Page 36 of The Stallion (Men Under Revue #2)

Bria

TWO MONTHS PRIOR.

Connor had only been gone for roughly two weeks, but it had felt far longer given our fight just before he’d left.

All we did these days was bicker and disagree on the stupidest of things—from where we went out for dinner to whose friends’ event we’d have to skip simply because another had double-booked us… the list went on.

Our communication was tragic—nonexistent. And to make matters worse, the sex —I had spent more money on ways to get myself off than on overpriced, trendy clothes to impress the company he so frequently kept.

Always upper class and invariably pompous as fuck.

If I had known that this would’ve been the path I was paving for my future self, I wouldn’t have listened to Asher.

I shouldn’t have put all my fucking eggs into one egocentric basket .

From what I could remember, Connor’s lack of interest in our relationship started around the three-year mark, which ultimately baffled me.

As to how we managed to make it an additional three years past that point? No fucking clue. My only assumption was cheating, and even though knots twisted in my stomach at the thought, I pushed to be better and worked my fucking ass off to gain his affections that I had seemingly lost.

Little did I know that those feelings would never be reciprocated… ever again.

As a last-ditch effort to mend the chasm that had formed between us, I had canceled my plans with Asher and the girls to surprise Connor upon his return.

While we didn’t actually live together—wanting space for both of our chaotic schedules—I still had a personal key to his townhouse and, as always, let myself in.

If this session were anything like the previous year’s, Connor would have arrived home late last night or early this morning, depending on whether he had to stay late on the final day of training.

Entering through the front door, I found the main level unusually quiet. It was almost eleven, and Connor, being an early bird, I’d assumed he would be up by now, relaxing in the living room—only he wasn’t.

To my surprise, I heard light, bubbly laughter filtering down the stairs from his bedroom, and my stomach immediately flipped at the sound.

Of all the times where I thought he was out cheating on me, I never imagined that I’d actually catch him in the act—not that I ever wanted to—because who the fuck wants their heart shattered into a million pieces on purpose.

The pit that hollowed in my stomach made me want to vomit directly onto the entryway rug. But my feet had an entirely different idea in mind, carrying my body one excruciating step at a time up to the second floor.

The laughter grew as I approached his room. The door just barely cracked open, letting a string of sunlight filter into the hallway.

The strangest part of this situation was that the woman’s laughter sounded oddly familiar…

With a long-held breath, I gingerly pushed open the door and immediately froze when my eyes reached Connor’s.

“Connor…” I breathed, sucking on my bottom lip, my throat closing as I tried to force a dry swallow. My gaze shifted to the naked woman snuggled up beside him, the duvet pulled up to cover her bare chest.

Motherfucking Tahlia.

I could recognize that dark-haired whore a mile away—and in truth—I had thought she’d left for California the day she lost her leadership position to me.

Evidently not.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” As if thinking she were any other woman would have made this low of a blow feel any gentler… perhaps.

“Bri, I was going to—”

“We’re consummating our marriage, or was the white dress on the floor not enough to give that away?” Tahlia’s smug grin of satisfaction had me digging my nails into my palms, threatening to break through the skin.

Married?! He fucking married her?! While we were still together?!

“Of all the things… This is fucking low of you Connor.” I didn’t have words—utterly speechless.

There was so much I wanted to say, but I could barely process the scene before my eyes, let alone figure out how to contain my feelings.

“You couldn’t look me in the face and end our relationship before running off and getting fucking married?

!—And let me guess, you’re the one hes been fucking for the past three years, right?

” The moment everything between us took a hard left turn.

It took every ounce of self-restraint not to break down in the doorway as I set my furious gaze on Tahlia, who again looked entirely unperturbed at my presence.

“Four—but three sounds more favorable from your perspective of this whole—” She gestured her hand in a waving motion to encompass the three of us. “Situation.”

“Bri—”

“Spare me the petty excuses, Connor… You had every goddamn chance—for four fucking years—to end this the right way and you chose not to.” My voice broke as I fought to hold on to my sanity.

Did I want his explanation? Did it even matter at this point?

Sucking up what little courage I had left I turned on my heel and made my exit toward the stairs, hearing Tahlia’s cold voice echo from behind me.

“Karma’s a bitch, sweetheart. Maybe try not to be so much of an oblivious pushover next time.”

My lungs felt heavy, and my breathing strained as I reached the bottom of the staircase.

I gripped onto the railing as if it were the only thing keeping me from collapsing to my knees.

Those two… all this fucking time….

How could I let this happen…

A pushover…

I clawed my nails into the wooden railing as red slowly bled across my vision, and my eyes lifted from the floor to the kitchen.

“I’ll show you a fucking pushover…” I gritted out, my jaw sealed tight as I pushed myself off the rail and took agile steps to the far corner of the room, where my eyes locked onto the butcher block.

I pulled out the large Chef’s knife and immediately turned to rush back up the stairs, all sense of logic, reasoning, and sanity leaving me behind.

I wasn’t myself anymore; I was someone else—a version of Bria that didn’t take shit from anyone, no matter who they were—enemy or lover.

