Page 37 of Scarlet Wars
“You two!” she yelled, her voice forcefully carrying across the room.
Shit. That didn’t bode well for either of us.
She stalked toward us; her face flushed with anger. “Am I to understand you are trying to figure out my life without me? You’re discussingmeas if I’m not even here? Do I look like a damn toddler to you?”
Rage.
A fucked-up stage of grief to go through.
There wasn’t a damn thing either of us could say to temper it. So, I kept quiet, knowing better. James, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have gotten the memo.
“Emma,” James said softly, trying to soothe her, “we only want to help you. Protect you.”
She snorted, the sound bitter. “Really? Protect me? Like you protected Julian and his precious secrets? What’s the matter, James? Not enough rapists in the world for you to protect these days?”
Wow.
“Emma!” James shouted, his shock unmistakable.
“Oh, I’m sorry, does that hurt your feelings? Me telling the truth?” Emma's tone dripped with venom. “Yeah, I know it’s not a concept you’re very familiar with, but?—"
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” James cut her off, his frustration boiling over. “I only kept silent about it as part of a deal! To getJulian off the continent! To make sure he never came back! I did it so the True Bond wouldn’t affect you! I did it toprotectyou!”
“A deal you made aboutmylife!” she yelled back, fury blazing. “How dare you? How dare you make that decision without me?”
“You were in acoma!” he shot back, raw with anger.
“I don’t care! You hear me? I don’t fucking care! Maybe that’s why you didn’t tell me when I woke up, but we were together for months after that! Months, James! And you still chose to protect that rapist’s secret over tellingme! Even with him gone! Why? Were you afraid I’d seek him out? Take my revenge? Did you not trust me enough to handle it if you’d just explained it to me? Just like you didn’t trust me to…Fuck!”
James froze, the words clearly hitting him hard. She was right. She was dead-on, and he knew it.
“You’re a godsdamn liar, James,” she spat. “No matter which way you turn it.”
“Emma,” I interjected, starting to feel bad for the guy, “it’s not all black and white.”
She turned on me, her gaze suddenly locking on mine, as if she’d only just realized I was there. Her eyes were ice. “Oh, of courseyouwould say so. You’re the bloodykingof the gray zone, aren’t you? What now, Caden? You want to torture me some more? Bleed me out again, just to make sure you’re still on top?”
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words like a punch to the chest. Fuck me, she wassavage.
“Because let me tell you something, Caden Colt,” she continued, taking a step toward me. “You might think the death of my parents traumatized me, and everything that happened after, but that’s nothing compared to the shityoudid to me. Or have you forgotten how your goons bled me out, tied me to atree, ensuring I’d have nightmares for months, before abducting me and maiming me for life?”
She swirled her visible haze around her arm and made the scars beneath her tattoo appear. “Look at this!” she yelled, pointing at the horror I was responsible for. “Look at whatyoudid to me!”
My fists clenched involuntarily. Her words cut me like a knife straight to the gut, twisting with every syllable, however true they rang.
She took a step toward me. “You want to be there for me? Help me get through my ‘trauma’? Hah! You’re the one fuckingresponsiblefor it!” she spat, her words laced with bitterness.
Then, just as quickly, she pivoted, turning her back on both of us. But even from behind, I could see her hand subtly wipe away the tears that had started to fall.
Without facing either of us, she whispered, sounding raw and hoarse, “I hate you both.”
She drew a green portal and disappeared, vanishing to gods know where.
I stood there, fists still clenched, my entire body rigid. My gaze shifted to James, who was standing in a similar state—fists tight, jaw set, frozen in place.
And for the first time, I felt a genuine connection to the guy.
“She’s lashing out,” I grumbled, trying to make myself sound more reassuring than I felt.
