Page 181 of Wanted By a King

“You know, Gray. I asked Rhiannon why she didn’t say something to me when I went in the room, and she said that it was no use, because I would tell you, and you wouldn’t believe me or her. You would believe your friend. Was she right?”

“I-he-she…” I trail off, a little fucking stunned by her question. “You believe her?” I ask, and Zoe nods.

“Yes, Gray. I do. And it’s not just her. Alana has a cut on her leg from when she refused to blow Gunner. Beth has smoke burns on her shoulder. Others have met his wrath, Gray. So yes. I believe them, and not just because of that, but because it’s all starting to make sense. He was kinda creeping me out. At first, I thought we were friends, but as time went on, his actions stepped over the line too much.”

A low growl reverberates in my chest, but Zoe doesn’t shift back, not in the least bit scared of me.

“There’s something else too,” Zoe whispers, like she doesn’t want to speak the words out loud.

“What?” I hiss, and her eyes fall to where our fingers are linked.

“That night, here.” She visibly swallows like she has a boulder stuck in her throat, and my finger finds her chin as I lift it, forcing her eyes to lock with mine.

“Tell me, Princess.”

“I didn’t know this until today, but the reason the Cruz Cunts dragged me up on stage that night was to get me away from Gunner.”

My nostrils flare and my chest heaves, and sweat breaks out over my forehead.

“What?” I force out between clenched teeth, and Zoe’s eyes turn glassy.

“They were trying to protect me from Gunner. Trying to keep me close by.”

My fucking world tilts at her words, my mind flashing back to the moment I saw her on that stage, thinking she was up there willingly to flaunt her assets for all to fucking see.

“Fuck.” I shake my head trying to shift back from her, but she fists the front of my shirt and drags herself onto my lap.

“Don’t you fucking dare try to run from this, Grayson. I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad. Or worse. I’m telling you about Gunner. He wasn’t who you thought he was.”

Staring into her sincere eyes, I think back to everything that’s happened. To how Gunner seemed to have changed lately. He was moody. He seemed angry with me a lot. Angry at Rocco’s decisions. He wanted Zoe. That much I knew. But I claimed her, so she was off limits to him. To anyone. But he did want her. He was jealous.

My eyes search the room for my Prez, only to find him already looking at me, a wild look on his face as Rose talks to him. He looks back to her saying something and then grips her upper arm and storms across the space to us.

“Hop off, Princess.” I rasp in her ear, tapping her leg, and she scurries off me, realizing that we are about to have company.

“We need to talk about Gunner.” Rocco snaps, and I nod.

“Did Rose just tell you about what he was doing to the Cruz Cunts when they refused to fuck him?” It’s more of a statement than a question, because I assume we are both talking about the same fucking thing.

We aren’t.

“No. What the fuck was he doing?” Rocco booms and my brows shoot up, eyeing Zoe briefly before looking back to my Prez.

“He’s been marking them up. Cuts. Smoke burns. If they refuse him, he’s been punishing them.”

Rocco’s fiery glare turns to Rose. “Is this true?”

Slowly, she nods. “Well, yes. But—”

“But fucking what?” Rocco snaps. “Why didn’t you come to me or Gray with this sooner? Or Cara for fuck’s sake?”

When Rose doesn’t speak, her eyes dropping to the floor between them, Zoe speaks up.

“They feared you would believe Gunner over them.”

Rocco’s eyes dart to mine, and I shrug, feeling like I’m to fucking blame because the girls were right. I would have believed my friend over them, and that is not fucking okay.

“Jesus fucking Christ. Who the fuck was that man?”

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