Bitter Queen (Advantage Play #4) - Kelsie Rae Page 0,78
conveniently placed beneath it. But instead of Burlone being strapped to it, it’s Sei.
The last time I was here, I was drowning in self-loathing, hatred, bitterness, and every other dark emotion, and I was positive I’d never be able to look in the mirror without my scars glaring back at me. But I’m not drowning anymore. In fact, I feel like I can fly. Like the storm is clearing, and I can see blue skies ahead of me. I just need to finish this.
Squeezing Diece’s hand a little tighter, I look at him from over my shoulder.
He’s my rock. My knight. And my biggest cheerleader, although he’d kill me if he knew I looked at him that way.
My lips tilt up in amusement before I take a deep breath and face my demons head-on.
Sei’s long, stringy hair hangs over his face, shielding him from view. But I can still feel his eyes on me as they peek through the greasy curtain. Shoulders hunched, and his hands cuffed to the arms of the chair, he mentions, “Took you long enough.”
“Sorry,” I reply, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I was a little banged up after our encounter. Figured I could use a day or two to rest.”
He lifts his chin and scans me up and down. “Looks like you could use a few more.”
Rolling my eyes, I harness my fear and saunter toward the cabinet in the back of the room like I don’t have a care in the world while praying he can’t see the way my entire body is trembling with every step. “Thanks. You don’t look too great yourself, ya know.”
His face looks worse than mine, and that’s saying something. Honestly, I’m not sure how he can even see me right now when his eyes are practically swollen shut with dark purple and blue bruises. His nose sits at an awkward angle too, and there’s a large gap where his front tooth used to be.
At least I still have all of my teeth.
Sei scoffs. “You can thank your goon for that. Tell me, Peach, does he cut you up the way I did? Does he fuck your ass until your blood mixes with his cum? Does he—” His head snaps forward until his chin is resting on his chest. A low, mangled groan echoes through the room as Diece tucks his handgun back into the back of his slacks after he’d shut him up with it.
I hide my shudder and cease my pursuit of the damn cabinet. I just…can’t do it anymore. He doesn’t deserve my fear, my time, or my future.
“I’m going to make this quick, Sei,” I announce before turning to face him. “You are a despicable human being. Scratch that. You’re not human at all. You’re nothing but a rabid dog who needs to be put down. You do not own me. I’d like to say that you’ve never owned me, but that would be a lie. You know that as well as I do.” The triumphant look painted across his face makes my stomach churn, but I press on. “You did own me, Sei. You used me. You abused me. You broke me in ways that I couldn’t comprehend. Because of you, I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t even shower. You brought me to my lowest point. A point where I didn’t care about living anymore. In fact, I didn’t want to live anymore. I was angry. I was disgusted. And I was bitter. When I wasn’t dreaming about what you put me through, I was dreaming about what I would do to you if you were ever at my mercy. I was dreaming about this moment, Sei. The moment when you’d be strapped to this chair, and I could do whatever I wanted to you. I could hurt you the way you’d hurt me. You’d consumed me, Sei. My thoughts. My nightmares. Everything.” I tear my gaze away from him and find Diece staring at me with pride. Those same warm eyes bring a soft smile to my lips.
“But then I met Diece,” I tell him. “He managed to do something I didn’t think was possible. He gave me hope. He gave me strength. He gave me courage. He returned everything you’d stripped from me and somehow managed to make me feel lovable. Beautiful. And worthy of the life I’d thought was ripped away. So, I’m not bitter anymore. And I’m not going to hurt you because you don’t deserve another moment