Insanity, p.8
Insanity, page 8
I ignore her comment about Raymond and take a single step closer. “I know exactly who you are, Aria. But what I don’t know is what you want from me.”
A tentative smile plays at the edges of Aria’s lips as she takes another sip of her drink, allowing her mouth to linger on the rim.
“If you know who I am, then is it hard to believe that I want my family back together?” Her cold, unnerving eyes land on me. “Daughter.”
I blanch. “Don’t call me that.”
“No?” One of her eyebrows arches. “But it’s the truth, is it not? You came from me. You were supposed to be mine.”
For the first time since this meeting started, a hint of emotion reflects in her expressionless eyes—rage. A rage so potent I feel physically sick, my stomach cramping and nausea churning.
But just as quickly, Aria suppresses her rage, adopting her indifferent mask once more.
“We have all the time in the world to discuss that.” She waves a hand in the air dismissively. “But where are my manners? Do you two want something to drink?”
“No,” Dom bites out, practically vibrating with unfettered fury.
Aria ignores him. “Guards, please send him inside,” she instructs.
In an almost choreographed move, the two men manning the door step to the side and open it.
A familiar man staggers inside, trembling.
Senator Reece Whipers.
Like the last time I saw him, he’s naked, his body covered in bruises and lacerations. He doesn’t even glance in my direction as he presents a tray full of drinks.
Neither Dom nor I take one.
Aria’s smile stretches as she watches the exchange, and it’s clear this is nothing more than a power play. She wants me to see exactly what happens to the people who cross her. This once-powerful man is now nothing more than a puppet for her to use and discard.
“If you don’t want a drink, there are other services our dear friend offers,” Aria says, her empty eyes sparking with an indecipherable emotion. “He’s a pretty good fuck, despite his frail appearance.”
Reece jerks, his already pale complexion whitening further.
I stare at Aria in disgust. “You can’t be serious.”
Aria focuses on her glass of whiskey, stirring the contents around in a way that almost seems nonchalant.
“I could always force you to fuck him,” she continues, making my blood chill. Dom’s grip tightens on me, and he bares his teeth at her. “Or I could make your precious boyfriend fuck one of our girls. He would, you know. If it meant protecting you. I don’t think he would hesitate to stick his dick inside some cheap bitch’s pussy if he knew it would keep you alive.”
Nausea scorches my throat, and bright spots dance across my vision.
No. No. No. No.
“Would you do it, Dominic?” Aria tilts her head to the side as she eyes Dom up and down. “Would you fuck one of Ellie’s cute little friends if it meant saving her life? Would you eat Jane’s pussy? Stick your dick in Victoria’s cunt? Play with Piper’s nipples—?”
“You sick fucking bitch!” I roar, my rage spilling out of me in a tsunami of emotion. I lunge toward her without thinking, without consciously articulating a plan. All I know is that she needs to fucking die.
Arms grab me from behind. “Don’t,” Dom warns, his voice a breath of air by my ear. “She’s just trying to get a reaction out of you.”
“And it worked, did it not?” Aria’s lips twitch for a fraction of a second before compressing in a straight line. She waves a hand impatiently. “Reece, you’re dismissed. I need to have a word with my daughter.”
Reece’s eyes flash to mine at the word “daughter,” but he doesn’t comment as he hurries out of the room.
It occurs to me then, almost belatedly, that both Reece and the guards saw The Divine One without her mask. Which means…they know her identity.
How has it remained a secret for so long? Fear? Respect? I imagine it’s a combination of the two.
It’s terrifying to even comprehend. For one person to hold so much power…
Aria waits until the door shuts behind him before refocusing her attention on us.
“I won’t ask you to do any of that. Believe it or not, I’m not a monster.” She daintily brushes a strand of short hair behind her ear.
Anger thrums, white-hot and blistering. “You’re nothing but an evil, conniving, murderous bitch who will get what’s coming to her."
