I shoot to the edge of the mattress, but wisely stay seated. “Please. There’s no need for this. You don’t need to hurt him.”
He positions Thomas in front of him, and I hitch in a breath as dread sinks its claws deep into me. “That’s the beauty of building a kingdom.Needhas nothing to do with it. I can do anything Iwant. I am God here.”
David slips a slick, tactical knife from the inner pocket of his suit jacket. I shoot to my feet but I’m too slow. He jabs the blade in Thomas’s neck. My fingers graze air as lunge for them. I land at David’s feet, with Thomas hitting the floor beside me. My friend clutches his neck, blood seeping between his fingers. With wide eyes, he stares at me, and I can’t fight the tears as a hundred wonderful memories trip over themselves as I remember the time we spent as a family.
Prone on the floor, I reach out, my fingertips stopping short a few inches from him. But I don’t dare move because I’m so afraid of the monster looming over me. “I’m so sorry.”
For pulling you into my shitshow of a life.
For bringing you into my plan to break Wraith out of Gomorrah.
For forcing you to decide between me and your family.
And for the second time in my life, I watch someone bleed out on a floor. My father was the first, and this time, it’s not relief I feel or even indifference. David was right. This tore away a piece of my heart.
David points to Thomas, a sneer lifting his lips. “Get that out of here.”
Owen drags Thomas’s body out of Elite, and I stare after the trail of blood that’s left in their wake. But the nightmare continues. David hauls me to my feet and traces a finger down my face. Along the curve of my jaw. Over my collarbone. All the while keeping his gaze locked on mine. There’s nothing but hate and the promise of pain in the depth of his eyes.
“It didn’t have to be this way.” His voice is velvet lies. “I wanted you to be my queen. To rule Gomorrah at my side. I wanted you to love me.”
My laugh is bitter. “You’re insane.”
David’s hand shoots out and slams around my throat, cutting off my air. I lift my chin, giving him better access. Better I push him to kill me now than suffer what’s ahead. Cowardly of me? Absolutely. I’m not Wraith. I can’t survive the torture he’s endured. Homelessness, an abusive father, ridicule—yes. David’s special brand of pain? No. I would rather him strangle me and get the deed done now. This way, Wraith, my not-so Prince Charming, can kill the evil king. The good folk of Marion County can breathe a sigh of relief and rebuild their fine land. And as for the damaged princess, her soul will finally be at peace. The story will end with a kinda happily ever after.
Not an ideal conclusion, but it will have to do because this isn’t a fairy tale. It’s actual life, and reality sucks most of the time. Especially when a woman’s sadistic husband has his hand around her throat and is slowly squeezing the life out of her.
Um, no. To hell with that crap.
This damaged princess isn’t giving up.
My father couldn’t destroy me. Life didn’t crush me. I’ll be damned if I lie down and die for this piece of shit. If it’s my time to go, at least I’ll go out fighting.
Unwilling to give up on myself, I punch wildly. Slapping at David. Claw at him. Try everything to pry his fingers from around my neck. And when his pinky finger is about to give, I laugh maniacally right before the snap of the bone.
He howls and leaps backward, cradling his hand against his chest. Damnit, though. I really wanted to break the finger. “You fucking bitch.”
I hock a mouthful of spit at his feet. “Try that shit again, and see what happens, asshole.”
David bellows for Lyle, and when the door swings open, in struts the younger man, who reminds me of someone right out the moviePoint Break—the original, with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. Not the crappy remake. His whole surfer dude appearance hides a sinister soul.
“Hello, Mrs. Crane.” Lyle’s smooth greeting sends a shiver of dread up my spine.
“Honest question, Lyle,” I grit out as he enters the microscopic cell. “Do you believe you’re going to make it out of this alive?”
He comes to stand beside David, doing a perfect imitation of my husband’s stance. “Yes, ma’am, I do. We’re going to wipe Atticus and his little gang of thugs off the map. Ain’t that right, boss?”
David nods at his lackey. “Yes, Lyle, that’s exactly right.”
“His name is Wraith,” I correct. “And hislittle gangused footage I downloaded from the house’s security system to get all of David’s rich friends arrested. All except for him. Because that’s the pulltheyhave with men more powerful than your Mr. Mighty Boss Man here.”
“Shut your mouth.” I expect the punch and am already braced for it when it comes. Still, I stumble backward, and when David instructs Lyle to hold me, I fight like my life depends on it.
Because it does.
Lyle grabs me from behind and wraps his arms around me. “It’s all good, Mrs. Crane. I got you.”
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
