These Violent Delights (These Violent Delights, #1)

by Chloe Gong

Straight-faced, Juliette replied, “You know me. Running around. Living life. Committing arson.”

After four years away, Juliette’s memories of the people she had left behind no longer aligned with who they had become. Nothing of her memory had withstood the test of time.

She could have reminded him of what he did four years ago, pushed the blade of guilt in until he was bleeding.

Juliette had met plenty of men like him in America: men who assumed they had the right to go wherever they wished because the world had been built to favor their civilized etiquette. That sort of confidence knew no bounds.

Seeing her again was like finding the corpse beneath the floorboards to not only have resurrected, but to be pointing a gun right at his head.

The last time he’d seen it, it had been on her corpse after she was murdered by the Scarlet Gang, a bright silver chain that stood stark against the blood seeping from her slit throat.

Roma was not afraid. He only feared the power of others. Monsters and things that walked the night were strong, but they were not powerful. There was a difference.

“Surely you can ask one favor. She was your lover once, after all.”

Roma wasn’t sure if Benedikt and Marshall were fated to eventually kill each other or kiss each other.

Those who do not care, those who are violent, those who delight in that which is terrible”—Marshall shrugged, waving his hands about as he chose the right words—“they thrive.

“These days, Juliette,” he said, low and warily, “the most dangerous people are the powerful white men who feel as if they have been slighted.”

She took a nibble, then turned around, facing the human equivalent of stale bread.

“He wishes to propose that the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers work together.”

Roma frowned, then reached over and eased her hands away from her head. She hadn’t even noticed that she was scratching intensely, pulling white-blond strands of hair out from their roots so that they were twisted around her fingertips like ropes of jewelry.

THIS GIRL IS INFESFNTJDJFJEJFNRNE

“Let her be,” Juliette replied. “Too many kind hearts turn cold every day.”

trueing

Tyler was faster and he was already pressing down on the trigger.

what a dumbass

They didn’t expect the noise to be coming from Alisa Montagova, who wheezed one last time before dropping to her knees, her fingers launching at her own throat.

this is gonna be BADBTNEJFJJE

Whatever it was, it must have been threatening, because with a nod from Lord Montagov, the White Flower pulled a knife on Roma in threat for him to step back.

why the hell is a dad pulling a knife on his own son???????????????

Dimitri aimed and shot him anyway.

girl???

“Astra inclinant,” he would whisper into the wind, so heartachingly sincere even when quoting in Latin, “sed non obligant.” The stars incline us, they do not bind us.

She… hoped. And hope was dangerous. Hope was the most vicious evil of them all, the thing that had managed to thrive in Pandora’s box among misery, and disease, and sadness—and what could endure alongside others with such teeth if it didn’t have ghastly claws of its own?

Cansun said he witnessed Miss Juliette in White Flower territory. He said he saw her…” Andong trailed off. “Spit it out,” Tyler snapped. “He saw her with Roma Montagov.”

Juliette could make out a silhouette behind the curtain, his feet placed upon his desk and his arms tucked behind his head.

“A monster,” he said against her hair, “does not mourn.”

“Do you not listen to me when I speak?” he answered shakily, his lip quirking up. “I love you. I have always loved you.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

“Roma Montagov,” she said fiercely. Roma seemed to startle at her tone. His eyes grew wide, bordering on concerned. “What?” “I’m going to kiss you now.”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The land of dreams. Where men and women in white hoods roam the streets to murder Black folks. Where written laws prohibit the Chinese from stepping upon its shores. Where immigrant children are separated from immigrant mothers on Ellis Island, never to be seen again.

Roma’s hands launched to his throat.

“Welcome back to the world, Alisa Montagova,” Tyler Cai said. He pressed the hard muzzle of his gun into her skin. “Sorry it has to be in this way.”

WHO

Then Tyler whipped his pistol up and fired first. Marshall sank to the ground. His hand went to his ribs, where a blotch of red bloomed.

girl NOOOOO

One sacrifice had to be made for the White Flowers to escape. For Alisa to live.

girl you better not leave marshall bleeding on the floor i stg

Marshall’s head lolled back. He was motionless. Motionless.

juliette i was ROOTING FOR YOU WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU

A terrible noise tore forward from his cousin. Roma would hear that sound in his head forever.

PLEASE tell me this is some sort of joke or that they’re using the bottle of whatever it was that was in the scientists or just THEYRE IN ON IT OR SOMETHING

The door swung open. Marshall Seo raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you?”

GIRLLL i called it

and in Lourens, in believing the serum she had stolen would really work as he said.

I CALLED IT

“I’m a dead man, darling. What’s the harm in answering the question?”

“darling” am i a joke to you

Marshall Seo’s gaze flicked away. “Benedikt.”

cue giggling and kicking my feet rn