Page 34 of Bloody Kingdom

“Is it because she’s not giving you what you need?” she continues to goad. “Regardless of what you may feel about me right now, you still know I can always give youexactlywhat you need.”

Even if I wanted to, I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes and sighing dramatically. “Jeez lady, give it a rest. If he wanted you, he’d be with you. Don’t you know there isn’t anything Silas wouldn’t do to get what he wants?” I may not know much, but I know that. “If he’s not putting in the effort anymore, he’s just not that interested.”

If it were possible, it’s as if the temperature in the air drops with Rowena’s mood. Eyes burning with hatred, she praises darkly. “Look who’s got a mouth on her.” She takes a couple steps toward me.

It must be too close for Silas, because in a second he’s moved forward multiple feet, putting himself between us once again. The speed with which he moves never ceases to amaze me. “If you want to leave this dirty parking lot alive, I recommend you leave now, Rowena. If I have to escort you out, I can assure you that you won’t do it breathing.”

She bares her teeth at him. “Never thought I’d see the day that the merciless Silas Laurent developed a soft spot. For a pathetic human nonetheless.”

Pathetic human? I’m a lot of things, but up until recently, I never considered myself pathetic. Having that thrown in my face is a real blow.

“You’re talking out of turn again, Rowena. That seems to be a reoccurring occurrence with you as of late.” Silas towers over her, glaring daggers. “You also have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t give me enough credit,” she bites back. “I’m smarter than you think.”

Silas chuckles. “I disagree, it’s just another reason I never would have ended up with you. This is your last warning, leave. Or I promise the consequences will be detrimental.”

“You can’t keep threatening me, Silas.”

Taking one last menacing step forward, he snarls, “Fucking watch me.”

Holding her hands up, she backs away from him. “You’re making a mistake. You’ll realize that soon enough.” Is her parting comment before she slinks off into the dark shadows. Silas doesn’t move an inch until she’s completely out of sight. For a second, I worry that he’s going to go after her and make good on his threats, but eventually he slowly turns back around to face me.

“So…” Awkwardly, I rock on my heels as I stir my melted ice cream. “You’re into redheads.”

A sarcastic comment during an uncomfortable situation? Classic move.

“No,” he snaps.

Confused by his one-word answer, I press, “No, you’re not into redheads or no—”

“No, as in I’m not having this conversation with you,” he finishes for me, effectively ending the conversation.

My distaste for Rowena grows even more the longer I stand in heavy silence with Silas. She ruined the night—our night. I was enjoying my time with Silas. He looked like he’d wanted to kiss me before she’d showed up and now, he’s back to not looking at me at all. Whatever moment we’d almost had, has officially passed.

Duke comes jogging around the corner and comes to an abrupt halt when he sees the looks on our faces. “What happened here?”

Tossing my ice cream in the trash can nearby, I thrust my thumb toward Silas. “We met his ex-girlfriend.”

“What?” Duke looks thoroughly confused. “Who?”

“Rowena,” Silas offers unenthusiastically.

“Oh, shit.” His eyes cut to me. “What’d you think of her?”

Planting a fake smile on my face, I cover my heart with my hand dramatically. “Ilovedher. I think we are going to be great friends. Right after she’s done peeing her circle around Silas, we’re going to go get our nails done together and everything.”

Duke grimaces, finally unlocking the car doors. “It went that well, huh? I’ve never liked that bitch.”

I nod in agreement. “Yeah, his taste in women sucks.” I point at Silas again. “But there must be something about her that appeals to him since he keeps going back. Maybe it’s the color of her lipstick. It’s a lovely shade after all.” It was the same color as the smear on Silas’s shirt, confirming Rowena’s comment about him visiting her. With that parting cheap shot directed toward the man of the hour, I climb into the car. I’m mature enough to admit that I slammed my door shut just a little bit too hard.

Turns out I’m asmidgemore jealous than I originally thought.

Iknew Quincey would be in danger if I allowed myself to get too close, but I always thought that the danger was going to be me. With the way she makes my iron-tight control weak, the fear that I would sometime soon snap was an ever-present thought in the back of my head. Now I have to worry about outside forces being a threat to her too.

Even though Rowena doesn’t blatantly cower to me, that does not mean she’s not still afraid of me. She’s been around long enough to know what happens to the vampires that step out of line and don’t adhere to the rules I’ve set in place. That being said, she also allows her emotions to dictate her actions. If she feels as if she’s been betrayed or if she’s angered enough, it doesn’t matter how much she fears me. There’s no telling what she’ll do.

This is what makes me worry about Quincey’s safety. I slipped up tonight by allowing my ruthless façade to drop while in public, where any prying eye could see. The fact that it was Rowena of all people who witnessed it does not work in my favor. One of her favorite ways to gain power is by trading secrets. Her career has allowed her to obtain many over the years. Quincey thinks I’m skilled in blackmail? Rowena is a savant in the matter.

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