“You two. Come here.” His jaw clenched as he looked at me, but then his lips twitched into a seductive smile. “Now.” Crooking his finger, he summoned the two girls as if he truly was interested in what they had to offer.
A spike of unexplainable jealousy arrowed through me, adding to the rest of my messed-up feelings.
Lydia released me and scrambled off the bed, brushing down her peach dress and running her hands over her blonde hair. Evelyn chased after her, slinky and sultry in her black skin-tight leggings and long-sleeved top.
They crossed the carpet with sexy sways of their hips, fawning for his attention.
As they drew to a stop before him, Lucien’s gaze rose over their heads and locked onto mine. For a second, his frosty mask slipped and the fire in his eyes—the absolute inferno blazing inside him made me suck in a tattered breath.
I forced myself to sit upright.
Vertigo made the room swim.
Gratitude that he’d come to save me plaited with fear for his safety.
Two against one.
Two killers trained to kill him.
Gripping the mattress, I tried to get to my feet to help him, but my vision vanished completely.
My ears twitched as Lucien’s husky, deep voice purred, “There’s quite a few things that make me angry and having inconsequential little rats fighting each other in my home is one of them.”
“Rats?” Lydia spat. “Who are you calling—?”
“You.” Lucien cut her off. “Obviously.”
Rubbing my temples, I tried to ease back the awful crescendo. I fought my system from shutting down. I didn’t want to pass out. Not now. Not with him—
“Get out of my way,” Lucien snarled, wrenching my head up. Shoving the two girls aside, he prowled toward me. Dressed all in black, his mood matched his clothes, dark and morbid.
I stiffened as he stopped before me.
His focus locked entirely on me, all while Whisper acted like a guard dog, growling at the women.
Lucien dropped to his haunches and cupped my cheek. His hand trembled—rage or pain, I couldn’t tell.
I froze in shock.
The two girls squeaked in indignation.
Lucien showed no sign of caring about them as his thumb traced me gently, leaving a wake of prickling heat.
Could he see Evelyn’s abuse painting my skin?
Was that why he—
His fingers tightened, pressing on the bruise from being punched. “How badly did they hurt you?”
I couldn’t catch a proper breath.
With my system driving me closer to burnout and the way he watched me, scorching me with intensity and possessiveness and rage...I couldn’t do it.
I bit my bottom lip as it all became too much.
Leaning backward, I tried to escape his devastating attention, but his fingers moved to cup behind my head. Capturing me tightly, he pulled me forward until our foreheads touched. “Tell me what they did to you.”
“I—” Another flush of nausea made my lips clamp shut.
Having him here should help me. I was no longer at risk of being killed but...he killed me in a completely different way. He tore through all my defences, ripped apart all my rationality, and set fire to every heartbeat.
I grew dizzy—
“They cut you.” His gaze dropped to my neck where Evelyn had drawn blood.
His fingers dug painfully into my nape as if he couldn’t control his reaction. “They really shouldn’t have done that.”
His voice.
That tone.
So quiet it whispered through my bones, yet so loud it sent the gates of hell swinging open.
His expression emptied of everything human.
With a slow nod, he let me go and stood gracefully.
Turning to face the girls, he pulled the dagger from a previous dead girl out of his pocket and thumbed the sharp blade. “I’ve finally found someone who wants nothing from me and you...” Lucien cocked his head, his blue-black hair catching on his collar. “You tried to take her away from me.”
Evelyn was the first to sense how precarious her existence was.
Dropping to her knees, she clutched her knife still stained with my blood and bowed her head. “I didn’t mean to take away your current distraction but...I’m doing you a favour, don’t you see? Of course she wants something from you. She’s just good at lying. You can do better. So much better.”
“My distraction.” Lucien nodded along. “And you thought you could provide a better distraction by taking away what’s mine?”
“I was helping,” Evelyn blurted. “Even if she isn’t lying then...she knows nothing of your world or your company. She’s only here because she was stupid and her blood test showed she wasn’t on birth control. You should be with someone who’s—”
“—like you?” He smiled thinly.
Her chin popped back up again, reckless courage filling her dark eyes. “Yes. Someone like me. I can replace her. She’s weak and useless and—”
“Interesting.” Lucien looked down at her, his tone soft and deadly. “And what do you propose you could do for me that she doesn’t?”
My head swam; ears rang...I wouldn’t last much longer.
“Everything.” Evelyn smiled coyly. “You deserve someone who knows how to please you.”
“Ah.” His tone softened, scarily amused. “Then I suppose I misread you over the past few weeks.” He shifted, his long coat kissing the ground. “I assumed you were here to kill me.”
“What? No, I—”
“You were next on my list to exterminate,” he murmured. “I haven’t gotten around to putting you down yet because I’ve been a little...distracted.” Glancing at me over his shoulder, his gaze arrowed to the cut on my throat. His shoulders bunched and his eyes ignited with fury that threatened to set him alight.
Smiling, he looked at the girls again, but he couldn’t hide his shaking, his body burning up with all the scalding rage inside him.
My vision turned fuzzy again. I struggled to sip air around my throbbing migraine.
How was he fighting his pain for me?
How was he making me feel this way?
This overwhelmed, hyperaware, and aching?
Lydia licked her lips, glancing at Evelyn kneeling politely. She didn’t bow but she did tip her chin in respect. “Evelyn has seen the error of her ways and is willing to join me in serving you.”
“Serving me?” Lucien asked. “Serving me how?”
Lydia smirked. “You know...”
“No, I don’t know.” Lucien linked his hands behind his back, his fingers going white they balled so tightly. “I want you to tell me. In explicit detail. Give me the truth of why you’re here without a single lie. If you can do that then perhaps, I’ll consider your offer.”
Lydia’s eyes gleamed. “Alright.” Sucking in a breath, she stepped forward boldly. “I’m here to be whatever you want me to be. Your mistress, your wife, the mother of your children.” She pressed a hand to her chest, sincerity blazing all over her pretty face. “I’m the daughter of one of your board members and my father said if I can share your burdens and bear your children, then I’ll never need to work again. I’ll have the prestige of having my family forever linked to yours. I’ll be known as the one who protected the future of Brimstone Industries and—”
“And once you bear my child, then what?” Lucien interrupted. “Once you have a puppet with Ashfall blood in their veins, what did your father say to do with me?”
Lydia gulped and flicked a look at Evelyn. “He...he would petition to set you free, obviously—”
“Careful,” Lucien purred. “You were doing so well. Are you sure you wish to continue with that lie?”
Tearing her gaze from Evelyn, Lydia braced her shoulders. “Fine. I’ll...I’ll tell the truth.”
“Go ahead.” Lucien nodded politely.
Whatever trap she’d set for herself didn’t prevent her from saying, “I’m guessing you already know that Marcus Ward and the rest of the board have offered a staggeringly large reward for anyone who can either synthesise your blood or bear your offspring.”
