Fatal Vengeance: A Dark Enemies to Lovers Romance

36. Prudence

Creed crashes into me so hard that I almost fall on my ass, but then he’s lifting me into his arms and tucking me in tight against his body. His hands are shaking as he cradles me, dropping his forehead to mine and murmuring, ”I couldn’t find you. I told you to wait there for me, but then you were gone. I thought—” He cuts himself off with a curse and then seals his lips to mine in a brutal claiming that stitches my heart back together.

When we part, I whisper, “Never leave me like that again.” I look at Asher and Griffin too, adding, “Any of you. I never want to be parted and feel this agony again. To think I lost you guys, it ripped me apart.”

Griffin comes over and wraps his arms around me from behind, so I’m sandwiched between him and Creed. He presses a kiss to my shoulder, and I know it’s his silent vow to never leave my side for as long as he lives. And I will absolutely hold him to that.

Asher joins us last, hugging all of us in his arms and closing his eyes like he’s at peace with his family all close. “We did it,” he breathes, his voice a mixture of exhaustion, pain, and awe. “We survived the night and ended The Celestials. It’s a fucking miracle.”

I lean my head back on Griffin’s shoulder as I ask, ”How, though? Asher, your dad shot you. I saw your body, I thought…” I trail off because finishing that sentence is impossible.

Asher smiles sadly at me while Creed nuzzles into the crook of my neck and Griffin tightens his arms around me. “You got Creed’s ankles untied. I saw it a moment before those fuckers walked in. He just needed to get his wrists himself and then he’d be free. It was only a matter of time. When I told my dad that hurting you would equal his death, I wasn’t talking about myself.” Asher pauses and looks at his cousin, gripping the back of his neck affectionately. “I had no doubt that you would get yourself free and then rain bloody hell down on anyone you could get your hands on,” he tells Creed, who grins savagely. “When that piece of shit shot me and I went down from the force of it, I— Well, I blacked out, the pain was fucking unbearable, but when I came to, Creed was already free of his ropes, my father was dead, and the FBI was shooting the damn place up. But Prudence, you were gone, and I knew I had to fucking move, so I bit back against the pain and rushed to free Griffin, and then we came to find you.”

Griffin growls under his breath, sending vibrations straight from his chest into mine. ”I”m sorry, baby. I wish we had been faster, that your father never got his hands on you, I—”

“It’s okay,” I offer, cutting off his apology. I don’t need it. The guys aren’t responsible for my father’s actions, and I think I handled myself well, actually. “It’s alright, we’re all alive, that’s all that matters. Get me out of this disgusting place.”

There’s no argument from any of them, each of us more than eager to escape this underground hell hole for good.

Asher leans into Griffin for support from his injuries as the two lead the way, and Creed carries me right behind them. My knee is absolutely killing me, but I haven’t told him that. Creed is simply holding me because he can. Because he needs me close as much as I need to feel his heartbeat beneath my hand.

When we make it back up to fresh air and tall trees, the endless night sky twinkling down on us, I take a long, deep inhale and then breathe out the last of The Celestials.

It’s over.

We won.

And now we can start the rest of our lives.

On our way out of the forest towards where Asher parked the truck, blue and red flashing lights catch my eye and soon enough, I see just how much damage ensued tonight. There are FBI agents and vehicles everywhere on campus, but that’s not the most shocking. No, that would be the raging fire sweeping through Lunar Hall, tearing apart the building with ease.

Creed stops walking to watch the chaos unfold, Asher and Griffin coming to a halt a moment later, and I grin to myself as I watch a few agents escorting some junior members of The Celestials into their SUVs. Heather is amongst them, cuffed and snarling as she’s shoved into the back of one of the vehicles. Her wild eyes find me in the distance, flaring wide when she sees me alive and well, and I flip her off with a smug grin right before the car door closes her in for good.

“Bye, Heather. Have a nice life in prison. I hope you get shanked,” I mutter cheerfully.

Creed snorts a laugh, looking down at me with a smile that’s carefree and happy, even as he’s covered in blood. “I knew you were the woman for me the very first day I met you, Ember. But that just sealed the deal.”

“Is that right? When’s the wedding?” I tease back, half delirious from everything that’s happened tonight. I need a shower, sleep, and possibly a doctor, but all of that can wait while I just enjoy the knowledge that all three of my guys are right here, alive.

“You’ll see, pet. Soon enough,” Asher answers for his cousin, cutting me a look that says he means it.

I breathe out a laugh while the guys start walking for the truck again, wondering how this is real life? How is it my life?

But then I remember that it all started with a plan for vengeance and the three assholes who got in the way. And look where we are now…

Fucking wild.

