22. June
June
Ididn’t realize killing a man would be so…easy.
Each of these guys keeps staring at me like I'll break at a moment's notice.
That my spirit will shatter, and I'll have some kind of breakdown.
If anything, I feel empowered at having ended that life.
I made him fear me, made him wish he never laid a single fucking finger on me.
And then, I made sure he stood no chance of ever seeing the light of day again.
I regained the power he thought he had over me and I loved every second of it.
Does that make me a monster?
And if it does, does that change the way these men feel about me?
Does it matter either way? Isn’t this all a means to an end? A temporary safe haven while they claim their throne and get Simon out of the picture for good?
“Stop fucking looking at me like that,” I tell them.
We stand around the kitchen counter in their massive house, a place we often congregate. Each of us spaced apart, exchanging glances at one another. Coen won’t meet my gaze, almost like he’s ashamed of me, afraid to go eye to eye and confirm I am the same woman from that warehouse.
“You’re covered in blood, princess.” Magnus reaches over and places his hand on mine. “Why don’t you get cleaned up?”
“I don’t get it. This is normal for you.” I pull at my speckled tank top. “You act like I have a tail or something.”
“We’re…processing.” Magnus sighs and squeezes me.
“You want to have your little meeting without me.” I tug my arm away and cross it over my chest with the other. “Why, so you can talk about how disgusted you are with me?”
Dominic shifts his attention toward me. “Do you not recall our first major interaction?”
“I do, actually, so why is this any different?” Whether or not he killed that guy, I’m entirely unsure, but that minor detail is unimportant in the grand scheme of things.
“You don’t get it, J.” Hayes keeps his sights locked on the counter. “We didn’t want this for you.” He slowly looks up. “What we are, who we are, we don’t want that for you.”
“Simon sure as hell didn’t mind.” I bite at the inside of my cheek knowing damn well I shouldn’t have said that. It was a low, hurtful blow in an attempt to get them to understand.
Dominic grips the edge of the stone “So help me God, if you even think…” He moves from his spot, stopping right in front of me. He grabs my chin and tilts it up toward him. “Do you think this is some kind of game?”
I lick my bottom lip. "Do you?"
I’m playing with fucking fire by taunting him like this. It’s dangerous, but it’s the only way I can seem to get them to respond in any other way than staring blankly.
Magnus shoves both of his forearms between Dom and me, breaking us apart.
"Okay, okay. Take a breath. Both of you.
" He moves me a little further away. "How about we all try a bit of honesty at this point?
Huh? I'll go first." He glances at Dom and then at me.
"What happened tonight was…unexpected, but not entirely surprising. Can we all agree?" He doesn't wait for anyone to respond. "I think it's safe to say we knew June had a dark side, the shade of that darkness perhaps feeling a hair too familiar? That’s probably why we’re all in shock, because we didn’t think we’d ever find someone to match our level of crazy. Or remotely come close.” Magnus pauses and holds out his hand to me. “No offense, princess.”
I shrug. “None taken.”
Magnus continues, focusing on Coen. “You’ve known her the longest, I get it. You wanted to protect her. We all do. But did you ever consider the fact that maybe, just maybe, she can fucking handle her own?”
Finally, someone fucking gets it.
Coen meets my gaze, his jaw clenches, and his brows bunch, pain in every inch of the expression. “I didn’t want this for you, J.”
“You don’t choose my fate, Co.” I turn to Dominic. “None of you do. The sooner you accept that, the better. I won’t be some second-class citizen here. Not when I’m fine on my own. If you want me to stay, you have to treat me as an equal.”
“You’re thinking of leaving?” Dominic’s hardened exterior softens like I just kicked his puppy.
I want to reach out, smooth the worries from his face and press my small frame against his strong chest. To see such a brutal man show this side of himself jumpstarts my cold, black heart. “Should I?”
“No, of course not. You’re safer here, with me.” He exhales. “With us.”
“Is that all this is about? My safety? You feel obligated to protect me?”
Dominic runs his hand over his salt and pepper beard. “Do you really not see what you do to us, June? We care about nothing aside from our jobs. We don’t take charity cases. This isn’t some fucking obligation out of guilt, it’s because we…we fucking care about you.”
I narrow my gaze at him. “You…care? Like you care about your expensive suits and fancy bourbon?”
Dominic grunts and looks to Magnus. “Can you help me here for Christ’s sake?”
Magnus grins. “I think what he’s trying to say is that we’re all in love with you.”
