Primal Pursuit - Page 153

“I chose to let him do those things.”

“Bullshit. Poppy, I swear to God.” I clench my jaw, the anger too much. “Do not ever say or even think that. You have nothing to be ashamed for. You did nothing wrong. There was nolet. He made you. A fuckingchild, Rabbit. And you held out. You were strong, resilient, did what you had to do to protect yourself, to survive. And you got out. I don’t respect many people, Rabbit. But I respect the shit out of you. I do.”

She buries her face in her hands and starts to cry. Sobs. And I wrap her in my arms, feeling her shake. Something in me cracks apart, just as that cold, deadly anger surges.

If ever two people deserved to suffer before death, I’m thinking it’s her fucking aunt and uncle. Even if it means being my last two kills ever, I will take them out, and I will take them out slowly.

Rabbit doesn’t cry long. And when she raises her head, staring at me, she sees it. She sees hate. The war. The bloodlust. I know she sees it because right now I’m having trouble controlling it.

“I’m coming with you,” she says. “Whatever you do, Davian. I’m coming.”

“And then you’ll kill me?”

She pauses, a tear running past her lips. “And then…I’ll kill you.”

I kiss her hard and long, and it’s a weirdly cathartic kiss.

When I release her, I give her the clothes I brought for her. “Come on, Rabbit.”

“Where are we going?”

“Time for you to meet the Dark Sovereign.”

Chapter

Thirty

POPPY

I should be intimidatedby the roomful of tall, gorgeous, dangerous men. I recognize the priest, Tobias. And it’s a little shocking the name I heard and got confused over, a deviant, hardcore player at Myth, is actually Tobias, the Catholic priest I confessed to.

Some of them I recognize from photos.

Father Tobias and Davian are two that I’ve never seen in any photos. Especially not to do with Dark Sovereign or Myth.

I still wouldn’t recognize Tobias from Myth, as I suspect he’s always masked.

But Alexius Del Rossa, I know who he is.

King of the underworld. Head of Dark Sovereign. Deadly and ruthless.

Now, if someone can just tell me which one he is—because there are two—that would be great. Nicoli is his identical twin, and right now I can’t tell who is who.

They’re both married. Same as Gabriel. They’re the only ones here wearing gold bands.

There are other names, I’ve heard of them all in my research, but this isn’t some tea party or social gathering.

So yes, I should be intimidated.

But I’m not.

I’m thrilled.

I can smell a chase. Violence. Something big. It’s in the air, and I’m breathing it all in.

Maybe it helps that Davian is here, or maybe I’m just fucking drained and still a little wobbly inside from what I just told him.

I don’t think it’s that.