A few weeks after that fateful night at Blackwood University, I”m lounging on my sister”s couch in her actual home, not the little hide away cabin, and watching the news. Every network under the sun has covered the discovery of The Celestials, and I don”t foresee the media madness dying down anytime soon.

”The cult who ran beneath a prestigious college and got away with atrocious acts is now believed to be entirely dissolved. Any members who survived the FBI raid have been captured and brought in, thanks in large part to an anonymous phone call that started it all and lead the FBI to the unimaginable corruption happening right under everyone”s nose,”the reporter on TV says as she stands before the ruined bones of Blackwood.

The fire spread faster than could be put out, and now the campus is closed indefinitely while the school board scrambles to figure out what to do. Rebuilding might rock the very precarious boat, now that the masses know B.U. was home to such a monstrous and powerful group.

I grin at the screen, pleased to see that damn college destroyed. And happier still to know that anyone who hurt my mom is now gone. I finally got my revenge, and I just hope that wherever she is now, she knows I did all of this for her.

I found the truth and set it free.

Genevieve comes into the room with an apple in her hand, collapsing onto the aged couch beside me. She sighs dramatically. ”How many of these news reports are you going to watch before you believe it”s really over?”

I roll my eyes playfully, grabbing the remote and changing the channel to some home decorating show. ”There, happy?”

She screws her nose up at the screen. ”No,” she deadpans before tossing the apple into my lap. ”The guys are gonna be back any minute, and they will tan your ass when they find out you haven”t eaten anything yet.”

With a filthy smile, I shrug and say, ”That doesn”t sound like an awful way to spend the next few hours of my day.”

Genevieve pretends to gag, and I smack her arm. ”Well, until you four find somewhere more permanent to live, could you at least try to keep the sex sounds to a minimum? Seriously, my fucking ears are going to have lasting damage,” she drawls with a wicked smirk, because of course she can”t even help herself, she just has to rib me.

I scoff because it”s all lies. None of us have had sex in weeks, since before the showdown on campus. Well… okay, Griffin may have woken me up in the dead of night a few nights ago and fucked me nice and slow while Asher and Creed slept, but that doesn”t count since there”s no way Genevieve would have heard it.

My sister shakes her head when I don”t say anything, scooting down on the couch and resting her head on my shoulder. I drop my cheek onto her while she murmurs, ”How are you doing? With the FBI questioning and all the crazy shit coming out?”

I hum a noncommital noise. I don”t know how else to answer her. How am I doing? Well, I hate the constant back and forth with the FBI, but there”s nothing I can do about it. We may have managed to slip away from Blackwood that night and wash all the blood off, but that didn”t mean we were in the clear. That ”anonymous phone call” that Asher made to tip them off about his father”s files didn”t stay anonymous, and only days after we ran from Blackwood University, the FBI had tracked us here, to my sister”s cozy little house, and brought us all in for questioning.

None of us are being charged with anything — even though Creed killed several Celestial elders that night — but the FBI want to know every last detail that we may have so they can solidify their case against any of the members who are still alive, and anyone who was in The Celestials” pocket all this time. It”s draining, and every time I think we”re done, the guys get a call to go back in. That”s where they are today, while I”ve been obsessively watching the news all morning and driving Genevieve insane.

But I can”t help it. It feels like I”m still waiting for another strike against me and my family, like the reality of my safety hasn”t truly set in yet, so watching the news coverage helps put me at ease.

I never did get the chance to speak to my sister”s reporter ex, but she went ahead and pushed it through with just the guys” statements once it was clear the story was about to be huge. Her piece was one of the very first to go live after the mess at Blackwood, and even though I haven”t said as much, I”m glad my personal story wasn”t included. I”m relieved that I didn”t have to share it with the world like that, even if it would have been anonymous.

I don”t want to talk about it right now, but that”s alright, I”ll get there one day. After lots of therapy. Like years of it. Which me and the guys will all be starting in a few weeks, because I refuse to let any of us suffer silently with any of the lasting trauma The Celestials gave us.

”Well, I”m here if you need me,” Genevieve tells me, giving my thigh a supportive squeeze. ”Just don”t need me today, because I”m heading out for a few hours. But the guys should be back soon, so you won”t even miss me.”

”Where are you going?” I ask as she peels herself away and stands up.

She plays with the ends of her ponytail, shrugging like it”s no big deal. ”Just, you know, a date. But it”s super casual, and it probably won”t go anywhere, so don”t be all up in my business about it,” she tells me sternly, but I can tell she”s feeling very awkward about the whole thing.

I narrow my eyes at her. ”A date… with your ex?”

Genevieve bites back her smile, flipping me off as she strides from the room. I gasp in mock outrage, earning myself a middle finger over her shoulder.

”Okay, well, have fun! And maybe don”t call her a cunt tonight!” I call out, giggling when I hear her groan in exasperation at me.

