Page 22 of Bloody Kingdom

Even though I know he won’t let me move an inch, I still attempt to push free of him. Silas’s response is to just shift his hand from my chest up to my neck. He doesn’t press hard enough to cut off my oxygen, but his grip is just tight enough to tell me who’s really in charge. Who’s been in charge the whole time.

“Was that fun for you? Did you enjoy that little show?” His voice is low, raspy. I don’t know if it’s his voice or the way his thumb brushes over my pulse point over and over again, but my skin breaks out in chills. “What’s your plan now? How did you see this going, Quincey?”

The way my name sounds coming out of his mouth has me freezing in place—I even stop breathing. The way my body responds to hearing him say my name is not something I’m proud of. Tendrils of unwanted and unexpected desire ghost through my veins, making my skin grow hot.

“I didn’t have a plan,” I tell him honestly.

His eyes flick from my mouth to where his hand holds my neck. I watch as the strong column of his throat moves as he swallows hard. When his eyes drop from my neck and move toward my bare breasts, he stops himself. Looking in my eyes once more, he snarls, “Clearly.” His breath whispers across my lips. “You keep testing me. I’ve been as patient as I can with you thus far, but even I am only so strong. Mycontrolis only so strong. It would be wise of you to remember that in the future, because the next time you parade around me naked, I will have you on your knees choking on my cock before those sweet little lips of yours can whisperplease.”

I’m ashamed my pussy quivers at the thought of having my lips wrapped around Silas’s dick. The fear I have for him is only making the twinges of arousal grow within me.

My tongue sneaks out to wet my bottom lip, his eyes watch the movement with almost a predatory look. “You told me I wouldn’t have to repay the debt with my body.”

“Who said it had anything to do with the debt?” His thumb swipes gently over my pulse once more before he pushes away from me. “Get dressed, Miss Page. We still have a tour to go on.”

I much prefer when he calls me Quincey.

Ithought the scent of her blood was intoxicating, but it doesn’t even come close to the scent of Quincey’s arousal. It took every ounce of strength I had in me to not sink my fangs into the pulse I caressed with my thumb. She had no idea how much danger she was in with my hand on her throat. If she knew, her pupils would have been wide with fear, not heavy with arousal.

From what I’ve already learned of Quincey, I should have seen her act of defiance coming. I should have predicted she would attempt to loosen the hold I have on her. While she’s dragged her feet and complained every step of the way, she’s been as compliant as possible for someone like her. But I’ll admit, she’s thrown me off.

The last person that rattled me in the way Quincey does is long gone now, but her memory still haunts my head like a ghost. The longer I spend around Quincey, the more she reminds me of the woman I lost all those years ago. Their fiery spirits and boldness are almost identical.

With the hacking and now the attempted break-in at the docks, I can’t afford to be rattled. The kingdom I’ve created wasn’t built on distraction. No, my kingdom was built from the blood I spilled and my unwavering devotion to it.

And Quincey is nothing but a distraction to me right now.

My skin feels too tight for my body as I lead her down the long hallway. She’d done what I’d asked and gotten dressed. Granted, she wears nothing but a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, but at least her pussy isn’t on display to me anymore. Though the hungry monster inside of me isn’t as thankful about it as I am.

Like the other outfits I’ve seen her in, the material of her tank top is threadbare and well worn. While I waited for her to finish her bath, I looked around her room and found she barely brought anything with her when she moved in. Where are all her belongings? She had an entire life back in Boston. From the research I had done on her from a private investigator that’s on my payroll, she had an apartment. It was dated and old, but it was hers. Surely, she has more belongings than the few bits of clothing I saw hanging in the closet.

Quincey’s been quiet since we left her room, the fire that burned in her eyes having dimmed since my remark about her going on her knees for me. Her heart rate picked up at the thought of sucking me off, but if I had to guess she isn’t upset I said it. Rather she’s upset with herself that the idea isn’t as unappealing as it should be.

I’m equally if not more upset that for a brief second as I stared down at those pouty lips of hers, I thought about throwing her onto the bed behind her and devouring her body and then her blood.

Despite the fact I visited Rowena’s last night, my hunger is always strong when I’m around Quincey. Which is just another reason I need to stay away.

I stop under the archway of carved stained wood and finally turn to look at her for the first time since we left the room. She stands there, looking innocent with her bare face and damp hair hanging down her back. Her thumb is pressed between her lips as she anxiously nibbles on her fingernail. “This hallway leads to the east wing of the house. Also known as my wing,” I begin to explain. “Nothing beyond this point concerns you.”

Quincey leans around me so she can look down the dark hallway. “Your office is down there,” she remembers from when I brought her there the other night.

“It is.” I nod curtly. “I don’t allow people in there—even Duke hardly goes in there. You being permitted access was a one-time thing.”

“Roger that.” She brings two fingers to her temple in a mock salute.

I give her a stern look. “I’m being very serious. If you venture down there, I will know and you will be reprimanded for ignoring my rules.”

“Let me guess?” She quirks a brow. “You’ll send Della to put me in my place?”

“No, Miss Page, the only person that is allowed to punish you is me. I’ve paid quite a large sum to have such a right.”

It’s multiple hours later,when I’m walking past her closed bedroom door that I hear the noise. It’s faint, but my sensitive ears pick it up with no problem. I’m not supposed to be in this hallway, but I thought I’d check in on Ira before I retire to my own bedroom for the day. If I hadn’t thought to do so, I would have missed the noise completely.

The little voice in my head tells me to keep walking, but my body feels like it’s made of lead and I couldn’t move if I really wanted to. One little noise has rendered me immobile.

A moan. The softest, most delicate sound I’ve ever heard comes from behind her door once more. The sweet scent of her need once more fills my nose as I stand there listening to her.

For the briefest second, I’m filled with an unreasonable rage thinking she isn’t in there alone. That someone else is causing those soft sounds of need to come from her, but as I listen, I only hear one heart. Hers.

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