The Revenge by Tijan

“You want to know my intentions towards your sister?”

Another half grin. “Yeah. I do.” The grin vanished and he leveled a look at me, a hard look. “Don’t leave again, fucker.”

“There’s a part of her that blames me. I needed to give her time and space to process those emotions, and you know it.” I rested my head against the seat, rolling my head to look his way. He had slid down, mirroring me.

He let out a sigh. “Yeah. I get it. Sucks.” A beat later, “But it was fun to spend some time with her.”

I grunted. “If I’d gotten a call that she was arrested because of you, then you and I would be having a different talk.”

He shook his head. “Whatever, jerkface.”

I grinned. “Cyclone?”

He paused a second, then got it and laughed. “Should I say ‘dickface’ instead?”

“Please no.”

His grin was there, but it grew more somber. “Just don’t leave my sister like that again. I’m assuming you didn’t get him yet? Figured there’d be a news bulletin out if you had. Did you get close, at least?”

I shook my head. “I was heading to a meeting when I got the call about you and Bailey. She’s more important than him.”

A grunt from him this time. “I get it. You had to come back. Your woman needed you.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

Then we were done.

The talk was over, and we sat there, watching the woman we both loved as she relaxed around her friends. An hour later she was flushed, and curled up next to me in the booth. The night wasn’t bad, or not as bad as I thought it’d be.

That was, until now, seeing who’d entered Naveah and was heading our way. I knew the good times were done.

“Aw, fuck.” Matt sat up, throwing me a look.

I gave him a quick dip of my head. I saw.

Bailey hadn’t, but she had heard her brother.

She lifted her head from my shoulder and looked up, a little drowsy. Then she jerked upright. “What is she doing here?”

Victoria was walking up the path to our booth. Fleur and Cedar right behind her. Since she was here, I had no doubt that the usual gang was about to follow as well. Chester. Guy. Cottweiler. It wasn’t like Victoria to be in town and not rally support.

She knew I was here.

She was here to say something.

I sat back and waited.

“Hello, Kash.”

Bailey

I was experiencing bad déjà vu.

I hadn’t seen her since …

“He fucked me hard. He flew me to Greece, making me come over and over again on the plane. And it didn’t stop there. He was insatiable.”

I was tasting my own vomit. It jumped up in my throat.

“What’s the problem, Bailey? Not enough for him?”

“What. The. Fuck. Isshedoinghere?”

The end of my question rushed out of me, because I was pissed. I was ready to commit murder, and I was rising up out of Kash’s lap without even knowing I was doing it. His hand clamped down. He held me still, but he was moving for both of us.

“Torie,” he barked.

I knew what he was going to do, and I started struggling. “No. That’s not fair.”

But Torie came over, taking in everything, and I already saw her go from my friend to his employee. She was set, the epitome of a cool professional. “What do you need?”

“Take her. Keep her in my office until this is done.”

I was pushed toward Torie, but I swung free. “No!” He couldn’t make me. Torie couldn’t make me. Scott and Drake were closing in, and shit. They could.

I found Kash, my eyes burning. “Don’t. Do not shove me in a corner for this. I mean it, Kashton. She was there that day. She was taunting me. She’s a part of that nightmare. Don’t make me go away.”

He wavered, and then Victoria was at the table. Her eyes were on us. She was watching and waiting.

God.

I hated her. I didn’t wait for Kash to make his decision. I rounded him and went at her. “You were there that day. I know you lied to me, and I know what really happened, but what you said to me…” I choked off, my entire body feeling like it was squeezing in on itself. “Get out of here.”

I cringed, hearing myself.

I sounded like a wounded, feral animal that was backed into a corner.

But no. That’s how I was feeling.

She was here. She had come for me, sought me out, and she took a knife to my heart. With her words, she thrust that blade into me over and over again, only to leave, and then he sent them for my mother.

My mother.

I was shaking.

“You vile bitch. You are pathetic. You are hateful inside, and you have to spew that outwards. You have to hurt others so you’re not hurting as much? Is that it? Or was it just payback? Because Kash didn’t want you, so you flew back to damage the one he does want?”

She was silent.

Why was she so silent?

Why was this starting to not feel right?

No.

No!

I would not stop. I had a right to lay into her, and my entire body was writhing in fury. My vision was only seeing red. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted more than that. I wanted to destroy her. But she wasn’t saying a thing. She wasn’t reacting.

She wasn’t reacting.