The change is almost instantaneous. One second, Aria is sitting there, her expression serene, and the next, she’s on her feet, rage darkening her eyes. She slams her hands down on the table and leans forward slightly, spearing me with a look I’ve never seen before. Each word she speaks is clipped and concise.
“Listen to me, Ellie. I can make things very, very difficult for you and the people you love. Do not test me. I’ve been lenient so far. I’ve let you play your silly little games and allowed you to be the heroes of this so-called story. I’ve made it incredibly easy for you to find the men who purchased you. You want to know why? Because I wanted them killed. All of them were thorns in my side, and you eliminated them for me. For that, I thank you. But I’m done fucking around and playing games. You are my daughter, my rightful prodigy, and this story will only end one way—with you and your brother standing at my side. We can do this the easy way or the hard way, so don’t fucking test me. I will torture everyone you care about until you’re putty in my hands. I will force you to watch the men you claim to love fuck other girls. I will make you fuck other men. And that will only be the beginning.”
She’s panting heavily by the time she’s done with her little speech, a red flush erupting from the top of her forehead to her cheeks. Her hands clench and unclench on the table before she forces them to relax, her fingers straightening. She sucks in a deep breath, the noise ragged, then slowly reclaims her seat.
“I don’t know if I ever sent my condolences on the death of your…friends,” she continues, her voice significantly calmer than it was before. “Ryker and Landon, correct? It’s a shame what happened to them, but hopefully you understand the seriousness of this situation.” She smooths out invisible creases on her cloak.
I study her face carefully, searching for any signs of duplicity. We’ve kept the truth of their survival a secret, but it’s apparent Aria has eyes and ears everywhere. Is it possible she doesn’t know they’re still alive? We’ve been hoping that’s the case, but honestly, we weren’t sure.
Needles drive repeatedly into my brain, and my heart pounds even faster.
Could this be the ace up our sleeve we’ve been missing? If she doesn’t know they’re still alive, then we can use that.
Use it to destroy her.
“Don’t fucking talk about them,” Dom snaps.
Aria’s lips curl slightly before straightening out. “Obviously, I want you to stay with me,” she says, continuing as if nothing has happened.
“Not fucking happening.” Dom shakes his head vigorously.
“I’ll allow your…boyfriends to stay as well.” Aria frowns briefly. “I told you. I’m not a monster. If you dance for me, I’ll allow your boyfriends to dance with you, unharmed and relatively happy. But if you refuse—”
“You don’t have to threaten me again,” I bite out. “I understand.”
“Do you?” She cocks an eyebrow.
Fear punctures my heart. I have no idea what to do, what to say. We planned for hundreds of worst-case scenarios, but none were anything like this. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe Aria would claim I was the long lost, reincarnated goddess and offer me a place at her house.
“Ellie…” Dom’s voice is low, but I’m not sure if he’s pleading with me to accept her deal or decline it.
We both know there’s no choice.
“Fine,” I tell Aria, the beginnings of a plan forming in my head. “But I want Dom, Beckett, and Zane with me.” They won’t let me do this otherwise.
“Done,” Aria agrees briskly.
“And no harm will come to them,” I continue. “They won’t be forced to do anything they don’t want to do. The second something like that happens, this whole deal is off. I’ll fight you every step of the way. You won’t be able to even sleep at night, because I’ll be there, in the shadows, with a knife, just waiting for you to let your guard down.”
“You do what I say, and it won’t come to that,” Aria promises me.
She extends a hand, still bedecked in gloves, and I take it.
Aria’s lips stretch in a smile that makes my blood turn to ice. “You know, when I first met you, I thought you were weak. Spineless. Useless.” She doesn’t release my hand as she cants her head to the side. “But maybe we’re more alike than I thought.”
“I’m nothing like you,” I hiss.
