I watch as she storms out, but I don’t move. I know I fucked up. If there is one thing she hates, it’s being called Princess, well, in that way. Sure we have called her Princess before, but not in a way that belittles her. I just did, which was a big fuck-up on my side, so maybe I do need to sleep with an eye open tonight?Stepping out of her room, I walk through and see Zane and Bear sat together discussing business. I glance around, unable to see Emmi.“With Gunner. You best hope she survives.” Bear glances up at me from the laptop.“We heard. You actually called her Princess, Dante.” Zane looks at me in disappointment.“She will be fine. How's that going?” I point to the laptops.“Nothing yet. If they plan to make a move, we will know. They will. There is no way they will walk away quietly. They want both cities. They want the border down, which means this won’t go away,” Bear explains.“It had to be said.” It did.“No, you were just pissed off that Emmi told everyone together inst
I walk over to Gunner, Zane and Bear while smiling sweetly. However, they don’t look at me like I’m an angel. I can’t stop the smile, though, not after all that with Dante.“You stabbed him.” I laugh at Bear’s statement.“He enjoyed it, didn’t you, psycho?” I wink at Gunner.“Doesn’t mean I wanted you to, though. So you can fight, you could have said last night when I mentioned today's plan.” He looks at me, shocked but amazed, and it feels like he sees me as a new challenge in his mind.“I mentioned something about why you all assume I can’t fight. Anyway, let me fix you three.” I take my time cleaning each of their cuts, scrapes and other problems. Maybe I shouldn’t have fought like I was trying to survive?I listen as they talk, discussing things, but not fully paying attention. Finally, my head turns to Zane.“What about Jamie?” I heard him mention Jamie.“Disappeared. Well, kind of. Your mum is keeping it hidden where he is or what for. She got her guards around last night, so th
Dante's FallWe’d planned something for Emmi, something amazing to reassure her we aren’t just using her. Then we split up. I find myself stood beside the car, looking at the house as my guards sweep it, looking for Jamie or any of Solace guards.I know they’re hiding something. Jamie just disappeared, and no one has seen him in the city. I feel something connect with the back of my head, my body falling to the floor as everything goes black.When I wake, my eyes have to adjust to the darkness. I should have been more cautious, ensured I was checking around me. Groaning, I search my pockets, unable to find the phone. I feel a dagger in my pocket and hold it in my hand. Why did they leave me with a dagger? They cleared me of the guns and gave me a dagger?I reach out, feeling across the wall. Slowly I begin to see slightly, but now I wish I couldn’t. I find myself panicking. A fucking cupboard. I feel myself shaking as I try to find an escape, but there isn’t one. Everything, every mem
We rush through the entrance, and I fight my way through the guards to the back. Tim and a few others following me. I reach the stairs and slowly descend down them. We search one room at a time, slowly clearing them of guards. The further along that I get, the more worried I am that they aren’t here, and this really was a set-up. Tim and others scan the room after me as I push the door open.I freeze, seeing Bear barely even moving. A guard is stood next to him with a needle in his hand.“Get him free,” I say as I move towards the guard and pull out a dagger. He isn’t trained to fight, that much is clear. I swing while I duck his hit, plunging the dagger into his neck before slicing it across him, the blood squirting over my body as he collapses to the floor. Rushing to Bear, I watch as they release the final restraint. His eyes are on fire. He pushes Tim and the others out of the way. His eyes searching for something.I move to stand in front of him. “Bear, go home, get cleaned up.”
I rush home. I know Emmi will be fine, she has six more guys with her. I step inside and stop. Everyone is looking at me. “You’re alive.” Dante hugs me, but he looks a mess mentally. I glance at Bear, but he is hiding his face. “Yeah, how are you three?” I look between them. “Nothing that won’t heal with time.” His words are quiet as he glances at Bear. “He’s a mess. He feels more embarrassed than anything, though, with Emmi seeing him like this.” I nod and walk further in. “Where’s Emmi?” Gunner asks. He looks a mess as well. “Clearing up. She’ll be fine. I left six guys with her,” I say as I fall onto the sofa. “This is all her fault. She told her fucking mum everything,” Gunner states, and I nod. “Which she will regret,” Bear whispers and I want to ask how he is, but I know right now asking him won’t help. In his mind, he will want drugs, but he is fighting it. Sitting together, we discuss the way forward, but my mind keeps going to Emmi. “She will be fine,” Dante says. “Y
I leave the building and wipe the blood from my hands. “Take her back and lock her in Gunner’s room. We’ll deal with her later.” I finish cleaning myself up and watch as they drag her into the car. Gunner is sat in the passenger seat, looking spaced out.“Take a break when we get back, Gunner.” We’ve been out all night and morning. He slipped so many times, he needs to come back to earth.“I’m fine,” he says quietly as he stares across the road.“You’re not fine. You had a woman pinned to the wall and threatened to cut her throat because she looks like your mum. Take some time, Gunner. Candice will still be there later, I promise.” I look at him, worried. I can’t believe Emmi told her mum everything. We knew, of course, we did, but I never thought her mum would use it against us.“Okay.” His voice is quiet as I drive, and something tells me he won’t take time, which means Candice will be dead in a matter of minutes, and we won’t get what we need.“I get it, Gunner, but maybe now is th
I wake up in bed with Zane wrapped around me, even though I told him to stay away. Right now, Dante hates me. They all do, and Zane cuddling me won’t help. I try to move, but his hands grasp me tighter. Wiggling free, I climb from the bed. I step across the room, grab out some clothes and pick up a book.Opening it, I sit on the floor and look at the pictures of us all. Me, Jamie, my parents. I feel the tears fill my eyes as I look through them. Jamie was so nice. I remember he was always there for me. Until we were about thirteen. Then he wasn’t. Every year it got worse. Then my father died, and things became more toxic.I look at the picture of us together as babies. Then to my parents, thinking about how they would rather have a child who isn’t theirs and hurt their real child. My head falls forward as I cry. I was destined for death. From the moment they knew I was a girl, I was never meant to live. Their plan always had been to ensure they were released from the burden of me. I f
“Thank you, Emmi.” She smiles at me.“Don’t thank me. Thank yourself for everything you did to me. I know I said you could walk, but I lied. I thought maybe it was time I did that myself. Say one thing and mean something different. Make out like I love you and don’t want you hurt while secretly planning to kill you.” I pick up the cloth and lighter, and someone’s hand grasps mine from behind.“You will burn yourself, little kitten, let me.” Gunner smiles at me. “I have an idea that will help.” He takes the cloth and grabs a dagger. He stabs through the fabric before lighting it and handing it back to me.“The daggers need a much higher temperature to do anything, but the blade will be hot enough to burn.” I take it from him and step closer to my mum.“Emmi, I’m your mum! You can’t kill your mum!” She looks at me, panicking, trying to break free of the restraints.“Mum. Funny word that, right? So because you’re my mum, I can’t kill you, but you, as my mother, can kill me, your daughter