21. Camilla
Perhaps I should have stopped being surprised about literally anything that happens in my life. I mean, when I was ten, I watched my father cut off someone’s hand for stealing from him. When I was twelve, I watched him put a bullet between a man’s eyes, and when I was fourteen, I saw him torture someone. When I was sixteen, he put a gun in my hand and ordered me to kill a man for crossing us. He was selling intel to one of the other families. I think, honestly, I didn’t stop to ask questions, I did as I was told and pulled the trigger. And when I was eighteen, I found out all the things I’d done, all the lives I’d watched end were for nothing because he’d made a deal with Charles Davenport, and soon I would be nothing more than his baby maker.
But somehow, the men of the Legion fighting over me have shocked me to my very core. The men the rest of the city fear, even the bad guys, are brawling over whether or not I should stay with them or not.
They each stare at me like they’re not sure what to say, but the guilt is written over their faces, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. They probably think Camilla De Marco is some innocent wallflower, a little girl who thought she could face off against the baddest men in the city, but they have me pegged wrong if they think that.
“Well?” I demand. I’ve had men underestimate me all my life, and at times it’s amusing to play the role of the helpless little girl who just needs a big man to protect me, but this is not one of those times. These men are ruthless, and appearing weak in front of them, even just for fun, is a bad idea.
“Little Lamb.” Kovu steps toward me, his eyes flicking between me and Kaos like he thinks his friend may harm me. I haven’t completely ruled out the possibility, because if any of them were going to lay a hand on me, it’s definitely him, but something in my gut tells me he won’t. That despite his reservations and arguments, he’s just as intrigued by me as I am him.
A warm body at my back startles me, but I barely flinch as they wrap their arms around me protectively. “Don’t you ever put yourself between two men fighting, Little Menace. You’re going to get yourself hurt.” Crew’s deep rumble causes a shiver of need to rush through me. We’ve never been this close. In fact, I haven’t seen him since that night he told me not to leave my bed until I could walk on steady feet, so why is he touching me now? Why are his arms wrapped around my torso like he’s ready to spin me out of the way at a moment’s notice? And why are his thumbs rubbing gentle circles into my belly with a softness that soothes me?
It takes everything I have not to lean into him, not to allow his warmth to envelop me the way my body begs me to. But I shove at his arms with my good hand. It’s been less than a week, and I’m already sick of this stupid cast. It gets in the way constantly, and it really inhibits any plan of escaping I think to concoct. But Crew keeps his arms banded around me in a vise grip, managing to only touch the parts of me that have healed. “Like it matters,” I snap. “I’m sure Charles will beat me into submission every time I fight him on anything, so I might as well get started early.” The bitter words leave my mouth with so much venom I barely recognize my own voice.
Silence falls around me, but I’m too amped up to look at anyone but Kaos, who’s staring at me with wide eyes, horror dancing in the blue pools.
The arms around me tighten to the point of pain, but I don’t allow it to show. These men have the entire city kneeling at their feet, but not me. I’ve spent the last week watching and learning, and I’ll bring them all down if it means I get my freedom. I haven’t come this far and fought this hard to submit now.