Page 66 of Bloody Kingdom

“He was a tasty treat.” Hateful eyes flick to Ira before returning to me. “I’m sure you’ll taste even better.”

I’m so stunned to find them standing there, I’m not paying attention to what’s in their hand. The syringe goes unnoticed until it’s being plunged into my neck. The effects are almost instant. My vision blurs and my muscles go weak. I try to fight it, keeping as much pressure on Ira’s neck as I can, but it’s no use.

“No,” I gasp.

My hands slip from his wound first before my knees give out and I crash onto the wood floor. I barely feel my body hit the ground. I can’t move, can barely blink as I watch Ira. His hands try to cover his wound himself, but he’s too weak. They fumble hopelessly at his neck. I want to scream, want to fight, but darkness is starting to form at the corners of my vision. The overwhelming sense of uselessness sets in.

I told him I’d help, but now I can’t fucking move.

Ira turns his head just enough to look at me. The words he tries to tell me will forever remain a secret, but the look of forgiveness that shines in his eyes will remain with me forever. His lips wobble as they tip up in the slightest smile. Ira spends his last breaths reassuring me.

With blurry eyes, I watch the last bits of life leave Ira’s body.

His face goes slack, his hands fall limply at his sides and his chest stops struggling to fill with precious oxygen. He wanted me there when he died, but not like this. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to peacefully drift off in his sleep in a room full of freshly cut roses, with the fireplace lit and crackling while I sat beside him reading from the book we’d started together.

It wasn’t supposed to end like this.

The tears fall from my eyes and I have no choice but to let them stream down my face in angry rivers.

My attacker bends down beside me, a malicious smile plastered on their face. With false tenderness, they push the strands of my hair off my face. “Let’s see how strong the King is once he loses his Queen.”

“Do you hear me, Quincey? If anyone else touches you, I will set the world on fucking fire. You’re fucking mine.”

Silas’s promise repeats in my head before I’m greeted with nothing but darkness.

They finally succeeded in getting what they want.

The cargo container that had been moved to a different secure location with twenty-four-hour security sits before me, completely empty of the product that it’s supposed to be filled to the brim with. Product that had already been sold and promised to my buyers. Buyers who will start to cause problems if they don’t get exactly what they’ve purchased from me.

All of it,gone.

The container’s only contents are the bodies of the team that were hired to guard it. Louis lies on top of the pile of corpses. His lifeless eyes stare at me, his mouth still gaping open in a silent scream. The bodies are mangled. No doubt these men were tortured for information before they were finally put out of their misery. A waste of time, considering these men didn’t know a fucking thing about my empire. They were simply hired as glorified guard dogs to watch over my shit.

I shouldn’t be dealing with this right now. I should be heading back to the estate to pick Quincey up for our date. Plans have been made to ensure she has a good time.Iwas even looking forward to it. Now there is no way in hell I’m getting within five feet of her tonight. The anger coursing through me like wildfire is making me too volatile. I don’t trust myself to not hurt her. She’ll be upset, but I’ll make her understand it’s for the best that I don’t show up tonight.

I’ll find a way to make it up to her.

My fingers just brush against the phone in my pocket to call her when Duke’s concerned voice comes from the other side of the container. “What now?”

It can’t get any worse, can it?

The words written in blood on the side of the empty container tell me I may have spoken too soon.

Duke runs his finger through one of the letters, smearing it further. “Still fresh. This didn’t happen too long ago. This twisted fucker wants to watch as you lose everything.” He points his thumb toward the writing. “Clearly. I would bet money he’s somehow watching us right now. He wants to see how you react to what he’s taken.”

I don’t respond, an object pinned to the bloody metal by the writing holding all my attention. Unease slithers into my chest, constricting it to the point of pain. Moving so fast Duke jumps back in surprise, I rip the photograph off the wall. Blood drips over the image, but it’s still clear as day.

It was taken the night Quincey was attacked. Her bloodied body is held tightly to my chest as I carried her to the waiting car. My lips are pressed to her hairline in a comforting gesture, and the look of utter relief is clearly written across my face.

My hand vibrates with rage as I look down at the photograph in my hand. The message written in blood holds so much more weight now.

You took everything from me… I’ll do the same.

I should have seen this as a possibility. They’re trying to take everything I care about from me. Up until recently, that was just my business. They must have figured out there is something else I care about more than anything.

Quincey.

“Duke,” I snap. “We need to leave.Now.” I move in the direction of the car without bothering to wait for him. I need to get to her, hide her away somewhere safe. We’ll take Ira with us. It will be harder to travel with him, but I can’t leave him behind.

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