Without a second’s pause, I barged right back into his bedroom, the door slamming against the wall with a loud ear-splitting bang before I launched myself at them both, aiming the tip of the knife right at the fucking cunt’s throat.

I drove the knife deep into Tahlia’s chest before ripping it out and plunging it down again. Her shrill screams filled the room as Connor fell out of his side of the bed and gaped at me with a horror-stricken expression.

When Tahlia had turned silent and motionless in the sheets, I turned with a savage, sickening smirk, dragging myself off the bed and toward Connor, who had already backed himself into a corner— quite literally.

The entire front of my body was coated with blood; my face spattered like a fresh Pollock painting.

“B-Bri—Don’t—”

“Don’t what? Do something I might regret?

” I sang with sarcasm dripping from my darkened soul, cocking my head to the side as I readjusted my grip on the handle.

“Too bad I already did that six years ago… When I allowed myself to become yours.” I directed the tip of the knife right between his eyes.

“For the last three fucking years, you made me feel as if I was the problem—that I was no longer worthy of your time and affection, and yet you still dragged me along like things would get better… If I just tried fucking harder to be what you needed.”

“It wasn’t supposed to end like this.” Connor choked out, holding a hand up in blatant, petty submission.

“You’re right, it wasn’t… No one plans to end their relationship on the grounds of murder.”

I should’ve felt sorry for him as he stared up at me with pleading, terrified eyes.

The Arizona Hawks will be missing their star quarterback this season.

And for the first time in my life.

I didn’t give a fuck.

I sat perched at the edge of the bed, staring down at my blood-stained hands, my weapon of choice lying on the floor beside my feet where I had dropped it, the moment that it dawned on me, that I had just murdered two people and I had no fucking clue as to how I would cover it up.

How I would keep their deaths from circling right back to me…

Connor wasn’t a nobody—and Tahlia… that was up for debate—but eventually, his teammates—family—would come looking for him, and when he was nowhere to be found, I would be the first person on their list of suspects.

I glanced around the room, taking in the substantial mess I had made. Blood splattered across the walls, all over the bed and sheets…

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I could see exactly just how fucked up my appearance was—savage, unhinged, a killer.

My gaze dropped to the floor, and I massaged my forehead with my fingers as I thought long and hard about my next course of action.

Until it hit me—Asher’s cousin.

For what started as nothing more than an innocent joke, Asher had given me her cousin’s phone number a long while back, stating that if I ever found myself in a compromising situation where I felt the need to put Connor in his place, he would be the one to call for help.

I don’t think she ever intended for that sentiment to come true.

Pulling my phone from my back pocket, I searched through my contacts, finding her cousin’s name, and called the number.

I breathed a long sigh of relief as the phone rang; at least the number was still in service.

“Yeah?” A bored tone answered, the man’s voice muffled by whatever he was doing before answering.

“Are you—Are you eating fucking chips while answering the phone?” I crinkled my nose in disgust, his incessant chewing making me cringe with every wet smacking sound.

“Look, lady, do you know what kind of business I’m running here? You called me, I can answer however the fuck I want. How did you even get this fucking number?”

“Y-your cousin… Asher… Leigh.”

“That doesn’t sound like Asher, just giving my number away. She usually calls me herself when the need arises.”

When the need—what the fuck?

How often did she call him, and for what fucking purpose? Shit like this?

“Enough with the small talk—I need your help. Will you or will you not?” I rushed out, not wanting to waste any more time than I already had by just sitting on Connor’s bed, which was now draped with crimson sheets.

“Based on your area code, I’m assuming you’re in Phoenix, is that correct?”

How was he able to make this whole conversation sound so casual?

“Ye—yeah.” I nervously cleared my throat and pressed the pads of my fingers to my lips in anticipation.

“I can be there in about… seven hours—six if you’re lucky…” With a distant sigh, he continued, “Text me the address, leave the key under the mat, and ensure the main interior lights are on. Always better to look as though someone is home, expecting me.”

“Where do I—fuck…” I groaned out of frustration, looking back in the mirror at myself once again, taking yet another good, hard look at my reality.

“I’m going to assume that this is your first time…

” He added as if he’d had this same conversation one too many times throughout his career.

“Let me guess, cheating boyfriend?—ex now, I presume.” Her cousin chuckled with sarcasm, and I made a firm fist at my side out of sheer annoyance, but let him continue to speak.

“Look—friend of my dear cousin Asher—I’ll take care of whatever you’ve done.

All you need to do now is follow my instructions: Go home, take a nice, long, relaxing bath, and I’ll be in touch once I arrive and begin my work. ”

That’s it, then? Nothing else?

No additional hoops to jump through to make this whole afternoon seem like nothing more than just a bad dream?

“How—How much is this going to cost me?” I hesitated with my question, not knowing the kind of response I’d get in return—if I could afford the price.

His sickening laugh over the speaker made my hand tremble, and blood curdle at its sound.

“Princess, you’ve already made your payment tenfold. Let’s just hope you know how to live with yourself after the fact.”

An audible click, and our call was disconnected without another word.

I felt my phone slip through my shaky fingers and fall to the floor along with my sanity as I pulled my knees to my chest and curled in on myself at the stark realization.

Holy shit…

What have I done?