Forbidden - Page 162

The faint sound of voices spilled out as I braced my hand on the wall and turned the corner.

Heads turned toward me when I entered, from the Daughters as well as the guards. Walker was there, not bothering to hide his smirk as he watched me straighten my spine.

People speak of hope as though it’s a fragile thing, one made of thoughts and fucking prayers. But there’s not much talk about spite. No, spite wiped the blood from her face with the back of her hand and locked her knees in place…right before she met her attacker in the eye.

That’s exactly what I did, forcing each step as I crossed the space to stop in front of Coulter as he stood with arms crossed amongst his men. Every cell in my body was screaming for me to run.

But I didn’t.

I lifted my gaze and met that cold, amused stare. “You were just how I figured you would be.” I murmured. A sting came as my lip freshly split with the effort. “Small and insignificant. I barely felt a thing.”

There was a twitch in the corner of his eye, and that amusement died away, revealing the cold, stony rage he hid inside.

There were damaged, desperate men like Riven and his brothers…and then there were true monsters, men whose souls were snatched from their bodies by fate just before they were born to this world. Those men were a magnet for the depraved, a hunter for the weakened, an addict for sickening pleasure.

And that’s who I saw then.

“Daughter.” Walker called carefully, not only reminding me of his presence, but Coulter as well. “Your food is getting cold.”

I glanced toward the commander, gave a slow nod, then turned.

Spite lived inside me.

She raged.

She howled.

And she survived.

FORTY

Riven

Jesus Christ,she was incredible. I stood inside the door of the cafeteria as she stared the bastard down. It took all my goddamn strength not to cross the floor and drive his head into the floor in front of her…untilhisvacant stare was the one I looked into.

I wanted that…

More than I wanted anything in my life.

I fixed my focus on her, my fists clenched by my sides. One look from him…that’s all it’d take. One goddamn look and I’d burn it all to the ground and him along with it. All I saw was that smirk in my head. Thatviciousfucking sneer he’d given me after I’d found her last night.

Looks like this one wasn’t worth the two million after all.

His words resounded.

Revulsion spilled like acid into the back of my throat as I focused on the defiance in her eyes. She worked her mouth, then spat, unleashing a glistening wad of spittle onto his cheek. I’d stare at that fire in her eyes all goddamn day if I could, even if it burned. She turned then, not giving the bastard another second, and slowly limped to the vacant seat at one of the Daughters’ tables. It hurt her. Fuck, it hurt her.

Walker stood there, staring the bastard down.

Not worth the two million?

He was so very wrong.

She was worth far more than that.

She was worth everything.

I took a step, drawing Coulter’s focus. His eyes blazed with rage as he swiped the mess on his cheek and I almost wanted to laugh. He thought he’d broken her. He thought he’d won. But he hadn’t come fucking close. I glanced around the room as one of the Daughters rose from her seat, her gaze fixed on Helene, before she jerked a glare to Coulter and the others.