Page 54 of To Curse A Knight

It was time for some answers. I wasn’t leaving until I got every single one of them.

Content warning: This chapter includes descriptions of sexual violence.

Breaking every speed limit in the county, Lucky arrived at the Palace in record time. His driving skills impressed me while I panicked beside him for three solid hours, even as my mind whirled with every single possibility.

I’d scrolled through the camera footage for hours in real-time, trying to get any clue how Alec did it. He’d disappeared from the corner camera for hours last night. Then, out of nowhere, all the doors to every cell sprungopen.

Alec had immediately taken off down the corridor, seizing his chance to escape. Sandra had suspiciously peered around the doorways, tentatively moving down the hallway to the exterior door before racing in the opposite direction.

That was it—all the information I had. Alec must have been planning this for a while. However, I was determined to understand how before the day was out.

Now—now I had to decide the man’s permanent fate. Kellan’s call confirmed Sandra was no longer on this side of the dirt. No part of me was upset about it. If anything, I was relieved the decision to kill her was no longer in my hands, that the universe had taken care of that for me.

Well, the universe in the form of my broody Viking who’d scoured the woods on my behalf, then vanquished my enemy as if she was his own.

Gratitude replaced the fear in my heart for a moment. All three men had come to my rescue tonight. None of them had hesitated to leap into the fray when I came calling, and every one of them had followed through.

It appeared I had a few devils in my corner, after all.

I owed them an explanation. I eyed Lucky as we got out of the vehicle; he’d said very few words on the drive, proving he had the capability of being serious when the time called for it. As much as I didn’t want to bring him into this circle of trust, it was now impossible to avoid.

He had taken care of me in my most vulnerable moment last night, and he continued to do so into daybreak. Whatever this was between us, I owed him an answer as much as the rest.

After we dealt with Alec. The man was still breathing, according to Aaron’s last text, and I’d need to rid myself of his torment once and for all.

Lucky followed close behind as I moved down the dark hall and through the secure doors, abruptly stopping at Alec’s cell.

Aaron had situated Alec on the toilet in the corner, binding his hands and feet with some sort of string. Deep gashes trailed down both of our captive’s thighs, thick ribbons of…

Holy fuck, was thatskin?

Lucky let out a low whistle of surprise as we both stared, mouths open, at the scene beyond the room.

I’d known Aaron since we were children; his collected quietness had never been mistaken for weakness by any of our peers. Everyone took it for the warning it was; the man was a coiled snake, calmly waiting to strike when it suited him.

I’d seen him strike in the boardroom and in the bedroom; I’d never been on the receiving end of his spoken blows, but I’d always known he harbored a vicious darkness within him. Vicente and Veronica had raised a hardened wolf in sheep’s clothing; a brutal killer poised to take over a poisoned crown.

In all those years, I had never actuallyseenit, but I’d known, deep in my heart, what he was capable of. His sadistic energy called to me, like we were two parts of a whole.

I watched Aaron slice another strip of flesh, this time from Alec’s shoulder blade. His screams were barely audible behind the three layers of protective glass. My Knight carefully pulled the strip with his gloved fingers and tossed it on the floor.

“Sick fuck.” Lucky’s voice was barely audible beside me, but he failed to hide the awe in his tone. “Didn’t know Mr. Roboto had it in him. Malicious creature, in’t he?”

The entrance door to the corridor banged open; I turned to see Kellan limping down the hallway, the fierce frown on his features embodying a true Viking warrior in every way.

I raced to his side and threw my arms around his waist, breathing in the overwhelming scent of fresh mountain air and the faint residue of gunpowder on his skin.

“Thank you.” I pressed my cheek into his chest, not bothering to swipe away tears as they fell freely onto his jacket. Strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me deeper into his hold. The palm of his hand cupping the back of my head, he gently tilted my face upward to stare into his eyes.

I didn’t get the chance to see any of the emotions swirling in the dark blue depths; his mouth descended on mine in a fierce claiming; my tears soaked into his beard as his tongue forced its way between my lips, as if trying to suck away every portion of my pain.

He stole the breath from my lungs, the thoughts from my mind, and every panicked modicum of fear from deep within my gut. His firm mouth molded into something gentler—the touch of our lips conveying far more than our words ever could.

“Good to see you, Big Guy.” Lucky nodded to Kellan in a rare show of deference when I pulled away from his hold. Kellan grunted in response, but it didn’t hold the typical ire usually reserved for our Irish companion.

As if an afterthought, Lucky added in a softer voice. “Thanks for protectingMo Mhuirin.”

The phrase was smooth as melted butter on his tongue, but I had no idea what it meant. I quirked my head in question, but he didn’t indulge me, choosing instead to blow me a kiss and a wink before he gestured toward the window.

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