My mouth drops open, my heart sputtering more than it did when I sliced that man’s throat from ear to ear. “Um, what?”
“Bryant, what the fuck?” Dominic rakes his fingers through his hair.
“J…I…” Coen starts to speak but he’s cut off by the phone ringing in Dominic’s pocket.
Dom pulls it out, his cold, hard expression returning to his face. “Shh.”
Who could be calling Dom to make him react that way?
“Winnie, hi. Is everything all right?” Dominic says into the speaker. He sets the thing on the counter and flashes his serious gaze at Coen and Magnus.
Magnus leans in close and whispers into my ear. “Don’t say a word, princess.”
The woman clears her throat. “Why yes, of course. You know I prefer the night hours to conduct business.” She comes across formal, mannerly, like she’s in charge of something.
“Very well. What can I help you with?”
"Actually, I'll keep this rather brief, but I wanted to call you personally to inform you before you heard from someone else.
" The speaker muffles as if she's switched it to the other ear.
"There will be a gathering in three days where I will make a final decision on who is to take over.
I have some rather pressing family matters to attend to out of town, so you'll have to excuse the rush on things. "
“That’s understandable. Is there anything I can be of assistance with?”
“No, I’m afraid my hands are tied but I do appreciate the thoughtfulness.” She pauses. “Dominic?”
“Yes?”
“While you have always been a favorite of mine, you must recognize that I’m not the only one on the council. This decision could be easily swayed in any which way. You must bring a compelling argument if you’d like the reign to become yours. The wives are entertaining all parties.”
The wives? What the fuck does that mean?
“Thank you, for the heads up. Please let me know if I can be of further help.”
The woman sighs. “I’ll be in touch with the details soon.” The line disconnects and the room goes quiet.
“Someone want to explain?” I break through the silence. “And why did her voice sound so familiar? Who was that?”
“That was…” Magnus climbs onto a nearby stool and props his tattooed arms on the counter. “Winnie Sharp. Our late ruler’s wife. The one who decides our fate.”
Winnie Sharp? “Wait. Do you mean Gwyneth Sharp?” The puzzle pieces click into place.
“You know her?” Magnus perks up his eyebrow.
“Kind of, yeah. She lives over on Pinehurst?”
All the guys turn and stare at me.
“I take that as a yes?” I scratch at my arm, a bit of dried blood flaking off and going under my fingernail. Maybe I should take a shower and get these human remains off me.
“How?” Dominic asks the question I’m sure is on each of their minds.
“You forget I’ve worked at almost every takeout place around here.
I’ve delivered food to her place like a dozen times.
” I nod to myself. “I was certain I knew her voice from somewhere.” When they don’t say anything, I continue.
“Super nice lady. She adores me. Real girl power kind of woman.” That’s when it dawns on me.
“Let me come to the event thingy she was talking about.”
“What?” Dominic blurts out.
“No,” Coen says at the same time.
“Yeah, it’s genius. No one would ever see it coming.” I tell them. “A council full of women, and their leader already loving me? It’s a surefire way to get them to vote your direction.”
“She has a point,” Magnus adds on my behalf. “A pretty fucking good one.”
“Absolutely fucking not.” Coen cracks his knuckles.
“You need an advantage over Simon, am I right?”
Dominic exhales and nods.
“Voila, me. What could possibly go wrong?” Famous last words?
Coen leans against the counter behind him, crossing his arms over his chest. “Other than putting a permanent mark on your head for associating with us in a business setting? I could think of a few things, all of them resulting in danger to your life.”
"Pretty sure me murdering someone in front of you and Simon tonight confirmed that."
“I don’t know.” Dominic rubs his chin.
“Extend your amnesty thingy with Simon. Get rid of your competitors, use the opportunity to get whatever leverage you can against him, and bring me to the event. You three are solid, Simon doesn’t have that, but adding in a female element is something all of you are missing.”
What the hell am I signing up for? Why am I so dead set on them allowing me to tag along?
What if I’m wrong? What if they’re a bunch of snobby bitches who don’t give a shit about me?
What if I’m completely misreading my cards and I’m setting us up for failure?
Why does it matter to me that they claim the throne?
How is it possible that the power dynamic of them being possessive over me has now flipped to me being possessive over them?
The idea of them losing, and to such an arrogant shit like Simon, it’s enough to make me play whatever role I need to ensure they win.
Even if that puts a target on my back. One that I will never escape.
For them, I’d do anything.