Page 64 of Bloody Kingdom

My finger presses against her lips. “You haven’t angered me enough yet to justify the cost of a hitman, love.” Her lips lift and the corners of her eyes wrinkle with humor. “We won’t be able to spend the whole night away again, but you’ve earned a few hours away from the house. Constance will be able to sit with Ira for a little while so we can...” I trail off, the term feeling completely foolish. I don’t do this. This is another foreign thing to me.

“Go on a date?” she supplies.

“Yes,” I concede. “I suppose it would be a date.”

She pushes my hand away so she can lean forward and press a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Sounds fun, just tell me when and what I need to wear, but first” —she pulls away from me and points at the food on the stove— “you need to feed me now. I’m starving.”

“So demanding,” I scold.

“I learned from the best.”

There’s a soft knock at my bedroom door when I climb out of the shower. I know it’s not Silas. He never would have bothered knocking, he would have just waltzed right in. The sensor that would alert me of Ira being out of bed or in distress sits silently on my dresser as well. Securing the plush towel around my torso, I pad across the room.

Della stands there, a weird look on her face and a garment bag over her arm. “You sure do know how to keep someone waiting,” she huffs before pushing into the room. “I was knocking for five minutes.”

I twist the strands of my wet hair, squeezing out the excess water. “I was in the shower. What’s going on?”

She tosses the contents of her arms onto the bed and turns to look at me with her hands on her hips. “I went shopping.”

“Okay?”

“The clothes you own are fit for a bowling alley or a dingy bar. Both establishments are places Silas isn’t going to take you for your...date.” She chokes out the last word like it’s a forbidden one. “I wanted you to look nice for the occasion, forhim. And I figured I still owed you for putting you in the position that I did.”

Ugh. People really need to let that go.

Silas says he’s no longer upset with Della, but I’ve seen the way his eyes narrow in contempt when she enters the same room as him or when her name comes up in conversation. He still blames her for what happened.

Della hasn’t been any better. She’s been overly nice and accommodating since I came back with a few bumps and bruises. I’m not sure how much Duke or Silas told her, if she knows that I was almost assaulted, but I really hope they kept that part of the story to themselves. She doesn’t need to feel guilty for something I’m not upset over. I still stand by what I told Silas, I’m glad I was there. Della would be dead if she’d been there like they planned.

“Della, stop. You don’t owe me anything,” I plead with her. “You didn’t have to buy me anything.”

Her mouth purses, her eyes narrowing behind those cat-eyed glasses she wears. “Fine, don’t look at the dress as an apology gift, look at it as a thank you gift.”

I sit down on the bed, crossing my bare legs so I don’t accidentally flash the old woman. “A thank you gift? What could you possibly be thankful to me for? I haven’t done—”

“You’ve done more than I ever thought you could do, Quincey,” Della cuts me off, holding her hand up to silence me. “Despite being blackmailed into it, you take care of Ira with a tenderness that has been lacking from this house for a very long time. You didn’t hold what Silas did against Ira; you’ve gone out of your way to make him comfortable. I wish I had come up with the rose idea months ago, it’s brought Ira so much peace to have them back in the courtyard.” For the first time since I’ve met her, real emotion tears at her voice. “And then there’s what you’ve done for Silas. Do you remember what I said that first day about Silas not dating? He’s never allowed someone to get close enough to him before you to even consider dating them. He’ll never admit it—he has a reputation to uphold after all—but I think he keeps people at bay because he’s afraid of losing them. It breaks my heart to know he’ll spend lifetime after lifetime alone because he insists on keeping everyone at a safe distance. I’m not sure what the future holds for you two, but I’m thankful to you for making him brave even if it’s for a short time.”

As my heart soars, it also starts to break. The harsh reality of what Silas and I are doing will always be looming around the corner. The stopwatch is running and each minute that passes we come closer to the inevitable end. My throat tightens when I ask, “How am I supposed to love someone when I know it’s going to have a painful end?”

Yeah, I said it.Love. I’m falling in love with this man. It’s painful, like a knife twisting in my chest, but it’s there, reminding me of its existence with each heartbeat.

“You love them hard, you love them fast and you appreciate the time you do have. Don’t focus on the ending when it’s only just starting, Quincey.” Della tips my chin up to look at her when my head falls. “That won’t do any good for either of you. Silas and you are both resilient, together you’ll find a way to make it work.” She wipes the lone tear that escapes off my cheek. “Now, go make yourself pretty for my boy. He deserves to see you in something other than clothes that make you look like a bum. I’m leaving here shortly, but you have a great time tonight. Tell me all about it tomorrow.” She pats my face once before leaving me alone in my room, a million different thoughts swirling through my head.

I get up from the bed and stare at myself in the mirror that sits in the corner of the room. Closing my eyes, I shake off the feeling of impending doom. I told Silas he needs to stop living in the past, so I need to stop worrying about the future. We both need to be present in the now and that means I have a date with an incredibly sexy vampire to get ready for.

Della is a fabulous chef,but she’s an even better shopper. The dress is made of dark red, almost maroon, satin fabric. Thin spaghetti straps hold up the deep V neckline.It’s shorter and more revealing than anything I’d expect Della to purchase, but I love it. I love it way more than the very high, matching stilettos. My hands smooth the fabric that flares at my hips as I contemplate whether or not I can get away with wearing my checkeredVans.

Deciding Della will have my head if she finds out I didn’t wear the heels, I slip them on, bending down to fasten the ankle straps. Rising back up, I stare into the same mirror I looked in just a little while ago, this time the sorrow is gone from my eyes. I look better than I have in almost a year, at least more put together and less frumpy.

Della was right, I’m glad she bought me this dress. I wouldn’t have wanted to go on a date with Silas in my usual wardrobe. He’s always so immaculately put together. The woman on his arm should look like she also put some effort into her appearance. And I did tonight. Each piece of my waist-length hair is curled to perfection, falling down my back and I spent extra time on my makeup instead of just my usual simple coat of mascara.

Smiling one last time at my reflection, I leave the room like I’m floating on a cloud of happiness. Who knew the man who caused me so much anger would make me the happiest in the end?

Silas slept in the city today, said he had some things to take care of but will be here shortly to pick me up. I need to check on Ira before I leave. He was unusually okay at the idea of spending a couple of hours with Constance earlier when we talked. I know he’s just taking one for the team by not being bitter about her, but I’m thankful he’s putting on a brave face for me.

I think the man is just happy that his grand plan is working. Knowing I’ll be there for Silas after he’s gone gives him peace. The fact Ira set this whole thing in motion still makes me smile. His probing questions about Silas and begging me to be patient with him now make so much sense. He was busy orchestrating all of this from his deathbed.

Ira thinks I’ve given him comfort, but he too has given me something I’ll never be able to thank him enough for.

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