Chapter 31
The Bride
B y the time the sky outside the living room window has dulled from afternoon glare to pitch black, my head’s throbbing and my nerves are fried. Yet… I smile.
It’s not a genuine one; it’s the indulgent mask I used for patients in another life. Now it hurts my cheeks, but I keep it fixed in place to seem approachable. Because I know Shelby still hasn’t told me the full truth of what’s going on.
The detachment in her voice tells me that whatever she’s told me is her excuse, possible reasoning. But not the root of why I’m here.
The pizza box on the table is down to a single slice that I have no intention of eating. “You can have it,” I say to Caleb when I notice him hovering near the doorway.
He looks at me, his eyes sweeping across my breasts as he licks his lips. “If you need a release, I’m still willing,” he smirks, acting like me offering him pizza is code for please fuck me. “I can overlook you’ve had a Knight between your thighs.”
My heart contracts at the word Knight . Caleb spits it like venom, and all I can think of is Jack—his mouth on mine, his hand at my throat, the way he says I’m his. Fuck, I miss him.
Straightening my spine, I squa re my shoulders, refusing to cower under Caleb’s glare. “How kind of you,” I spit. “Why? Isn’t fucking Shelby enough?”
This is all so surreal—a real mindfuck. From everything Shelby’s told me, this isn’t about me, but her thirst for revenge against the Knights. And me, I was just kind of in the wrong place at the wrong time. My temples throb harder, and I squeeze my eyes shut.
After we got to this house that smells too much of lemon oil and old coffee, Shelby started talking. Well, first she made sure I was comfortable. She made coffee and brought in cookies like we were just having a day of chilling.
She asked me more questions about Jack, wanting to know if he’s happy with me. Though I think he is, I downplayed it as much as possible. The look in her eyes was too wild to make me feel Jack’s happiness was a priority to her.
I need to stop thinking about the man I miss more than anything right now.
“The fire was just a decoy, and don’t worry, Eve. No one was injured. But I had to get Jack away from you so we could talk.” Shelby’s words play on repeat in my mind.
She left hours ago. I have no idea where she went or why. Before she left she warned Caleb not to touch me or make me uncomfortable. Like being here against my will is soothing.
I might not be chained or caged, but somehow, that just makes it even worse. It’s like dangling the finest cognac in front of a recovering alcoholic. I can see the door, and I’m sure I could make it there in seconds.
But… if it’s locked, I’ll have given away that I’m trying to escape. And since I have no idea where we are, there’s no way to prepare for what I’ll find on the other side. So, for now, I sit still and wait.
Caleb snorts, reminding me he’s still here. “She’s not as adventurous as you.” He says it like it’s a compliment. “And she fucking cries every time.” Disgust fills his tone.
“What do you mean she cries?” I ask, genuinely curious.
His broken arm hangs useless at his side while he props his chin with the other. “That’s none of your business. ”
“Oh.” That’s all I can say. I swallow nervously, forcing myself to keep him talking. “Why—”
“No more questions,” he booms before turning on his heel.
A part of me wants to follow him and demand answers, but of course I don’t. I stay on the couch, forcing myself to sort through the different threads in my head. I need to get the upper hand to know which one I should pull.
From what I’ve seen so far, Shelby seems to be the one in charge, so the smart thing would be to follow her lead. For now, that means waiting for her return.
Looking around, I take in the living room I’m in. The walls are bright yellow, two of them filled with paintings and drawings, and it’s not the kind kids make. All the furniture is black, making the room a weird mix of artistic and minimalistic. It’s not dusty, so someone clearly lives here.
Before The Black Wedding, I would have said Caleb and Shelby were the people closest to me. Well, maybe not Caleb unless it was by proximity only. Nonetheless, I’m now realizing I don’t really know anything about either of them. Including if I’m sitting in one of their homes.
Hours stretch, and I drift off a few times. My neck’s aching from just sitting here, and my legs protest when I stretch them across the couch, resting my head on the back.
I’m half asleep when someone snaps their fingers in my face. Jerking up, I let out a startled yelp. “Hey.”
Caleb roughly shoves my legs down from the couch and takes a seat. The cushions dip under his weight, the smell of cheap cologne and sweat crowding my senses. How did I ever find him attractive?
His hand lands heavy on my thigh, fingers digging in through the fabric. The cast on his other arm bumps the cushion, a jarring reminder that he’s broken but still dangerous. He follows when I try to jerk away, a grin spreading across his face.
