Page 49 of Precious Legacy

A smug smile curves my mouth as I fuck my tongue into her sweet center. To my right, my initial is carved into her skin, a bloody path on her thigh that’s only noticeable if you were as close as I am to her, and that’s never gonna fucking happen for anybody else. Only I get to see this. Only I get to own her the way she deserves to be.

Twisting the knife over, I plunge the cold metal handle into her. Her scream echoes around the kitchen and a chuckle rumbles from my throat. I suction my mouth onto her clit andlet her ride my face, chasing her orgasm. Between the hilt of the knife and my tongue, I’m certain she’s about to come, so I pull the handle out, thrusting it back into her. I feel the cold sting of pain slice my palm, but I’m so enraptured by Alanis that I can’t bring myself to care.

Not until she explodes, cries of pleasure and screams of ecstasy tearing from her throat in a bid to escape the orgasm that ripples through her. She comes loudly, filling the kitchen with her sated moans until she’s panting and blinking back tears.

Pulling out the blade, I lick the handle and groan.Fuck,she tastes like pure heaven.

A grin widens my lips as Alanis stares back at me, open-mouthed and eyes wide with horror. “What did you do?” she rasps, eyes locked on the blood trickling down my hand.

I glance at it, not really caring about the cut, then trail my gaze down to her thigh, rubbing my palm over her skin. Our blood blends together, so perfectly depictingus.If at all possible, my smile grows wider when I admire the letter R engraved in her skin, and I feel my insides twist with primal satisfaction. “Marked my fucking territory.”

NINETEEN

Idon’t like surprises. All it took was that one night to make me despise them—one night to teach me that evil can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

After bumping into Ashton Greedy, I’m a ticking time bomb of emotions, ready to explode. I thought I’d be okay with Roman here beside me, holding me and keeping me safe. But I haven’t slept a wink.

Even after the earth shattering orgasms and the damn initial he carved into my thigh, it’s safe to say that Roman’s still pissed about me leaving the fight night without telling anyone. It’s not like I was planning to make a quick exit, and I did return. It might’ve been because they found me, but at least I didn’t completely disappear.

It’s stupid, really. It’s been five years, and I’m still haunted by that moment in my life. For some reason, I can’t let go of that part of me, even though I desperately want to.

Between the secret I’ve been keeping to myself and the shock and fear I’m trying to ignore, I’m exhausted. So when I wake up tangled in Roman’s arms to a loud banging on my apartment door, my whole body goes rigid.

Roman doesn’t even bristle as the noise grows louder and my dad’s voice booms from behind the door.

“Alanis!”

Shit.

Throwing on a tee and shorts, I rush to the door, swinging it wide to find my dad pinning me with a glare. Without a word, he pushes through the doorway, his entire presence swallowing up the small space I call my apartment. With a dark gaze, he scours the open layout—the kitchen that sits beside my living room, the hallway that leads to my bedroom. His eyes flicker with something unfamiliar, like he’s remembering something he’d long forgotten about. Then he returns his attention to me and it’s like a blanket of ice weighing me down.

“We need to talk,” he grumbles.

My skin erupts into a cold sweat.He knows.

I close the door silently, gesturing to the kitchen island. It’s safer there. Closer to the door, or hallway, in case I need to escape. And yes, I know I sound like a coward, but my dad has never come to my apartment in the few years I’ve been here, which means something serious has happened—or it’s about to.

My fight or flight response starts to kick in, my pulse racing as I resist the urge to do the latter. Pulling out a chair for my dad, I round the kitchen island, creating enough distance between us that I can just about breathe.

“Can I get you a drink?” I ask politely, rubbing my sweaty palms over my shorts as I stare at my father expectantly, but he shakes his head. My heart is beating so hard and fast that it feels like it might burst from my chest. There’s nothing quite like an unexpected visit from your dad—while your ex-boyfriend is in the next room—to really get the blood pumping.

I head towards the sink, filling a glass of water and taking heavy gulps. I struggle to swallow past the dry lump in mythroat, but I force myself to ignore the crippling fear that sets in my bones, holding me rigid and anxious.

“I’ll just get to the bottom of why I’m here,” he huffs.

The last shred of comfort I was clinging onto dissipates, and all I can do is nod before my father continues.

“I’ve done everything I can to protect this family, Alanis. And I will continue to do that. Your mother and I have dealt with a lot, and I take any threat to this family seriously.” His voice is firm, unwavering and controlled.

I nod again.

“You understand that there are roles within this family, for everyone,” he adds. “Including you.”

“Yes,” I murmur, my voice barely audible above the pounding of my heartbeat. At this point I resemble a nodding figurine on the dashboard of a car, but I can’t stop.

“Roles that donotinvolve jeopardizing the legacy of the families. Jeopardizingourfamily name and reputation.” He links his fingers together, resting his elbows on the countertop as he stares down at them. “I’ve worked too damn hard for you to destroy that.”

My heart stops. “Me?” I blink back. “I?—”

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