Page 46 of Kael

A servant led Caine and Zia back into the kitchen.

"Zia!" Maya practically lunged at her, wrapping her in a hug. "You came!" She hugged Miyori next.

"I was told it was mandatory," Zia said flatly, rolling her eyes at Caine. She spoke to Raziel, then her eyes flicked to me. "Priest."

"Zia."

I didn’t like her at all—and not in the playful way I bickered with Maya. She was just too self-righteous.

Caine walked past her, shooting me acut-it-outlook before clapping Raziel on the shoulder. "Are Malachai and Kael coming?"

"No. Malachai's probably recovering from another stab wound he didn't want us to know about," I said, pausing. "And Kael is embarrassed to bring Maya’s cokehead friend out in public."

“Why don’t you ever shut up, Priest?” Maya snapped.

I looked at her. I didn't understand Raziel or Kael. There were so many women in the world—beautiful women who didn't come with baggage, addiction, and a mouth that never stopped running.

But then again, if Miyori came with baggage, I'd burn the world down for her anyway. So maybe I understood more than I wanted to admit.

Maya flipped me off without missing a beat. "Keep talking, Priest. I'll tell Miyori about the time you—"

"Finish that sentence and I'll tell Raziel about the time you—"

"Okay!" Raziel stepped between us. "Enough. Both of you."

Chapter 26

Kael

I pulled up outside the warehouse Bria had tried to rob a few months ago.

She looked over at me, her brow furrowed. “I thought we were supposed to be going to Maya’s house?”

“I have something else I want to show you.”

Her frown deepened as she stared at the building, probably remembering the night I took her. I got out, walked around, and opened her door.

“We're going in. Stay right beside me,” I told her, my voice low.

She nodded once, her eyes darting around the empty lot.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of rust and old oil. I kept a hand on the small of her back as I led her toward the back room.

Bria stopped dead when she saw what I wanted to show her, her breath hitching. “What is this?” she whispered.

Brook was zip-tied to a metal chair in the center of the room, exactly where I’d had my men leave her. Her face was swollen, one eye swollen half-shut. When she saw Bria, her expression twisted with recognition and something uglier.

I stepped in close behind Bria, my mouth near her ear. “This is part of your rehab: taking back control. This is the woman who helped Darius take everything from you. The onewho stood by while he used you. The one who laughed when you were broken.”

Bria’s breathing picked up. She couldn’t look away from Brook. “Why… that doesn’t explain why she's here, Kael.” She sounded so nervous.

“Because you never got to make them answer for what they did to you.” I turned her slightly. “She’s the first piece. You let them take your power, rabbit. Your body. Your mind. Your fucking life. They treated you like something disposable. Now it’s your turn. You’re going to kill her, and him, and anybody else who ever hurt you.”

Bria’s hands were shaking. “I… I can’t. I don’t know if I can—”

“Yes, you can.” My voice stayed calm. “You need to. If you don’t, that voice in your head that still says you’re weak will never shut up. Every time you look in the mirror, you’ll still see the girl they broke. I’m giving you the chance to end that version of yourself tonight.”

Brook made a muffled sound behind the gag, thrashing against the zip ties. Bria flinched.