Twenty-five

Pov

Tessa

"You're making a big mistake," Bennett tells them, but I'm shocked when he does what they said and carries me into the cabin. They're right behind us, and my eyes are scanning the dimly lit room hoping that one of their weapons is nearby. I chastise myself for thinking they'd be stupid enough to think Bennett's gun isn't still in the truck. "Stay quiet, we'll handle this," he whispers in my ear, finally removing his hand from my mouth. He nudges me to go sit on the couch. I stumble because I'm confused why he wouldn't want me to stay close to him or Mason. At this rate, I'm equidistant between the two Slade brothers. The irony of being caught between them again didn't escape me.

"Grey and Remington are outside," Mason says, as I glance at the intruders. Both are dressed in black hoodies, black jeans, and black ski masks. One is slightly taller than the other and is holding a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. The other guy is holding a gun, and he's pointing it directly at me.

"Lies. We're keeping an eye on your king. He's with that blonde bitch he's always tossing around like a rag doll," the one with the gun says, and I hate how gleeful he sounds. My eyes dart from Mason to Bennett and then back to the men in front of us. I'm hoping they're as quiet because they have a plan, or by some miracle Gray and Remy are actually lurking somewhere out there. Hell, I'd settle for Tanner at this point.

"What do you want?" Bennett snaps, and he seems irritated rather than afraid.

"You're the reason my family was torn apart, and you'll pay with blood," the one with the bat finally speaks, his voice deeper than the other guy's. I feel like I know them, but I can't place where I could've met them. "You Ravens have been ruling this mountain for too long without consequences. You'll get everything you deserve."

"Hey, shithead, if you manage to hurt one of us, the other will get you before you can crawl out of here," Mason says sharply.

"The consequences will be astronomical. You should just take your little bat and leave," I blurt out, and instantly feel all four men glaring at me.

"Shut up," Bennett demands, and I know I should listen to him, but I'm exhausted and pissed as hell. He looks at Mason and shouts, "Don't try to be a hero and do something stupid."

"Who's this bitch?" the one with the gun asks, gesturing towards me, and I see Mason's whole body tense as if he's trying to force himself not to attack them.

"They're both fucking her," the one with the bat says, sliding it off his shoulder and swinging it to knock over the cups on the coffee table, making them shatter on the wooden floor. He taps the tip of the bat playfully, scraping the barbed wire against the tabletop as his eyes bore into mine. "I'll give you a choice then. We'll let one of them go, a fair advantage if you want to consider it that way. The other dies now. If you mean anything to them, the one we let go will come back for you."

"What?" I let the word slip out. I heard every damn thing that bastard said, but it hasn't sunk in.

The one with the gun holds it sideways, pointing first at Mason and then at Bennett. "You heard him. Choose. Which one do you pick?"

I don't look at Bennett or Mason because they're going to hate me for what comes out of my mouth, but it's the only thing I can do. "Take me instead of them. I won't fight you. Just take me."

"W-what?" the one with the gun asks in a much less confident tone, and his eyes immediately go to Bennett, which I find odd considering they're enemies.

The one with the bat comes toward me, kicking the table over in a show of dominance that should scare the shit out of me, but I'm so numb at this point that the only thing I notice is the tattoo on his fingers that says Fox.

Elijah Pritchard. He's as ruthless as Grey, but he has a soft spot for his girlfriend, whom he calls Little Fox. I let out a slow sigh of relief and smile at him when he shouts at me, "I'm not kidding. WHO LIVES?"

I look at Mason, who's still scowling, and then my eyes turn to Bennett, who has a look of understanding passing over his face. He knows I know this isn't real.

"What the hell is this?" The idiot with the gun whispers lowly, and I'd be willing to bet just about anything that he's one of the Graves brothers. I haven't encountered any of them more than a few times, but I've heard stories about them. They live in Violent Peak near Elijah and do favors for the Ravens.

"I'll tear them apart piece by piece if you don't make a choice," Elijah sounds frustrated, but he doesn't touch me. It's another telltale sign that this was all staged because anyone who truly wanted to scare me wouldn't hover over me. Someone who respects the Ravens wouldn't dare lay a hand on me, though.

"Neither of them. Kill them both. I've had enough of them. I can find another pair of brothers to screw," I say casually, shrugging. "Maybe I'll head up to Violent Peak." I'm seething with anger, but I try to keep my voice calm as I look at Bennett.