Her grip tightens. “No?” A mirthless laugh escapes her. “We’re both murderers, are we not? And we’d both do anything to protect the people we love.” She tugs on my hand slightly, forcing me forward, my knees banging against the desk. “By the time I’m done with you, Ellie, you won’t even recognize yourself. That’s not a threat. It’s a promise.” Those pale, unyielding eyes glimmer with a suppressed emotion. “I’m excited to get started.”
10
RYKER
One of these days, I’m going to murder every last member of Paragons of Prosperity. And I won’t make it a quick death, either. I’ll relish each and every one of their screams and then bathe in their blood, allowing it to stain my skin red.
It was hell waiting in the ballroom, knowing that Ellie and Dominic were alone with The Divine One.
And the hell only continued as I eavesdropped on the various conversations around me.
“I always knew there was something special about Ellie…”
“I can’t believe Cassia has returned! Blessed be!”
“I wonder if the goddess knows the thoughts I had about her host body…”
On and on it went, until I felt seconds away from snapping completely, of losing the precarious control I had on my sanity.
Zane wasn’t faring any better. He had begun humming beneath his breath—the tune of a song from that animated movie he loves so much—and was bouncing from foot to foot, his hands flexing.
Then the back door opened.
Ellie and Dom rematerialized, The Divine One standing directly behind them.
Ellie remained with The Divine One, much to my horror, while Dominic moved through the crowd, pulling out his phone.
And that’s where we are now—Zane and I standing here, reading the text with growing dismay and all-encompassing fear.
Dominic
Ellie made a deal with DO. She’s staying with her. Zane, Beckett, and I are allowed to remain as well. Aria believes Landon and Ryker are dead. They need to remain hidden.
No. Fucking. Way.
No.
I refuse to allow that to happen.
Fucking refuse.
I don’t give a damn that the world thinks I’m dead. I’ll emerge from the ground like a damn poltergeist, haunting every bastard who gets in my way.
My chest heaves, and I feel my skin prickle, though I’m unsure whether it’s the beginning of a panic attack or something else. Anger like I’ve never felt before floods me, ice-cold and scalding simultaneously, thousands of needles being jabbed into my skin.
No. No. No.
No!
I take an automatic step forward, my attention zeroed in on Ellie.
Zane grabs my shoulder. “I understand impulsivity better than anyone else here, but you need to be smart about this, brother,” he whispers, his tone low and urgent in my ear. “Right now, POP thinks you and Landon are dead. That may be the only thing that will save us later. Don’t be a fucking idiot.”
His words stop me, though they do little to alleviate the rage percolating in my gut. Logically, I know he’s right. Fuck, I know that. But it doesn’t change the fact that my skin feels too tight and my hands are clammy and my thoughts are churning and fear has taken up residence in my chest. I need to do something. Need to…
“Fuck off,” I hiss at Zane, though the words are half-hearted at best.
“Give me more of that dirty talk. I love it,” he quips.
“We can run,” I tell him, not tearing my gaze away from Ellie for even a second. A part of me believes that the moment I look away, the moment I can no longer see her, she’ll disappear from my life completely. I’ll never get her back.
Something occurs to me then, slamming into me like a dozen fireworks detonating too close to my face. It’s both a revelation and a homecoming.
I can’t live without Ellie.
I’ve always known that, of course, but it never occurred to me how thoroughly she owns me until now. I was content with loving her from afar, but I can’t do that. Not now. Not ever. I don’t give a shit if I have to share her attention and affection with my best friends, the men I consider my brothers. None of that matters.
Ellie. Is. Mine.
A strange sense of peace burrows its way beneath my skin, momentarily eclipsing the incandescent rage from moments before. It only lasts a second, but it’s enough for me to know that my decision is irrefutable and unchangeable.
I want her.
I love her.
I’ll be hers, and she’ll be mine, and I don’t give a damn anymore if she’s also theirs.
I curl my hands into fists by my sides as I watch Ellie follow The Divine One toward the side of the room.
