Alyssa
King's boots thud heavily against the asphalt as he stalks towards me, his expression carved from stone. The tension in the air is palpable, coiling tighter with each step he takes. Niko follows closely behind, his face a shade darker but no less intimidating. My breath catches in my chest, and my fingers fidget at my sides as I brace for their wrath.
They're both lions stalking a prey that's cornered. Me. A paralyzed little gazelle. I try to gather bravado, but my legs tremble, threatening to give out.
King's silence as he closes the distance is somehow worse than words. Beside him, Niko's mouth twists into a cruel smile.
"Alyssa." His gravelly voice sends a warning that's impossible to ignore.
I plaster on the sweetest, most innocent smile I can muster. "Nikolai."
His pupils dilate at the sound of his full name. Point one for me.
Maybe I can seduce my way out of this.
"Does your phone not work?" he asks, his voice sharp, his eyes daring me to lie. "I believe I called you-multiple times."
I fight the urge to bite my lip-my biggest tell. "Guess I didn't see it. You know, since I was driving and all."
"So, your Bluetooth doesn't work either?"
At this point, I'm sweating so badly my ass is practically drenched. "Must not have been connected."
War's voice cuts in, dripping with disdain. "You call what you were doing driving? You were flying through the streets like a bat out of fucking hell."
I shoot him a glare, annoyance bubbling past my nerves. "I don't recall talking to you."
"And I don't recall needing your permission to speak, little psycho," War retorts with an infuriating smirk.
"Okay, Dad." I roll my eyes. God, I hate him so fucking much.
King finally chimes in, his low voice commanding every shred of my attention. "Come here, kitten."
My heart stutters. He could just pull me to him, we're close enough, but he's demanding I move-demanding my submission-right in front of Niko, War, and Gray. It's likely his way of feeling in control after losing so much of it today.
"King-" His name falls from my lips, weak and wavering under the weight of his intense gaze, I try to straighten my spine, but the sheer force of his presence makes it impossible. "I-I'm sorry."
He doesn't so much as blink. His amber eyes burn into mine like molten lava. "Now, Alyssa. I won't ask again."
The need to obey him sinks into the bones, and I step forward, wrapping my arms around him and pressing myself against his chest. Even angry, his body softens slightly under my touch, a small reassurance amidst the storm.
Behind me, Niko's voice slices through the moment, sounding like an angry, disappointed father. "Gray, what the hell? I thought we were supposed to be protecting our reputation."
Gray doesn't hesitate to respond. "He threatened to request emergency custody, so I pulled out the big guns. Then, that motherfucker still had the nerve to call her a whore. I just said fuck it and punched him."
King stiffens against me, his muscles coiling tight. I squeeze him harder, trying to ground him-maybe myself too. His scent surrounds me, rich and masculine, and like a cat drawn to catnip, I practically purr as I breathe him in.
Niko sighs. "Well, it's good Marina got the charges dropped. We practically had to hunt Alyssa down to make sure she was safe."
"Yeah, now she is," Gray mutters, and I already know what he's going to say next. "Tell them about the brilliant plan you had, little sis."
King pulls me back, his gaze dark, unreadable. "What plan?" he asks, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.
My throat dries up, but I force myself to speak. "I...I told Isaac I'd go with him if he left Zuri and you guys alone." His eyes flash dangerously, his jaw working as he grits his teeth. I rush to add, "But not because I was giving myself up. I had a...somewhat, solid plan. I was going to find a way to kill him myself."
Even though Gray made me see how stupid it really was.
"Think you're forgetting the part about the burning hatred in his eyes that promised to violently kill you," Gray adds.
"What?" Both King and Niko growl at the same time.
I whirl to glare at my brother. "Thanks so fucking much, Gray," I snap, frustration bleeding into my tone. Is he just trying to dig me a deeper grave right now? "Don't you have a cranky wife to take home?"
He rubs the back of his neck, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Yeah, I do. War, you riding back with us?"
War shrugs. "Sure. Since that stupid fucker let a female three times smaller than him boss him around. God, he's hopeless." His dark gaze clashes with mine. "See you around, little psycho. We will not be riding in a car you're driving ever-fucking-again, I guarantee that. Don't know who you paid off to get a license, but they need to be reported."
Despite myself, I snort. "But did you die, though?"
Both him and Logan are so dramatic. My driving was perfectly fine, considering the circumstances.
War scowls, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Logan might act like a dog on a leash when it comes to you, but next time you pull some reckless shit like that, I'll take over and drag your little ass back to your owners."
My brows shoot up, fury bubbling to the surface. "Owners? Do I look like a fucking pet to you?"
He hums, his expression blank. "No. More like a naive, impulsive little princess that needs to be locked in a fucking tower and never let out. You're a danger to yourself and everyone around you. Keep this up, and you might actually get one of us killed."
His words hit harder than a fist. The air shifts, cold and suffocating.
War squeezes his eyes shut for a moment before snapping open, glaring at nothing in particular. "Shut the fuck up, Logan. I'm not apologizing for shit. She needed to hear it. If she weren't so babied, she'd think twice before throwing herself into harm's way, knowing one of us will always be there to save her."
I freeze. Any retort dies on my lips. I could argue-say I saw no other choice, that I was trying to protect everyone. Or I could spit back the obvious: who the hell asked him to protect me or even be here? But the truth burns hotter. He's right.
I've always been impulsive, drawn to danger like a moth to a flame. Even as a kid, sneaking into that basement felt wrong, but I just couldn't help myself. Today was no different.
I'm a walking danger magnet, and I keep dragging all of these men into the chaos I create.
Heat scorches up my neck, flooding my ears. Shame churns in my gut, and I have to bite my lip to keep the tears at bay. I'll be damned if I let that asshole see me cry, see just how deeply his words cut.
War's gaze pierces me again, completely unfazed by the emotions I know are warring on my face. "Again, see you around," he mutters before turning on his heel and climbing into the back seat of the car.
"I'm going to fucking kill him," King growls, his voice low and simmering with rage. As he takes a step, I grab his hand firmly.
"Wait," I say, my throat tightening. "He's right." I take a shaky breath, swallowing the hard lump clawing its way up my throat. "I need to do better."
My first step? Owning my mistakes and accepting whatever punishment is coming.