Page 78 of Villains and Vengeance
‘You tricked her into telling you,’ I accuse.
I can feel her confusion and upset now just like I could her fear and pain and exhaustion over the many hours Iron was trying to break her. Maddox had to stop Axel and I from intervening with the strongest power he’s capable of while it was going on. And I don’t know what Iron was saying to her during it, but whatever it was broke her inside even though she’s pretending it didn’t.
I’m still reeling from it, but I also felt her strength and I was proud that Iron didn’t get anything out of her regardless of the fact that he could have gone a lot harder on her. I’ll question why that might be later. I’m too angry to right now.
Iron chuckles. ‘Actuallyyoudid.’
‘You fucker,’ Axel snarls.
Maddox makes him shut up and he groans in pain from his seat at the table.
‘Check out what she told you,’ he orders Daemon and Iron. ‘Make sure it’s legit. How long before the opening?’
‘About twenty four hours now. She wants to come with us,’ Iron says.
Maddox laughs. ‘Of course she does, but she has another destiny that involves the King in the Mountain.’
I stand up with difficulty. ‘Let me go to her. She’s unconscious anyway. Please.’
I’m begging Maddox for this. Never thought I’d beg him or anyone for anything, but I’d fall to my knees and crawl through glass shards and barbed wire for her, I’m coming to realize. He’s wrong about everything. They all are except Axel, who is starting to get it. This isn’t some infatuation or a con she’s pulling. It’s the real deal.
I can’t believe that after waiting so long to find a female that my clan can’t pull their heads out of their arses long enough to see it, to see her.The real her.They’re blinded by their anger and hatred. We need to make them see the truth before it’s too late and they make a decision that will cost our mate her life.
Maddox rolls his eyes. ‘Fine, just stop your griping, both of you!’
He lets Axel go too and we stumble into the bedroom to Jules.
The bed is narrow, but we both squeeze on, sandwiching her between us.
‘What are we going to do?’ I ask him. ‘We can’t let Maddox give her to Dante.’
‘I don’t know,’ he says. ‘Do you really think a human could be our clan’s mate?’
I nod. ‘I don’t know how, but I feel it and I think you do too. Tell me I’m wrong.’
He’s silent. ‘How do we get Maddox to believe it? He thinks she has some hold over us.’
I laugh. ‘She does. Over all of us. It’s just not what he thinks.’
‘Could you forgive her for Krase?’ he asks.
‘I already have,’ I say without missing a beat. ‘She didn’t know where her actions would lead, and we never told her why we needed her to find someone for us. The truth is, Krase liked her and he’d be all right with this. I know he would. He wouldn’t want the madness taking us like it took him. If we have a chance, we need to take it ... for ourselves and the others too.’
Axel nods. ‘It was happening to you too, wasn’t it?’ he asks softly after a moment.
I shrug. ‘I’ve always been a little crazy, but aye, I’d started losing time here and there before we were sent here. Odd thoughts while Jane and Korban were staying at the house. I wasn’t myself. There were a few other things too. But it’s stopped now that we’ve found Jules.’
I look down at her sleeping form and caress her cheek. She looks pale and tired. Iron really did a number on her and for that I’ll make him pay. Daemon as well, for hurting her earlier.
‘She’s not like I thought she was. Before, I mean,’ I say very quietly.
‘No.’
‘Why do you think she did it? Her motivations, I mean.’ I say, continuing to watch her.
‘Besides money? I don’t know, but it wasn’t malice. She said something while she was delirious after the arrow. A name. Maybe it has something to do with that.’
‘What was the name?’ I ask, intrigued.
