Page 22 of Vicious King

Carson will find me, and he’ll tear this asshole apart for touching me.

His phone rings, and he answers it simply “Damien.” He listens and then smirks. “Roman’s dead? Good. One down. Keep me informed.”

No. Oh my God, no.

“What the fuck is happening?”

Damien, or whoever the hell this asshole is, laughs. He just laughs. Like this is great fun for him and my fear and horror is his entertainment.

“I’m dismantling everything your idiot husband loves today. Starting with his brothers.” His phone rings again, and when he answers, he smiles. “Two down.”

He hangs up and turns to me.

“That was Julian.”

I’m shaking my head. This can’t be happening.

“Don’t worry, your father was spared.”

I don’t give a rat’s ass about my father.

After less than fifteen seconds, Damien’s phone rings again. “Damien. Excellent. Is he on his way? Great, stand by. Remember my orders; no cops until he’s got some hits in. I want him to think he’s winning before we surprise him with the good stuff.”

He hangs up and tucks the phone in his pocket and pops his knuckles, as if he’s getting ready for a fight.

“Mateo’s dust too. Carson’s on his way. Don’t worry, I might let you say goodbye before I behead him right in front of you.”

“Why are you doing this?” The tears roll unchecked down my cheeks. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” He paces over to me and slaps me so hard, I see stars and I’m knocked back. My heel catches on uneven concrete, and then I hit my head and everything goes black.

Seven

CARSON

“He was bluffing,” I tell her as she wipes her tears away. I want to go back there and do literally every single thing differently. “He was fucking with your head, and I’m so goddamn sorry.”

“With each call, it was like another little part of my heart died. I loved those men, Carson.”

“I know, baby. They didn’t die. I promise you, they’re all alive and well.”

She shakes her head. “Oh my God, I wish I’d known.”

“When I got there, you were already unconscious,” he says, and swallows hard, as if this memory is the worst for him. “You’d bled quite a bit, and you were so still, and I was convinced you were gone. I went out of control. I beat Damien so badly, that I was sure he was dead. He must have had the cops on standby because they rolled in and arrested me. Later, I was charged with deadly assault because the fucker didn’t die, along with drugs and weapons that weren’t mine, and they blew the factory up and pinned that on me too.”

I blow out a breath.

“I served five years, baby.”

She blinks. “In prison?”

“Federal prison. But when they had me in holding, they told me you were dead on the scene and that you’d already been cremated. That you were gone.”

She launches herself into my arms and buries her sweet face in my neck, and I just hold onto her.

“I’m so sorry.”

“None of that, remember?”