Page 19 of Fall of Hellfire (Hellfire Society #3)
Taking a deep breath, I roll my shoulders and put my game face on.
"Time to fuck shit up." Double checking the blade at my back one last time, I throw open the door and stroll out.
Miranda's back is to me as she sits across from Cash, so I throw in an extra pep in my step as I approach the table.
Cash glances in my direction, a grin lifting his lips.
Cash stands holding out his hand for mine.
Placing mine in his, I grin wide as Miranda turns to see who has caught his attention.
Her shit-brown eyes grow wide when she meets my green ones.
"Miss Black, I believe you know my wife.
" I cock a brow in Cash's direction, but he only shrugs like calling me his wife too is no big deal.
I swear if he married me without me knowing like Riot did, I will start cutting off balls.
I should have a say in who I marry. Is it even legal to marry more than one man?
Do I wanna be married to more than one man?
I mean, I've already decided that Cash, Riot, and Arsen were mine, so a piece of paper shouldn't matter, right?
"You!" Miranda screeches, climbing to her feet. "You killed him. My Richard is dead because of your ungrateful little ass, and now you're whoring yourself out for protection." Her eyes turn to slits as she steps towards me, trying to tower over me in her four-inch heels. I don't move.
Cash lets out a soft chuckle as he leans down to whisper into my ear. "Do you want me to stick around, or do you have this?" I give Miranda a once over before rolling my eyes.
"I've got this. She's basically a Chihuahua; all bark, no bite." He nods, kissing my temple before turning and heading for the counter and taking a seat. I turn back to my stepmother and give her a bored look. "Why don't we sit and talk?" I nod to the booth, but Miranda just sneers at me.
"We gave you everything, and this is how you repay us?"
I don't bother reminding her that Richard and she were planning to sell me to someone at sixteen. Or that I was basically the maid of the house since I was ten. Yeah, they gave me everything. Cue dramatic eye roll.
"You know what Ethan gave me the last time I saw him?
" She frowns before glaring at me. I lift my thigh and show her the scar now branding me for life.
"Your son, my half-brother. Someone I share DNA with carved this into my skin.
You wanna know why?" I pause for half a second as she takes in the red, raised flesh; a look of disgust twists her fake face. "Because he is obsessed with me."
"Liar. He is just as disgusted with you as I am.
He wants you dead for what you did to his father.
" I can't help myself. A full-on belly laugh escapes me.
Water fills my eyelids and my stomach begins to ache before it abruptly stops as a sharp sting crosses my cheek as my head snaps to the side.
"You're a lying whore," Miranda spits at me.
I can faintly hear cursing come from the kitchen before pots and pans bang to the floor.
Sounds like my husband isn't too happy about the slap I just received.
Slowly I reach up and touch the sting of my cheek as I turn to face Miranda. "Now, why would you go and do a thing like that?" I ask, my demeanor shifting to one of cold indifference.
"I will not stand here and let you spew your lies about my son like that."
"Lies?" I ask, and Miranda tilts up her chin.
"Did you know that Ethan was sneaking into my room and jerking off to me sleeping?
That he would stare at me for hours as I did my chores?
That his hands would "accidentally" grab my ass or chest as I cross paths with him in the hall?
" Her anger is evident as I continue to speak my truth.
"The night he did this," I nod to my thigh.
"he told me all about what he wanted to do to me.
How he wanted me naked in his bed. How I was going to be his and only his and that no one was going to get in his way, not even you. "
"No! You killed his father. He hates you," she spits.
"Why don't you call him up and invite him over?
We can ask him ourselves," I taunt. "See who he would chooses to keep alive.
" This time I let a smile grace my lips.
"Then you can really see what type of sick fuck your son really is.
How he would rather fuck his stepsister, who killed his father, than kill her like his mother wants. "
I must finally hit my mark because Miranda charges me, hand ready to slap me again, but this time I'm ready.
With one hand I grab the blade tucked behind my back while the other grabs Miranda's wrist. Turning, I slam her hand down on the table before bringing the blade down and embedding it into the center of her hand.
Miranda lets out an ear-splitting scream.
"I'm not the same little girl I used to be.
You can no longer knock me around and expect me to behave.
So, you are going to text Ethan and tell him to come meet with you.
That you found someone with information that he needs to meet.
Then we are going to have a family reunion, without Richard, of course.
" Tears have started to streak her cheeks, her heavy makeup becoming ruined as she shakily nods her head.
"Good." Without warning, I yank the blade up before wiping the blade on Miranda's coat.
"Take a seat and pull out your phone. Time's wasting.
" I wait for her to climb to her feet before she tumbles into the booth with a pained cry.
I take a seat across from her, holding out my hand for her phone.
She glares even with tears still running down her face but digs through his purse and pulls out her phone, handing it over.
"You're wrong, you know," she mumbles as I type out a text but pause to cock a brow in her direction. "Ethan will choose me." I snort, finishing the text and rereading it.
MOTHER: Ethan, I need you to meet me at the diner on the east side of Redmon Street. Please hurry, it's about Allison.
Turning the phone I show her the text I just sent.
"I added that it had to do with me so that he would rush.
We can't sit here all day now, can we?" If her eyes could shoot laser beams, I would absolutely be dead right now.
"Do you need a first aid kit for that? We don't want that to get infected," I ask casually, sitting back in the booth as the phone in my hand goes off.
ETHAN: on my way.
I grin, turning the phone so she can see his reply. "Told you."
And now we wait.