Carver pulls against their hold, desperate to get free and end me just as I did his father. “She fucking killed him,” Carver roars.
I push out from around King, not one to shy away before rushing into Carver’s chest. “He killed my parents,” I yell as King’s arm snaps around my waist, hauling me back away from the furious new head of Dynasty.
Carver roars, “YOU DON’T KNOW THAT.”
“I SURE AS FUCK DO,” I throw back at him, my throat instantly burning from my tone as I push at King’s arm to get closer. “He just admitted it. He was boasting about it, telling me how my mother screamed when he slit my father’s throat, telling me how much blood pooled in their bed. WHAT THE FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?”
“NOT FUCKING KILL HIM,” he roars, his face turning a deep shade of red in anger, his tone making me flinch. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’VE DONE?”
“Fuck what I’ve done,” I spit, not regretting it one bit as people rush into us, violently jostling me around. “I can live with what I’ve done. I avenged my parents and gave your father what he finally deserved. An eye for a fucking eye.”
Carver shakes his head, the fury and rage pulsing out of his eyes and telling me that from this moment on, nothing will ever be the same between us. “Take out enough eyes, and soon enough, we’ll all be fucking blind.”
Tobias King pushes in between us, slamming a hand against his son’s chest and Carver’s before giving a harsh push and sending us all a step back. He turns a ferocious glare on me. “What is the meaning of this?” he demands as the other heads of Dynasty form a circle around us. “Why the hell is Royston Carver lying dead at my feet?”
High-pitched wailing cuts through the circle as an older woman in a deep red gown crashes through and drops to her knees beside the body, her dress instantly soaking in the pooled blood. “NOOOOOO,” she sobs. “No, no, my poor husband. What has she done to you?”
She throws herself over the body as though her own warmth will somehow pump life back into her disgraced husband. She sobs and I find the sight far too hard to watch. It’s one thing to take a man’s undeserving life, but taking someone’s father, someone’s husband … that hits differently. But is it enough to make me regret what I did? Hell fucking no.
My gaze instantly slices back to Carver’s as his mother wails between us, but his stare is still there, still boring into mine and demanding retribution. “You will die for this,” he tells me, making Cruz, Grayson, and King flinch. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“You don’t mean that,” I tell him, shaking my head. I see the pain in his eyes, but on closer inspection, it's clear that the pain isn't from the loss of his father, it's from my betrayal. And I think that cuts deeper than anything ever could.
Carver’s mother throws herself to her feet and slams into her son, throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his neck. “She took him from me. She murdered my sweet Roy. You have to do something about this. You have to demand justice.”
I hold back a scoff as Cruz and Grayson release their hold on Carver and his arms instantly wrap around his mother. King does the same for me but keeps his hand at my elbow.
Tobias surveys the area, trying to gain control of the situation before nodding at Earnest Brooks. “Close this thing down.”
Earnest flashes his gaze at me before nodding back at Tobias. “Consider it done.”
Just like that, Earnest turns to the crowd gathered around us, and with a simple nod of his head, every last person turns on their expensive heels and scurries for the door, leaving behind the boys, the body, the dagger, and the remaining fifteen heads of Dynasty. Sixteen considering that Carver just inherited his father’s seat at the table.
Once the people are gone and the doors are closed behind them, Mrs. Carver’s sobs come to an abrupt, appalling stop and she turns her glare on me. “You will pay for this, mark my words, girl,” she spits, making it clear that her sobs were just for show. “You took from me and I will not stop until I find revenge.”
Tobias raises his chin. “Remember your place, Ida. That’s Elodie Ravenwood you’re talking to, our leader.”
“She is not my leader,” Ida growls. “She’s a murderer. She should be locked up and fed to the wolves for all I care. She’s white trash and not worthy of being leader of such an organization.”
“Watch your mouth,” Earnest says, stepping into her side as my fingers curl into a fist and I long for my brass knuckles, desperately wishing that I could end this shit the one way I know how.