My phone pings, indicating another message from Dom, but I don’t peel my gaze away from Ellie, trusting Zane to regale me with any useful information.
“Apparently, Ellie’s bitch of a mom threatened us,” Zane growls out. His hand flexes around his phone.
“And you’re surprised by that?”
He snorts. “Not at all.”
Then, in a move that surprises the shit out of me but honestly shouldn’t have, Zane moves away from me, tossing his mask to the side. He ruffles his dark hair as he saunters up to Ellie and The Divine One without a care in the world.
“I heard we’re all going to be roomies now!” He practically skips the last few feet leading up to Ellie, then spins her around. “Hello, princesa.” He pecks her on the forehead before turning his dark gaze toward The Divine One. “Hello, evil cunt-sucking bitch whore.”
Someone in the crowd gasps, but The Divine One simply laughs, a strange, mechanical noise that grates at my skin.
“Zane. I should’ve known you would be present tonight. Is Beckett here as well?”
As The Divine One keeps her focus on Zane, I move through the crowd toward the back exit, making sure to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Just another waiter, another servant, another slave.
“Maybe,” Zane says cheekily. Despite the jubilant smile on his face, his eyes are hard. Granite. Even from this far away, I can see the rapid fluttering in his jaw as he struggles to maintain his composure, to not succumb to the rage pulsating beneath the surface. “Maybe not. I suppose you’ll have to wait and see.”
“Charming,” The Divine One deadpans. She turns to Ellie. “I’m not surprised a goddess has multiple consorts. I wonder who else from the room she’ll choose to share her body with?” She speaks the last question loud enough for a few people to perk up, their heads straining.
Fucking bitch.
I know Aria is simply taunting Ellie, but it doesn’t stop anger from building inside of me, swift and relentless.
“I think three dicks are enough for our goddess,” Zane says good-naturedly. To the outside observer, he would appear to be completely unperturbed by The Divine One’s comments.
But I know him better than that.
“I suppose that may be true.” The Divine One tilts her masked head to the side, studying them, before refocusing on the crowd. “Let me make it clear—Cassia and her consorts will not be touched in any capacity. Doing so will result in immediate banishment. Or worse.” She allows the threat to linger in the air, to permeate it like a poisonous gas, before she turns toward Ellie and says something too low for me to hear. Whatever it is causes Ellie’s lips to purse, her eyes going flinty.
Fuck, I need to get out of here before I do something I regret.
Like racing across the ballroom, pulling Ellie into my arms, and throwing both of us out of the nearest window. We would run far, far away from this hellhole, never to be seen again.
But I can’t do that. Not with POP still at large. They’ll find us in seconds, of that I have no doubt.
Hell, they knew we were coming here tonight with Harvey. The sick bastard sold out Ellie and Dom without a second thought.
We thought we were two moves ahead of The Divine One, but this entire time, we’ve been playing checkers while she’s winning at chess.
We just need to pivot our strategy. Figure out her next move.
And then destroy her once and for all.
I imagine Landon is losing his shit right now. He hates that we left him behind, and he’ll be furious Ellie made a deal with The Divine One, despite the fact she had no other option. I can understand his anger—I feel the exact same way.
I allow my gaze to feast on Ellie one last time, fearing it’ll be the last time I see her but knowing in my heart it won’t be. The two of us are infinite. There’s no end to what we share. Not even death can keep our fucked-up souls apart.
If The Divine One wants to play chess, then so be it. I’ll learn the game, become a knight, and take down each fucking pawn on the board. All that matters is protecting my queen.
I memorize the perfect symmetry of Ellie’s face. The tousled brown hair. The blue-gray eyes, nothing but specks in the distance behind her dark glasses. The perfect curl of her pink lips.
Not goodbye, baby girl.
Not ever goodbye.
And despite every muscle in my body screaming at me to stay, I pivot on my heel and sneak out a side door.
Soon, Ellie. Soon.
