I could call any one of them to take care of the man who sent this threat. Enzo, Zeke, or Langston all have the power and abilities to handle this man without lifting a finger. That’s what they do—kill dangerous men. They protect their family, which used to include me.
Until they failed me.
Until they fell in love.
Until I decided I didn’t want to be a damsel in distress, waiting for a man to come and rescue me.
I saved myself.
I picked up every broken, shattered piece and put myself back together, painstakingly, piece by piece.
I’m whole now—even if the pieces don’t fit together the same as they did before.
I’m a survivor—that’s the term used to describe me. It’s a term I hate, because I didn’t just survive, I thrived. I fought back; I rescued myself. I’m a fucking knight in red high heels.
So while I could call my friends to save me and take care of this, I’m not going to. I haven’t asked any one of them for help in years, and I’m not going to start now.
I lift my glass of scotch from my desk and swirl it around until the single ball of ice shifts in the glass, making a delicious rattling sound before I take a sip. I’m a woman in a man’s world, but that doesn’t mean I let the men rule me anymore. I won’t give any man power over me—never again.
So that leaves me two choices. I can toss this letter in the trash and ignore it completely. There is a large chance whoever sent it will never grow enough balls to actually act on his threat. Or I go back into the world I never thought I would enter again.
A world of danger.
Cruelty.
Vows.
And lies.
A world that once consumed me. A world that turned me into the cold, heartless woman I’ve become. A world that took everything from me, yet gave me my power.
I thought I was done.
I thought this chapter of my life was over, buried.
I could leave it alone. For years, I’ve done everything I can to stay out of this life. To stay away from the evil that lurks in the night. Not because I’m afraid of the darkness hurting me. Not because I’m afraid that the man making the threat will actually succeed. Even if he did succeed, I’m not afraid of death.
No, I’ve stayed away from the darkness because I haven’t wanted to become the villain I’m capable of being. Once the darkness surrounds me, I’ll no longer be the princess. I’ll become the evil queen. Once I let it in, there is no way to get it out. That’s why I’ve put up walls around my heart, to keep the vile out, the wickedness I can become.
But why?
Why can’t I turn into the evil queen?
My friends and family are gone. The only man in my life is more than capable of taking care of himself.
I shouldn’t go back to this life.
I should crumple the letter up and toss it into the fireplace to burn.
I should forget the threat until it comes true.
But I feel the walls lowering around my heart. All the men in my life are able to stay safe and protect those they love, because they don’t fight the worst parts of themselves.
Enzo is a controlling bastard, who rules his world by loving Kai.
Zeke protects those he loves no matter the cost it inflicts on himself.
And Langston hurts others to protect himself.