Cataclysm (Four Horsemen #4)(77)

“Comfortable?” he asked a moment later.

“No, you’re being a statue again. You didn’t have to agree to sleep with both of us. Relax, or you can go sleep over there and I’ll stay here with Frankie.”

That made him let out another huff. I cracked an eye open to watch him shift against her, clearly trying to get more comfortable himself. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and curled his hand around her stomach, stroking it with his fingers. It meant he was touching me, but I didn’t give a fuck. Drake had been in my life for as long as I could remember. He was my best friend.

“I’m sorry,” Drake whispered against her skin. “Can I kiss you goodnight?”

Scarlett turned her head to look at him, her eyes soft.

“Of course you can.”

He did just that, giving her a soft kiss. With each stroke of his mouth against hers, I could see the tension leaving him until he sagged against her. Then he let her mouth go and Scarlett rested her cheek back on the pillow, a small smile playing on her lips. All of us lapsed into silence. I closed my eyes again, starting to drift off with her soft breaths lulling me to sleep.

Before I dropped off, I heard Drake whispering, “I love you, little wisp,” to Scarlett. And I knew he was as invested in this relationship with her as the rest of us.





Thirty Four


Scarlett





West looked over at me as we turned into the private road that led up to the estate where I’d spent ten years locked up and unable to leave. I tried not to fidget in my seat, knowing I had an important role to play. Being here again made my stomach twist into knots. It brought back horrifying memories I wanted to push down into the recesses of my mind. And I hated everything about it.

“Little Scar.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

I sighed and worried the seatbelt at my chest with my gloved fingers. I wore all black, just like the others. Tonight would be messy and the blood would be less conspicuous on black.

“I keep thinking about it… about what he did to me here.”

West stroked my shoulder with his free hand whilst keeping his eye on the dark road. We were about to come up to the security gate. Two people were stationed there twenty-four-seven. The fence around the estate loomed, making me tremble. It was built high to keep people out, like this was some kind of fucking military base. Stuart was far too paranoid for his own good. When you make enemies of the Four Horsemen, you should be concerned about your safety. And keeping them away from the girl you kidnapped. Stuart was stupid enough to let me out of my cage. He made a grave error of judgement, thinking he’d done enough to keep me on his side. Fear didn’t breed absolute loyalty. Love did.

“Take a deep breath and remember I’ve got you.”

I did as he said, dropping my hand to grip the syringe sitting in my lap and hiding it beneath my sleeve. The planning we’d done for the past couple of weeks was all coming to fruition. We’d had to create a diversion when we left Fortuity to make sure Stuart’s spies wouldn’t discover we were coming for him tonight. That required enlisting Penn’s help.

His men had driven all four of the boy’s cars out the car park under Fortuity and had them all go off in different directions to send them on a merry chase. We’d left the building on foot and made our way to the cars Penn had provided for us a few streets over with all our supplies already inside. Then we’d left London behind us to travel to Stuart’s estate in Kent.

West pulled the car up outside the security gate. One of the men inside came out and looked the car over before tapping on the window. The floodlights on the gates were shining in our damn faces, but I turned and wound down the window. Then I smiled at him when he recognised me, his blue eyes bugging out.

“Hello, Sam.”

Before he had a chance to say a word, I reached out through the window, grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him down. I stabbed him with the hidden needle, pressing down on the plunger.

I shoved him back, causing him to stumble. The other man was coming out of the building, but he was met by Francis, who had been hiding in the back and had slipped out whilst Sam was occupied. He had a needle in his gloved hands. Francis grabbed hold of the other guard from behind and stabbed him in the neck. The man cried out and struggled against him, but Francis ripped the needle out and kicked him on the ground, holding him down with a foot to his back.

West got out of the car, putting his phone to his ear to let Drake and Prescott, who were in the car behind us, know we were ready for them. Then he looked up at the camera sitting above the gate and smiled. We weren’t taking any prisoners tonight.

I slid out and walked over to Sam. He’d dropped to his knees. I stared down at him with disgust. Then I shoved him over onto his back and gave him a smile.

“You can go to hell, you sadistic fuck.”

I’d injected him with cyanide, as had Frankie with the other guy. He would be dead within minutes. I didn’t give a shit. He’d said some pretty nasty things to me whilst shoving me in the cell for Stuart. Not to mention the times he’d kicked me in the stomach for good measure. He deserved to die painfully. To be honest, everyone on the estate deserved it. They were all complicit in holding me captive.

West walked into the security building to work out how to open the gate. Francis looked over at me, a slight look of concern on his face.