Page 49 of Midnight Queen

Feeling skeptical, I lean back so I can look up at him. “You want to go on a date? I thought you didn’t want me leaving the house?”

“I don’t,” he confirms. “I want nothing more than to keep you here where I know I can keep you safe and a secret from anyone who might want to cause you harm, but you reminded me of something last night. I’m ashamed that I ever forgot seeing as it’s one of the first things I admired about you. You’re so strong and courageous, Quincey. Keeping you here is a disservice to you and your character.” Silas’s eyes heat as he stares down at me. “And as you also reminded me last night, you’re not a dirty little secret I need to keep stashed away. You’re so much more than that and I think it’s time we start acting like it.”

I’m not a pawn, I’m a queen.When I told him that, I wasn’t sure if he was truly hearing me. I know what I want and what I’m now capable of, but I need Silas to confirm that he does too. “Really?”

“Really,” he says without any hesitation or doubt in his eyes. “Now go get dressed. I have everything else planned.”

My face falls. “Unless we’re going somewherereallycasual, and since I know you, I highly doubt that we are, I have nothing to wear.” One of the suits Silas wears costs more than my entire, albeit very limited, wardrobe. It’s never really bothered me until recently. The clothes I have are no longer appropriate attire for the person I want to be. I want to be Silas’s equal, and I can’t do that in a pair of checkeredVans.

Silas’s chin nods toward the closed door of his closet. “Don’t you though?” His lips twitch like he’s fighting a knowing smile. “It’s truly a good thing you were sleeping like the dead today, or I never could have pulled this off.”

Still confused, he leads me toward the door and when he opens it, my jaw almost hits the fucking floor.

Standing behind me, he holds my arms. “Like I told you, Quincey. This is your room too.”

Half of his closet has been filled to the brim with the most stunning selection of clothes I’ve ever seen. Each item looks like something I would only see in an issue ofVogueor donned by a celebrity. It’s clothes I could only dream of wearing myself and now they’re all in this closet—mycloset. These are clothes worthy of being worn by the woman on Silas’s arm.

“Where did all of this come from? How did you do this?” I stammer.

“There are stylists I hire for my own clothing. I gave them a call and asked them to build you a wardrobe fit for a queen.” My heart constricts at his words. He really sees me for what I am. “They brought everything here while you slept. Anything you could possibly want should be in here.”

I’m stunned silent and he knows it.

“Get dressed, Quincey,” he repeats after pressing a kiss to my temple. “We have a date to make up for.”

Silas extends his hand and helps me out of the black SUV once we arrive at our location. When he said we were going on a date, I had a couple guesses as to where we might go, but one of the most luxurious hotels in the city wasn’t on my list.

Out of the car, I run a hand down the front of my silk dress to smooth out any of the creases from sitting in the car. It had taken me an embarrassing amount of time to choose an outfit to wear. I don’t know how long I’d stood in the closet staring at the rows of new clothes before I finally settled on the champagne-colored dress. It’s a far cry from what I’m accustomed to wearing, but I’ve truly never felt more like myself in an outfit before. I feel confident and the slit up to my mid-thigh makes me feel sexy.

He releases my fingers, only to place his hand on the small of my back. “I’m starting to wonder if this was a mistake,” he says lowly close to my ear. My stomach sinks, thinking he’s about to change his mind about us being seen in public together, but his next words quickly rectify that. “With you dressed like this, all eyes are going to be on you. I don’t know how I’m going to tolerate so many people looking at what’s mine.”

“Let them look.” I smirk. “And while they’re imagining what it’s like to have me, you’ll already know because you’re the only one allowed to touch me.” My fingers trace up the front of his black shirt. “And while they stare at you, I’ll smile because I know I also have something they can’t have.”

Before Silas, I was never a possessive person. Boyfriends came and went, but I never cared enough about them to be jealous when other girls flirted with them. But now, there’s a burning sensation in my chest at the thought of someone flirting with Silas. I will stab a rusty fork in someone’s throat if they so much as look at him too long.

Andyes, I’m aware that by thinking this, I’ve taken on the psycho bitch title.Hell, if the title came with a tiara and sequin sash, I’d happily wear them so everyone got a fair warning before they tried to fuck with me.

“No one will ever touch you again,” he vows, his voice growing dark at the thought.

“I know,” reassuring him, smiling softly when he takes my hand from his chest and raises it to his mouth so he can kiss the pulse in my wrist. It’s one of my favorite things that he does.

“Come on.” He tugs me toward the grand entrance of the building. “Everything should be set up for us.”

Still no idea what we’re doing at a hotel, I tease softly so none of the people milling about can overhear me, “You know, if you wanted to fuck me in a different bed, we didn’t have to come all the way here. There’s like five other beds at home we’ve yet to christen.”

To me, Silas’s house is entirely too big for just two people to live in, but I’m probably the wrong one to ask. His lifestyle is the complete opposite of what I’m used to. The dress I'm wearing is more than a month’s rent for most of the population.Shit, some of the purses I saw sitting on the shelves in the closet are more than most cars on the market. This is Silas’s normal, and I’m trying to get used to it, but some of those price tags made me nauseous.

“While I do appreciate where your head is at, that’s not why I chose to bring you here.” Stepping into the lobby, I’m shocked by how stunning it is. It doesn’t look like a single thing has changed since it was built. The art deco decor is beautiful, and each piece looks authentic, from the gold light fixtures to the dark-green couches in the sitting area. “When I bought this property, I saw it as a good business opportunity, both on and off the books.” It’s not a secret to me that Silas’s money-making ventures aren’t always on the legal side of things. “For those years, while prohibition was happening, it was one of the few places in New Orleans where humans could still find alcohol. And when there’re humans gathering in one location, my kind are soon to follow.”

My high heels click against the polished, ornate white and black tile as we walk toward the gold doors of the elevator. “So, it became a hunting ground of sorts,” I fill in. “Drunk humans make for easy prey.”

“Yes,” he confirms. “And as the years passed, it remained a place where vampires would congregate.” The doors open and Silas ushers me inside. He presses the button for the top floor before continuing his story. “To this day, it’s still one of the more popular destinations for my kind, which in turn benefits me, not just financially, but information-wise.”

“I’m not following.”

“The trick to maintaining order is ensuring you’re continuously five steps ahead of everyone. This guarantees if there’re ever whispers of trouble or thoughts of insubordination, I can put a halt to all of it before it comes to fruition. They come here to relax and when they do that, their lips become lax. They never suspect that anyone is listening and reporting back to me.”

I shake my head, almost in astonishment. Silas continues to amaze me in his ways. He’s cultivated the ideal location for a vampire. He draws them in and while they’re enjoying their time, he’s using their conversations against them.

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