Scorch (Virtues & Lies 2)

Fight, Belles!

You fight to the end.

Fucking fight!

“You want a fight?” My bellow fills the air. It feels like breaking the surface of the water and filling my lungs with all the air they ached for.

Fine.

I will not be beaten.

Blinking my tears away, I yank my hands free as I bring my knees up with enough force to drop Tomasz on me. His face slots into the crook of my neck as my hand finds my shoe.

It happens so quickly. The thought doesn’t even register fully until warmth leaks between us.

Pulling the heel from his neck I bring it down again as hard as the first time while he convulses over me. Blood spurts onto my neck and my face. I do it again and again and again.

I don’t stop until my weapon slips from my hands. The metallic sharpness in the air chokes me with the dead weight pinning me down.

All I can do is lie still and try to catch my breath so I can free myself. However, a low cry trembles beside me followed by a rush of cool air.

There’s no time to gather myself as the door slams open. Shouts and bullet fire fill the air.

“Fuck!” I turn towards the loud curse, and my heart twists in my chest.

Charles’ wide eyes flit from me to the body beside me and the girl that’s still holding on to me.

“He’s dead,” I tell him.

He’s silent for a moment. It’s strange. Any of the other men would’ve rushed to help me. They would’ve made sure I was okay, and they would have taken me away.

The girl holds on tighter, her bony fingers digging into my flesh.

Then all I see are blue eyes coming for me. My head hurts and my face aches.

Realisation is a bitch. It chills me to the core.

“How could you?” I stand, and he takes a step back. “How could you betray your family? Your wife…”

“Was a philandering whore.” His face twists with disgust.

“Fleur. Your daughter. Do you know what you’ve done to her?” My every step trembles, each shot making me flinch.

“She’s no child of mine.”

How did I not see this sooner? All those times we crossed each other and I thought he was working Tomasz like I was. Pretending to be in his pocket…

“You sent me for him.” I point behind me to the futon. “You. You told my dad to send me. Why?”

A dry laugh rumbles from him as he looks me up and down. I forgot I was practically naked. Embarrassment hits me and all I can do not to shrivel up in front of him is cross my arms over my chest.

What a stupid thing to worry about in the moment, but I’ve already had a man try to take something from me.

It’s then I feel the cold. The room didn’t feel like this before. Drawing tight as it crusts over in Tomasz’s blood, my skin stings.

None of this makes sense though. “Why?”

Charles shrugs.