“I second that,” Syris said as he moaned about his head hurting.
“This is bullshit. How the fuck did we get in this position again,” Manic said as his eyes found Easton. “You didn’t see this shit, man?”
Both Winstales were resting their foreheads against the cool concrete. Maybe there was something to that? I glanced down and realized I was not going down again. That ship had sailed for me.
“Because that’s not how it works, you twat!” Everyone was silent as Easton huffed, and then the other bosses chuckled.
“Ooohhh, Easton broke his frosty demeanor. I think he’s uncomfortable... what do you think?” Syris mocked as he scooted his butt next to mine, trying to make his way to sitting up.
“Shut up, Syris. Fucking hell. My brain hurts, and it’s my best fucking attribute. Just give it a rest. How would you like it if someone clawed up your face.” This was new, and I kind of liked it. Easton was going beastly, and I was all here for it. Granted, it was only until his brain stopped hurting, but it felt like seeing a leprechaun or an alien. Once in a lifetime deal.
Syris gasped. “Awww, East, you think my face is pretty?”
Easton rolled onto his back, letting out a frustrated sigh, and I almost felt bad for him, but then I remembered that he was a boss and could take it.
“Fuck, you guys are a bunch of whiney little bitches.” I shifted to see Vincent walk out of the shadows. His slicked-back hair and wide grin reminded me of a 1920s gangster, maybe he was. Some supes got stuck in the era they liked the best, but he definitely could not pull this look off well. He needed to not look so much like a mack truck hit him in the face and someone shoved all the pieces back on.
Lex twitched, and that caught his eye as he walked over and kicked him in the gut. I yelled at him, but he smiled at me and kicked him again. Lex’s eyes flew open as he curled into himself. Vincent leaned down, whispering in his ear as he eyed me, “You fucking idiot. You could’ve had it all, and you threw it away, and for what? A fucking girl?” He grabbed him by the hair and then dragged him up against the wall next to me, slamming his head so hard the cement cracked.
My temperature rose as I glared at Vincent, wanting to tear his skin off piece by piece with my teeth and nails to make jagged edges that would never fit back together. Lex winced before he looked at Vincent like he was nothing, like what he was doing to him was nothing.
Vincent leaned into his face. “Really, Lex, pussy? I could’ve gotten you pussy. Any of it that you wanted would’ve been yours. I could’ve even found a vamp for you if that was your thing, but no. You didn’t come to your uncle, you went and sided with the enemy.”
He gripped Lex’s head so hard his fingers were slipping, about to go into his eyes, and I couldn’t watch. I couldn’t see someone do this to my Lex. Molten fury filled my veins as I kicked Vincent in the stomach and yelled at him as he stumbled away, “Don’t fucking touch him, shit stain!”
Vincent growled, surging toward me as I heard male voices in the background, but it all was taken over by the ringing in my ear when Vincent backhanded me. The side of my face smashed into the floor, my jaw bursting with pain as my head throbbed from where I landed, but I wasn’t done yet. Not a fucking chance.
When Vincent went back to Lex, I kicked out again at his shin, causing him to fall to his knees as they were telling me to stop, but I would never stop. I was a fucking wild cat, a savage, a woman who would kick, punch, bite, and roar until the moment my soul left my body and it was no longer possible for me to fight.
Apparently, that pissed him off even more, and he turned his attention away from Lex, which was what I wanted, and he kicked me in the gut. Pain exploded as a copper taste hit my tongue, and my mouth opened on a silent yell, not able to breathe enough to make sound. I heard my dad’s threats and my mates yelling in the background, but he wasn’t done with me yet. He backhanded me, this time, on the other cheek, but I was smart and made sure I didn’t smack into the concrete like last time. Apparently, I smiled because the next thing out of his mouth was, “You think this is funny, you cunt?!”
He growled out his frustration as he said, “Apparently, your daddy didn’t teach you that little cunts like you should keep your fucking mouth shut and take your punishment like a good little girl.” He leaned into me, his putrid breath made me gag as he whispered along my cheek, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll correct that today.” Then he yanked a fistful of my hair and dragged me over to the center of the room while mumbling about how I was the bitch that fucked up all his plans.
Lex was screaming at him to let me go, to not hurt me. The utter devastation etched on his face was too much. I didn’t like seeing it, so I gave Lex a blood-filled smile while mouthing that everything was fine. I didn’t think he believed me.
Vincent dragged me into the dark until flood lights turned on at the center of the room, and there was a chair there, a chair with straps. I knew what that was used for, and dread filled me. He was going to torture me, torture us.
He lifted me up with one arm and slammed me into the chair. My natural, rebellious side came out as I searched for my moment, and when he thought I would just sit here like a good girl, I reared back and dug my teeth into his neck, ripping out whatever I could since my fangs refused to work with these cuffs on.
He yanked away from me, and I spit out his blood and a chunk of his skin on the floor, smiling up at him with my blood-soaked chin and eyes that said I would never quit, you could never break me.
“Rayla!” my dad called out, his face a carefully crafted expression of calm and steadiness, but his eyes screamed his fear for me and his rage for Vincent.
I winked at him. “It’s okay, Daddy, I’m just having some fun.” I couldn’t help the way I reacted to Vincent, it was just something about him that made me want to show him he could never affect me. He could hit me, kick me, cut me up, and I would still fight back, that was just who I was, and I was proud of it. I wanted the bosses and my mates to be proud of it, too. Proud of my strength, even being the only lady of the bunch.
If Vincent thought he was picking on the weakest link, he would learn he was dead wrong.
Vincent turned around, grabbed my face in one hand, and shoved it against the back of the seat. “If you’re going to act like a fucking animal, then I’m going to fucking tie you up like one, you bitch!” A leather strap settled against my collarbone as he tightened it so hard it felt like Ax was sitting on my chest. Since my arms were behind my back, he didn’t worry about those, but my legs were as dangerous, so he strapped those down, too.
Vincent glared at me, opening his mouth to insult me in some other way when Lex’s voice broke through loud and clear.
“Why?” Vincent and I looked at Lex, the confusion and anger that marred his face caused me to want to tell Lex that whatever it was, it was okay. To not let Vincent shake him like that, but I also didn’t know the nuclear bomb he was about to lay on all of us. “Why did you kill my parents?”
Everyone in the room fell silent, years of rage, pain, and grief filled the room within seconds as everyone understood what that single sentence meant. That accident twenty-two years ago that left the bosses wifeless, left most of us motherless, and turned Lex into an orphan, was caused by this man right here, right in front of our faces.
My whole body shook with the uncontrollable rage I felt for this man, but I couldn’t scream, kick, and make a lot of noise like I wanted. No, I needed to be silent and let this man dig his own grave because Vincent would die tonight.
With all eyes on him, a captivated, rendered useless audience, Vincent smiled. “I guess the cat’s out of the bag. So, yes. I was the one that rigged the spa with explosives, magical ones to make sure that none of your women would make it, supes or not.” He paused for effect, but he forgot these men had already grieved for their wives, the time for them to make impulsive decisions out of grief was gone. No, now they were left with only anger and revenge, and they were the masters at those two subjects. They knew how to wait, to draw it out and make it that much sweeter.
