glass shatters everywhere as Sal screams.
“Now, Miss Harrow.” I freeze at Raffiel’s voice as he heads my way. “If you are going to do it, at least do it right.” He pushes a vase over, and it smashes to the floor. “Get the rage out, baby,” he whispers. For a moment, I thought he was going to stop me and realize they are bodyguards, not accomplices, but I should have known better.
Laughing, I grab a dress and rip it as she watches. Dal places his foot on her back, keeping her in place as she cries while he grins at me proudly. “Keep going,” he urges.
I start to smash the room up, getting out all my anger, hurt, and betrayal. I rip seams out of dresses and designer clothes. I break heels off shoes and toss them into the pile before breaking jewelry. When I reach the perfume bottles, I sweep my arm across the top, shoving them all to the floor while I laugh. When it’s done, I’m panting and grinning, and Cillian comes over. “Feel better?”
“Much,” I admit. “Alright, time to go.”
He nods, but I glance back to see Sal sobbing on the floor. Taking pity, I head her way.
“Oh, and if you report any of this, well, you get the picture.” I wink as I pat her cheek. “I hope the house was worth it because I know for certain his dick was not.”
I tug my mask back down and offer my hand to Dal. He accepts it, and we leave her crying in the middle of the mess, hurrying out the way we came, but instead of the back gate, I use the front one. No one will give a fuck, and we aren’t hiding anymore. As we round the corner, barking reaches us, and we slide to a stop. Lunging on a metal lead, barking in fear and confusion, is a fluffy Samoyed.
“She left her dog outside. The monster!” Dal hisses.
“We need to go before she calls the police,” I tell him.
“She won’t,” Raffiel assures me. “But we should still leave.”
“The dog?” I frown at it. She never had a dog when we were friends. It’s clearly a puppy and living outside. She hid it behind the wall so her paparazzi can’t see it, and I have no doubt that she uses it for photoshoots. Poor little man.
