Page 98 of Royal Havoc

Hendrix positions himself between us, preparing to take the brunt of whatever she’s about to throw out.

“It was an accident. I can’t help that she followed me to the edge of the cliff. I told her to go away. I never kicked her,” she finishes calmly with a shrug.

“Right. You stabbed her. I watched you. Then you thought you threw the evidence in the river. But, it landed on the cliffs,” Hendrix enlightens her. “You used Opal’s monogram letter opener. V, for Violet. It isn’t an upside-down L, Onyx. It’s a V —”

“Shut up! You’re a liar! I don’t know what you’re talking about. Brock —” she whines, tugging at her hair as she spins around to search for him when he doesn’t answer. “Where is he?”

Hendrix steps towards her. “The doctor said she was lucky. Half an inch and her lung would have been punctured. Before you kicked her over the side.”

Before she can freak out, Vex’s dad appears in the doorway. Hendrix walks me to him, then steps out and locks the door, leaving Amethyst alone inside.

fifty-one

Porn Job Betty

Vexen: 2024

Iround the corner, almost running into Hendrix, when Zeke shoves me from behind. Over Hendrix’s shoulder, I notice Dad leaning against the wall down the hall beside a door. Onyx steps from behind Hendrix, and my stomach cramps with knots. The sleeve holding one of her arms is completely soaked in a puddle of blood.

“Onyx,” I gasp, launching towards her.

“Stop,” she hisses, refusing to look at me.

“What took you so long?” Hendrix asks, eyeing both of us skeptically over her head.

My heart races, watching her shift her weight from side to side, wearing the hideous bloody contraption someone’s locked her in.

“This joint’s worse than Edge. Everything is the damn same. Arrows and signs pointing to hallways that look the same. We got turned around twice, searching for my sister,” Zeke answers because I’m too stunned to speak.

She avoids my questioning stare as though I’m invisible, pissing me off even more. Copper filters over my taste buds the longer she ignores me.

“Vance is watching the teacher. Where the hell did that nut job come from?” Hendrix asks, motioning down the hall at Dad.

“He started this year. There’s something off —”

“You fucking think? You should have brought that shit to me. You mightsayyou’re the king, but you’ve still got a lot to learn,” he lectures, sizing me up. “You’ve got shoes to fill. Don’t get lost in that head of yours,” he warns.

“Did you find Zoey? Her ass texted me a while ago, but we couldn’t find her,” Zeke asks.

“What about her SUV?” Hendrix questions.

“She’s here,” Onyx hisses at the floor, still refusing to look at us. “She had some fun stuff to say,” she finishes, her head finally snapping up to glare wickedly at me.

Hendrix smiles proudly down at his daughter. His brows raise when his eyes sway to find me. “Sounds like someone’s in the dog house,” he jokes, fueling my burning veins.

“Um, pretty sure Nolan’s dead body’s lying around somewhere. Mr. Brickman disposed of it while psycho played in his blood,” Onyx informs us.

“You’re full of information,” Hendrix taunts, bumping her good arm.

“Yep, and I got a few more nuggets,” she spits at me. “Which is why me and Vexey Pooh are going to go talk to a bitch in a chair. Alone,” she adds, glaring daggers at me.

“I’m guessing the bitch ismysister, Vexey Pooh,” Zeke teases, trying to hide his laughter. “Wait until Keegan hears,” he jokes.

I’m going to bust his pretty lips for his prince.

“Zeke, let’s fill in Vance. Then we’ll search for Nolan’s body. Vex, text when my daughter’s done handing you your balls,” Hendrix jokes, stepping behind his daughter.

Onyx moves quickly. “Don’t. Vex can help me with the jacket,” she tells Hendrix, shocking the hell out of me.

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