Chapter 31
Thirty-One
Sugar Skull
I’ve heard love makes you crazy.
It’s like an all-consuming illness.
You can't reason with it.
If I could, I wouldn't be where I am now.
If this is my addiction talking, then Zee is the worst fucking habit to quit. She's a habit that might just kill me.
The only thing that’ll keep me alive is leverage. And now, I have it.
Father’s gaze burns into my head, but my eyes linger on her.
Zee blinks like I’m a ghost. It's the same way those bright eyes blinked the first night we collided.
She wears this white gown like she’s some pure Chosen when everyone here knows damn well she’s anything but.
She’s not pure.
She’s not a Chosen.
She’s mine.
“Come here, Angel."
Her expression softens, a blur in her eye before she pushes out of her seat.
The chair topples over as she runs to me.
The minute her body hits mine, warmth envelopes me. It's a heat I’ve missed. One I’ve needed.
I won’t go on without it.
“I thought you were dead." Her voice muffles against my chest, her warm breath pushing through the fabric of my shirt.
“I’m only dead without you.” My lips land on her head as I inhale that sweet scent like a long line of cocaine.
I don’t expect Father's amusement as he watches. That is, until he laughs.
“You’ve always been our bravest brother,” he chuckles, leaning back in his seat. “But this is your bravest act yet.”
“Let Zee go," I say. "We're even."
Father continues to laugh. “You think I’m bothered that you have Cherise? She hasn’t been herself lately. She could use a trip outside Eastmount.”
He’s bluffing. I know it. He knows it.
No one has ever dared to do what I've done. It wasn’t easy. So I won't make it easy for him either.
“You sure you want your precious Chosen, the one you fought for, to be ruined by someone else?" I ask. "You want your men and our younger brothers to see that? Trust me, Emery, I have a live feed of her, and I’m not afraid to air it.”
He stills, his lips tightening.
Now I've done a few things that make the rest of my life royally unsafe.
One. I called him by his name in front of the others.
Most of us don’t even know his name, and those who are privileged enough to know don't dare say it — especially not in front of Little Brothers. Definitely not in front of a Chosen.
Two. And this one is much bigger.
I’ve taken his Chosen.
It’s a golden rule that you never take another man’s Chosen. It can mean disgrace. And disgrace, if you haven’t followed, means death.
“Bring her to me,” Father growls.
I shrug, taking Zee’s hand. “Let’s go for a walk.”
This third thing I’m doing solidifies my fate in Eastmount forever. I can never return.
But this will keep Zee safe. For good.
Her life is worth it.
Mine isn’t.
Everything stops once we’re outside. Every student, every faculty member stalls as I lead Emery to the front of the campus. To the car I rented.
Cherry’s inside, her image becoming clearer the closer we get.
Leaning over, I whisper in Zee’s ear. “Go to the car, let Cherry out, don’t look back.”
Zee looks up at me, like she’s about to question this. But instead, she nods and does as she’s told.
“Wait!” Emery calls after her, but I turn around instead.
“Listen, Emery. I’m going to tell you something that'll sound foreign to you."
"And what's that?" He scowls.
"Trust me. You have no choice but to."
I don’t care about Cherry or Emery or what happens after this. I’m not going further than getting Zee in the car and getting Cherry out of it.
Zee glances back as she opens the back door.
She climbs in.
I stand my ground, Emery and I glaring at each other like a western showdown.
“You'd risk it all for her?” he asks, chuckling as he tries to hide the embarrassment and fear I can still see on his face. His eyes dart around, clocking everyone who watches. “You could have everything. Anyone.”
“Anyone isn’t her.”
Looking back at the car, Zee’s inside, but Cherry doesn’t move.
Turning back at Emery, he lifts his hands. "What are they doing?"
“I... don't know.”
Glancing back, the two women speak to each other in the confines of the rented SUV. Cherry still doesn’t move. She doesn’t even look our way.
Is she scared?
I didn’t hurt her.
We had pizza and beer last night while she spoke about how much she missed Emery. I told her I’d take her home today, and that was that.
So what the fuck is going on?
“Atlas…” Emery uses my name now, too.
I hold up a hand before I move to the car.
He cares about Cherry, I know it. I saw them get together. I saw them go through it and come back stronger. I thought Cherry would jump at this chance to be back. She wanted nothing more last night.
Emery follows behind me as I approach the SUV.
Zee rolls down the window when we’re close.
Her eyes shift behind me, to Emery.
Then she puts a knife to Cherry’s throat.
My knife.
The one that was sitting in the dash.
How the fuck did she—
“Don’t come closer!” she threatens through the window.
“Atlas!” Emery growls.
This isn’t my plan, but it’s hard not to smirk at my girl. I just can’t tell what the next move is.
She locks eyes with me and tilts her head, calling me closer.
When I get to the window, Cherry’s eyes blur.
“She doesn’t want to go back,” Zee says.
Fuck…
Glancing behind me, Emery looks like he’s ready to get his car and run me over. “I’m not starting a war, Zee.”
“I won’t,” Cherry finally speaks, her voice trembling.
“Get in the car, Atlas,” Zee says, her voice demanding and low and if this wasn’t dangerous, I’d climb in the back and fuck her right there. “Sir,” she corrects, and fuck… that makes it worse.
Ignoring the jump in my pants, I keep my eyes on Emery as I move to the driver’s seat and climb in.
I'm relieved Emery waits, but it won't be for long.
The cold blade hits my neck. “Drive.”
I catch Zee's eyes in the rearview and shit… she’s serious.
“Now!” she yells.
“Zee…” Now I’m the one to give a warning, but she’s not having it, her brows lowering.
“Don’t speak to me like he speaks to her.” She pushes the blade further against my skin. And… why the fuck am I hard? “If you make her get out of the car, I’m going with her.”
Jesus fucking Christ.
Looking out the passenger window, Emery storms towards the car, his faithful men following.
I start the engine, my foot hovering over the gas.
This isn't good.
This is going too far.
“Go, Atlas!” Zee yells.
Cherry slams her hand on my knee, pressing my foot to the gas.
My hands grab onto the wheel as we take off towards the campus entrance, Cherry still in the car. And Emery’s scowl in the rearview.