“Don’t be shy. You’ll like it better with me than with that arrogant bastard.”
My pulse spikes, panic and fury tangling until I can’t tell one from the other. “Get off me.” My voice is sharp, clippe d, but it only seems to amuse him.
“You think Jack’s a god,” Caleb sneers, his breath hot against my cheek. “But I’ve seen men like him break. He can’t protect you forever.” His hand creeps higher, brazen now.
Rage explodes inside me. “You’ll never be him.” I shove at his chest with both hands. “Jack will kill you for touching me. You hear me? He’ll tear you apart.” My voice grows louder and shriller with each word.
Caleb laughs, low and cruel, pressing closer. “Let him try.”
The muted pop of a gunshot cleaves the air, wrong in its quiet. His body jerks, eyes wide in shock before going glassy. He slumps forward, deadweight collapsing against me. Screaming, I try to shove him off me, but I only manage to move him to the side.
Blood spreads dark across his shirt, seeping into the couch cushions. At the end of a couch is a figure, one I’m scared to raise my eyes to. But I do it anyway. Shelby stands in the doorway, both hands steady on the gun, smoke curling from the barrel.
Her face is unreadable, calm as a statue. She says something as she moves to the couch and casually shoves him all the way off. But the rising panic in my ears drowns out her voice.
My skin hums with fear. Too much. Too loud. I know this place—this edge. It’s the same one my father forced me to walk when he locked me in the coffin and left me with nothing but the sound of my own pulse.
So I fall back on the old tricks. Press my fingernails into my palm until it hurts. Count my breaths. One. Two. Three. I focus on the sting, on the burn in my lungs, until the world narrows and steadies.
And God help me, it works. Just like it used to. Okay, okay. Now, I need to take inventory, collect every tidbit of information.
Shelby’s not just in charge; she’s fucking unhinged.
The wild look in her eyes is all the confirmation I need.
It’s one I’ve seen a thousand times over, just never on her.
She’s taken out an ally, and while that’s good, it also shows how volatile she is.
I have to be extremely careful in how I deal with her.
Her mouth moves again, and this time I force myself to hear her. “Are you okay?” I’m surprised by the concern in her tone. “I swear, I didn’t think he’d try anything.”
“I… ” Trailing off, I search for an answer that makes sense, though none comes to mind. Shelby’s concerned for me? “T-thank you,” I stutter.
Nodding, she calmly holds out a hand, and I don’t hesitate to take it. It might be stupid, but since she warned Caleb to stay away from me, I have to believe she doesn’t want to hurt me.
“I know this probably seems like a lot to you,” she says, leading me away from the living room and into the kitchen where she pours me a glass of water. “I’ll do anything for the people I love. Even get revenge.”
Licking my dry lips, I study her. “But I… umm…” Fuck, I need to do better.
“Don’t worry about Caleb,” she says flippantly. “He was just a means to an end.”
“How long have you two been together?” I ask, finally managing to form a full sentence.
She laughs and playfully slaps my arm. “If you’re asking if I was fucking him at the same time as you, the answer is no.”
I sit down on a chair, crossing my ankles. “That’s good to know.” I force a smile.
“It started at The Black Wedding when he became my Groom,” she admits. “Was nothing more than sex if I’m honest.”
“What about us? Our friendship?” I ask. “Was that also just a convenience thing?”
Her face turns thunderous, features twisting into an ugly grimace. “We are friends,” she hisses. “Just because it was Jack that put me up to it and wanted me to get close to you for revenge doesn’t mean it’s still about him.”
“So it’s not about revenge anymore?”
Laughing, she says, “Oh, it’s still about revenge. But now it’s my revenge and not Jack’s.”
At first… the words land heavy. Shelby isn’t Jack’s puppet anymore. She’s her own monster now. Draining the last of my water, I keep my eyes on her, noticing the way she seems nervous to tell me this. I reach for her hand, squeezing it.
“You can tell me anything,” I assure her. “Th e bastard put me in a cage. I’m not judging you.”
Shelby takes a deep breath, and then she lets it all out. She explains that Jack wanted me at the Sanctuary to force me to marry him, which I already knew. But what I didn’t know is that she was playing her own sidegame.
“Once I realized he had changed and even seemed to like you, I knew I had my chance.”
“To do what? This is making no sense, Shel.” I deliberately use the nickname, trying to get her to tell me everything instead of just random pieces I don’t know what to do with.
“Look, you’ve been a great friend, Eve. And I’ve tried to repay that.”
“What do you mean?”