Half an hour later, once my sister has left without a word and I laughed at embarrassing her, the front door opens and my three gorgeous, deadly men walk in. I sit up straighter on the couch, smiling as Creed sweeps past Asher and Griffin, coming over to me.

”Hey, you,” I say, laughing when he grabs my hand and pulls me up from the couch. He yanks me against his chest and kisses the life right out of me, and I break away with a content sigh. ”I”m guessing today went well, then?”

Creed grins wickedly, nodding as he takes my hand again and leads me to the bedroom we”ve been sleeping in. ”Creed, what are you doing?” I say with a soft laugh, peering over my shoulder at Asher and Griffin. They both shrug and look like they”re just as lost, which really is not surprising. Creed is just a force of his own.

He gets me into the bedroom, but leaves the door wide open as he lifts me with ease. I curl my legs around his waist and rest my hands on his shoulders, grinning at him. There”s something wild and free in his eyes that”s been growing and blossoming every single day since we took down The Celestials, and it warms my heart to see it.

”What”s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?”

Creed licks his lips as he walks us over to the bed. ”Just how much I adore you, Ember. Now are you going to be a good girl for us?” he purrs as he gently lowers my back to the mattress and cages me in.

”Us?” I ask breathlessly, already getting hot and bothered.

Just then, Asher and Griffin come into the room, both of them gloriously naked and already hard. I can barely see them over Creed”s shoulder, but goddamn, the sight of them takes my breath away.

”That”s right, pet. Us,” Asher confirms, coming closer as he holds something in his hands. My gaze drops to it, and I swear I ruin my panties.

”What is that?” I ask, even though I know damn well what it is.

Asher grins while Creed gets off of me and starts stripping down. ”It”s a collar, of course,” Asher drawls cockily. ”Sorry it took me so long to get one, pet. I had to make sure it was perfect for our sweet girl.”

I think I die.

Holy. Shit. Yes.

I sit up on the bed and reach for it, surprised by how eager I am to have it locked around my throat. All those times Asher had called me pet out of hatred, and now it”s a term of endearment. And I want to show him how much I like it, how willing I am to be his good little pet.

Asher lifts the gorgeous black strap out of my reach, tutting at me with a shake of his head. ”No, baby. Not like this,” he warns me. Creed and Griffin step up beside him, all three of them bare and delicious. Asher smirks at me and says, ”Get your clothes off and then kneel for us. Show us how well behaved you can be.”

I stand up from the bed and damn near tear my clothes to get them off. My leggings, panties, and Creed”s shirt — which I had stolen, of course — all land in a pile on the floor, and the guys all groan when they realize I hadn”t had a bra on.

I bite my lip and sink to my knees in front of Griffin, who”s in the middle, with Asher on his right and Creed on his left. Creed is already stroking his cock, biting into his lip as he stares at me with lust bubbling in his eyes.

”Good,” Asher says roughly, stepping out of line to walk behind me. ”Griffin, can you lift her hair out of the way for me?”

Griffin smiles down at me, trailing a gentle finger down my jaw before he reaches back and sweeps my wild red hair up off my neck. A moment later, Asher is kneeling behind me, his hot breath skating along my neck as he lifts the collar and settles it around my neck. The black leather is thin and cool against my skin, and the little metal dagger that hangs from the center rests in the hollow of my throat perfectly.

I reach up and run my fingers along it the moment it”s secured. Asher hums approvingly, licking a hot path up my neck and stopping at my ear, whispering, ”Fucking beautiful. Collared the way you should be, and all mine.”

”All ours,” Creed corrects with a hungry growl, and I moan from the claim in his voice.

Asher chuckles darkly, trailing a finger down my spine. ”Apologies. Ours. How could I forget how needy this pussy is?” he murmurs and then sinks two thick fingers into me without warning.

I whimper from the immediate pleasure, but it doesn”t last long. Asher withdraws his fingers from me and then stands, coming back around to Griffin. ”Open,” he demands, and Griffin smirks before opening his mouth. Asher pushes his fingers into Griffin”s mouth, giving Griffin a moment to savor the taste of me, and then he pulls his fingers away and crashes his mouth to Griffin”s. The two kiss like savages, like they”re trying to consume each other, and my god, it”s the hottest thing I”ve ever seen.

They get lost in each other, getting as close as possible as Asher fists a hand in Griffin”s loose curls, their cocks caught between them and rubbing together.

”Oh god,” I moan.

”Not god, Prudence,” Creed rasps, stepping closer and holding his dick out for me. ”Just your gods. And don”t you ever forget it, baby.”

”Never,” I agree willingly before taking Creed”s dick into my mouth. He sucks in a breath like he wasn”t expecting it, but I don”t know why. You can”t dangle such male perfection in my face like that and not get rewarded with my mouth.

Duh.