Page 33 of Bloody Kingdom

“Tonight was a step in the right direction if you don’t want me angry at you anymore,” I tell him softly. “I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for what you did, but being angry at you all the time is becoming exhausting.”

I know it takes more muscles and effort to frown than smile, but what about the energy used to stay angry? Letting go of the anger is the hard part, but once it’s lifted from your shoulders, the relief will be worth it. Or so I think... I’m fairly skilled at keeping grudges. Just take my mother, for instance. For over a decade, I’ve held nothing but contempt and bitterness toward her. I know it will make me feel better to let go of the anger, but I guess deep down, I’m not the bigger person I always thought I was.

Even if I can’t forgive my mother just yet, I’m just about ready to let go of the darkness I feel toward Silas. If I’m going to make it through the rest of this debt with my sanity intact, I have to find a way to see some of the light again or I’m going to let it consume me. I don’t want this to turn me into someone I’m not.

“I know the feeling,” Silas murmurs. “Anger was the thing that motivated me for a long time. It was the catalyst that allowed me to build the empire I have.”

For some reason this makes me sad for him. What happened to him that made him so angry? “That anger is also what made you into the man you are today,” I surmise without him having to say the actual words.

“Yes.” He nods somberly. “Without the anger driving me, I never would have been able to accomplish all the things I have.”

Scanning his face, I commit every angle to memory. I’ve never thought a man was beautiful, but Silas is. In a haunting, terrifying way, this man is beautiful. “Aren’t you tired, Silas?”

I don’t know the exact moment we started calling each other by our first names, but I hope we never go back. Each time my name comes from him, my body floods with warmth and a shiver runs down my spine. And each time I utter his name, I feel like I’m breaking down one of the stones he’s built around himself. An impenetrable wall. If he built it to protect himself from others, or others from him, I’m not sure.

The wind picks up, cutting through the buildings all around us. Strands of hair cling to my lips, still sticky from the melting ice cream in my hand. Before I can reach to remove them myself, Silas’s fingers pull the strands. The air catches in my throat as he gently tucks them behind my ear.

His fingers are so cool, cooler than they should be in the swampy Louisiana climate, but despite that, I find myself leaning into his touch when his palm caresses my cheek.

“A siren indeed.” His smooth voice washes over me like liquid heat. The need for him to do something other than just touch my face growing stronger the longer I stare up at him. Flashbacks to the night I’d touched myself flood my memory, only making matters worse.

“Silas…” I breathe. “I want—”

The plea for him to touch me—to kiss—me dies on my tongue when Silas’s entire body goes stiff and he’s whirling away from me at a speed so fast I can barely keep up with it. In the blink of an eye, he’s standing with his back to me. His defensive stance makes him look taller—bigger—than he is.

Confused, I try to look around him, but his body shifts to block me once more. I can’t see what’s happening, but the sound of high heels clicking against the pavement of the parking lot fills the night air. Whoever it is, they’re not in a hurry. They move in a lazy, unhurried pace. The closer they get, the louder the noise becomes.

“Well, this looks…cozy,” a feminine voice says. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to interrupt this tender—moment—you were having.”

“You weren’t interrupting anything,” Silas easily dismisses the woman.

The woman chuckles, but it’s not a sound full of humor, it’s almost mocking. “Now Silas, there’s no need to lie. I know what you look like when you’re interested in something. There was a time I was very familiar with such a look.” The woman all but purrs at him, instantly making my hackles rise. Who the hell is this girl? “And clearly you are very interested in whatever conversation you were just having.”

Growing frustrated that his much bigger frame is blocking my view, I try once more to step around him. Without having to see me, he counters my move and continues to conceal. “What are you doing here?”

She ignores his question, still fixated on me it would seem. “Oh Silas, stop that. Let me see who your new plaything is,” she chastises him, her fake, lighthearted tone not once wavering.

A low, almost inhuman growl emanates from Silas’s chest. I’m standing so close to him I can feel the rumble in my bones. “She’s no concern of yours, Rowena.”

Rowena. I have no idea who she is to Silas, but I’ve decided I do not like her. With a pissed-off noise of my own, I shove around him and this time he lets me. Though he doesn’t let me get too far away from him. His hand finds my forearm and with a subtle yank, he pulls me to his side.

One of the most stunning women I’ve ever seen stands before us. The elegance and poise she has radiates off her in waves. She’s tall—much taller than me—and willowy. Her hair, the color of red wine, is pulled into an elaborate braided crown—she truly looks like she should be wearing a tiara with such a fancy hairstyle. Tendrils of her hair frame her perfect face. The contrast of her dark hair and pure, porcelain skin, make her emerald eyes stand out even more.

Her lavish skintight lace blouse and dark red silk skirt make me feel incredibly underdressed in my torn jeans andVans. She looks like she would fit perfectly in Silas’s world, whereas I stand out like a frumpy sore thumb.

“Ah,” Rowena hums when she finally can look at me. “Look at this sweet little treat. No wonder you were hiding her from me, Silas.” With her fingers on her chin, she looks me over, as if she’s appraising me for market. “She looks absolutely delectable.”

Unease settles in my bones, but I refuse to let her see what effect she’s having on me. That the way she’s eying me reminds me of a hungry panther watching her prey. Keeping my chin held high and my shoulders back, I look her directly in the eye. “It was Rowena, right?” I confirm, cocking my head.

Her painted lips curl into a grin. “Yes, but I’m sorry, I haven’t quite caught your name.”

“It wasn’t offered,” Silas lashes out. Without thinking, I lay my free hand over the hand that is still holding on to my arm. As if I somehow hold the power to calm him, the faint growling ceases in his chest. An odd sound for someone to make, but I dismiss it for now.

When Rowena’s eyes slice to where I’m touching him, her nostrils flare and her eyes narrow. In an attempt to defuse the situation, as quick as I can, I pull my hand away from Silas and take a small step away from him to create some space. Risking a look up at him, I find his dark eyes staring at me intently, an emotion I can’t quite place on his handsome face.

“Interesting,” Rowena murmurs softly, as if to herself. “Why come visit me on multiple occasions when you clearly had her, Silas?”

I’m not stupid, I recognize a taunt when I hear one. She wants a reaction from me, she wants me to lash out at her and get angry. Despite the rush of jealousy that surges through my veins, I force myself to remain outwardly calm. Besides, I have no claim on Silas. Not like he does on me. Silas is looking at me still, I know this without having to look at him because my body is buzzing, but somehow, I find the will to ignore him.

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